In a marshmallow-soft GA market, where $100,000-plus creampuffs linger near the back of the rack like day-old croissants, so-called affordable classics like the Piper Tri-Pacer arent doing too badly. Then again, the PA-22, beloved by a devoted cadre of owners and fans but often utterly ignored by pilots looking for a simple, four-place single, has never been a hot commodity. Go shopping with $30,000 in your Dickies and youve got the pick of the PA-22 market.
All Tri-Pacers are not created equal. During a decade of production, Piper made notable (and some say, much needed) improvements adding horsepower, performance and bolstering cabin comfort. So criticism and virtues vary by vintage and condition: Some are beautifully restored classics (one won the big prize at Oshkosh in 1998), and others are tired and frumpy. A neglected Tri-Pacer, like any old airplane, will not remain a good deal for the long haul. Say what you want, the Tri-Pacer was nevertheless a landmark airplane; it was one of the first popular light aircraft with a nose wheel, and later models were marketed as the single engine business aircraft of its day.
Its not what you would call a modern-looking airplane, not unexpected given that it sprang from postwar necessity as the Vagabond in 1948. The short history is that Piper had sold a huge number of Cubs just after the war, but the boom went bust and Piper needed a cheaper, simpler (if there could be such a thing) alternative. The two-seat, clipped wing PA-15/17 Vagabond morphed into the four-seat PA-16 Clipper for 1949, but didnt take off as a design until it became the truly four-place PA-20 Pacer in 1950. As expected, horsepower grew with each iteration, starting with a 65-HP Continental for the Vagabond to a 115-HP O-290 Lycoming in the first Pacers.
Nosewheels Arrive
By the late 1940s, wind slipped the sails of the taildragger favor. (Remember, the Bonanza and Ercoupe were around, and previously unpaved airports were getting regular visits from Mr. Tarmac.) In this crossover time, Piper launched the Tri-Pacer.
In a way, it defined a whole new market niche, one that would eventually come to be dominated by the all-aluminum Skyhawk. Introduced in 1951, the Tri-Pacer was not an all-new design; in fact, it was an expedient modification of the Pacer. A new tubular engine-mount structure was developed to carry the nosewheel (steered by the rudder pedals), surrounded by a sheetmetal smile. The main gear was moved back, of course, and the base engine was a 125-HP Lycoming. Thats about it.
In fact, the two models are so similar that today its possible to reconvert a Tri-Pacer to taildragger configuration with an STC. Interestingly, the PA-20 is, to many an eye, much more aesthetically pleasing than the Tri-Pacer. Amazing what that nosegear can do.
The Tri-Pacer was a great success back in the heady 1950s. During the airplanes nine-year production run, more than 7600 were built. And that domination might have continued, but Cessna introduced the world-beating (and, significantly, all metal) 172 in 1956, which went on to outsell the Tri-Pacer so badly that production was stopped in 1960. (Piper also had the Cherokee waiting in the wings, so motivation to keep the labor-intensive Tri-Pacer alive was not exactly overpowering.)
All Lycoming
The first Tri-Pacers had 125HP Lycoming O-290-D engines, which were changed halfway through the second year of production to 135-HP O-290-D2 models. In 1955, that engine was swapped out for a 150-HP Lycoming O-320-A1A.
In 1958, the high-compression 160-HP O-320-B2A was offered as an option, giving a boost in performance and useful load. Ineligible for use of auto gas, the 160-HP engine is not considered a big improvement by some. Still, it can be retrofitted to earlier models with an STC; a worthwhile mod if only to improve the Tri-Pacers already modest climb performance.
Over the years, Piper also added width to the cabin for more comfort. Floats were offered as an option. Standard fuel capacity through the run was 36 gallons in two wing tanks, but an auxiliary tank (located behind the cabin) was offered as an option after 1955.
Its worth noting that many neo-classics of this vintage used engines that have not weathered the decades well-just try getting reduction gears for a Continental GO-300 in your Cessna Skylark-Piper put in with a good crowd, and the most of the four-cylinder Lycomings remain we’ll supported.
Performance
Despite its, uh…distinctive looks, the Tri-Pacer is a surprisingly good performer. Except for the lower-powered models, most Tri-Pacers can lift three adults, a smidgen of baggage, and full standard fuel-and still manage a decent climb rate of 500 FPM.
And while stubbiness usually translates into a small loading envelope, owners report that its almost impossible to get the CG too far forward or aft. But its possible to exceed legal load limits.
Owners report cruise speeds in the 120- to 130-MPH range at middling altitudes (6000 to 7000 feet). This is comparable to a Piper Cherokee and somewhat better than the early Skyhawks, which had, if you’ll recall, a 145-HP engine.
It is the Tri-Pacer owners delight to point out that the vaunted early 172s would be sucking the Pipers stubby wake in cruise, although this reminds us of a big fish boasting from a bird bath.
Maximum altitude is also very good, with climb performance petering out above 13,000 feet as engine power bleeds away.
Back down here, the Tri-Pacer offers good short- and soft-field performance, provided the field isn’t too high or hot.
But even then, the Tri-Pacer can hack the course if the loading is kept light, particularly the higher-horsepower models. One owner uses his Tri-Pacer to routinely fly over 9000-foot mountains in the west. In July of 1999, two dozen of them flew into and out of Leadville, Colorado, the highest airport in North America, without any performance problems. These airplanes are as much at home on a grass field as asphalt, too.
The low-power models are another story, though. On a hot summer day, expect to carry only two adults, light baggage with full fuel and you can expect only 250 FPM climb rates. The low-power models can make fine Sunday fliers, but don’t buy one as a load-toting, cross-country machine.
On standard fuel (36 gallons), the 160-horse Tri-Pacer will stay aloft four and a half hours without reserves, so call it a bit more than 400 miles range absent big winds. About par for recreational airplanes of this vintage.
Handling
The Tri-Pacer can be a delight to fly. Controls are we’ll harmonized and an aileron-rudder interconnect gives the pilot the choice of making turns with either his feet off the rudder or his hands off the yoke. (You wont impress your backseat passengers much, but it can be done.) Pilots report the interconnect is easy to overpower for slips. The large rudder provides excellent control authority in crosswind landings and despite the short wingspan, the Tri-Pacer flies about like youd expect in bumpy air. That is, like a fabric Skyhawk.
Although close-coupled, the Tri-Pacer is surprisingly stable. It will bounce around in turbulence, but doesnt wander or hunt up and down. It wont fly hands-off, but wont try to swap ends, either.
Another surprise is stall behavior. Many pilots report that the Tri-Pacer simply wont stall in the classic sense. Haul back on the yoke and the nose comes up, the airspeed goes down and the airplane soon starts to sink. But it never breaks or pitches over-it just sinks. However, correctly mishandled, the Tri-Pacer can raise the adrenaline of even hardened pilots. It can stall and spin if not flown properly, just like any other light single will.
Landing requires attention to airspeed. Judging by the aircrafts accident history, getting slow on final can produce prodigious sink rates (as high as 2000 FPM, according to one owner). This may be why the Tri-Pacer has a reputation for gliding like a Ceconite-covered cinder block. To those who arent familiar with the airplane, the insidious onset of a high sink rate on final can be unnerving (and lead to undershooting the runway). The key is to nail the speed (70 MPH) and carry power. As one owner notes, You pull the power back, and she lands.
Once the airplane is on the runway, steering is precise because the rudder pedals are connected directly (by steel rods) to the nose wheel. Small movement of the pedals is in order. Adding to this, the narrow landing gear can make for somewhat nervous manners compared to more recent aircraft with a wider stance.
Pilots need to be aware that the Tri-Pacer sits relatively tall on narrow gear and can be a challenge to keep pointed in the right direction in high winds. Oh, the airplane will manage the landing in quite a bit of blow, but can be skittish on the ground.
Cabin, Fabric
Despite two doors (one on the right front for the front seats, one of the left rear for the back seats), climbing in takes some getting used to, perhaps a bit of its taildragger heritage showing through. The gear is relatively tall, making for a long climb up, and the doors are small due to the need to clear some of the fuselage tubes.
Once inside, some passengers used to more modern aircraft may find the Tri-Pacer cramped. The earlier models are a tight fit, but models from 1956 forward are by the tape measure about as generous as a four-place Mooney. (Your mind will not agree, thanks in part to the small windows and prominent structural tubes crossing the windshield.)
Two wide people sitting side-by-side should be very good friends, at least. During a recent flight from Ohio to Alaska in a 1957 Tri-Pacer a front seat passenger observed, I thought I was going to be terribly cramped, but I actually have more room than I had in the back of a (Boeing) 747 flying to Scotland last year – and the view is much better! (Reason number 246 why we don’t fly Air France.)
Tri-Pacer construction is fairly sturdy. Steel tubing covered with fabric was the factory standard and in terms of strength and lightness, it does well. But all-metal airplanes soon became the state of the art.
As a result, metalizing became a popular mod for fabric-covered airplanes like the Tri-Pacer. However, it seems most owners have been able to resist the urge to get their airplanes converted to spam-can condition. Most Tri-Pacers are still fabric covered.
The modern fabric holds up well, according to most owners, especially the PolyFiber (Stitts), Ceconite, or original Razorback (fiberglass) coverings. Some might say they last too long, allowing corrosion to progress undetected for a long time.
Although PolyFiber, Ceconite, or Razorback can last more than 30 years, the structure underneath may deteriorate in only 10 or 20 years. Some owners, opting for safety, get the bird recovered every 15 to 20 years, whether the fabric needs it or not.
Even with regular inspections and recovering, the steel-tube structure of the Tri-Pacer is somewhat susceptible to corrosion if left unhangared. One trouble area is the tubing around and under the doors.
Another seems to be the tail surfaces, especially the stabilizer. And several owners report finding the lower longerons and tail-section tubing rusted. Airplanes that are hangared fare much better.
AD 74-17-04 calls for reinforcement of fabric over the windscreen if the fabric is cotton or linen. In several accidents prior to 1974 the cotton or linen fabric became loose and lifted up. The ballooning fabric acts like a big scoop and a spoiler, creating incredible drag and destroying airflow over the tail surfaces.
This can make control just about impossible, and level flight is out of the question. This AD does not apply if the aircraft has been recovered with PolyFiber or Ceconite, which would be the majority of the fleet nowadays.
The age and overall condition of the fabric is another consideration. A fresh covering job may indicate an attempt to cover up expensive structural problems (like rusted tubing).
On the other hand, fabric thats more than 20 years old could be doing the same. A thorough inspection of the longerons and around the doors looking for rust-through is mandatory.
The lift struts are another nettlesome component. In the 1960s and 70s, internal rusting was a well-known problem, as was cracking of the strut forks (well discuss these further, shortly).
Piper issued a Service Bulletin last year to inspect the lift strut spar attachment fittings of all high wing Pipers unless the plane was recovered in the last 10 years.
There is a significant AD on the wing struts, AD 93-10-6 (this was once two ADs, 77-3-8 and 81-25-5), and has been superceded by AD 99-01-05. Part of the AD calls for annual inspections of the struts for corrosion, as we’ll as treatment with a rust inhibitor (linseed oil).
The initial AD specified using a Maule punch tester on the strut; however, some mechanics doubt the effectiveness of this test. The most recent AD authorizes non-destructive testing.
The FAA has approved visual inspection by removing the fork and inserting a halogen light inside the strut.
Many owners have replaced their struts with sealed struts from Univair which eliminates the AD inspection entirely, or have their struts sealed in accordance with an F. Atlee Dodge STC that requires inspection every five years.
The other part of the AD addresses the lift-strut forks. According to the AD, the original machined-thread forks were prone to fatigue cracking.
The fatigue apparently originated at the bottom of the thread grooves, which were very sharp. The problem was exacerbated by people using the struts as steps when getting in and out of the airplane.
The AD calls for immediate inspection of the forks using magnetic means (read Magnaflux) to detect cracks, with the inspection repeated every 500 hours thereafter. If no cracks were found, then the forks could be returned to service if they had less than 2000 hours on them (1000 hours for floatplanes or any plane that had been on floats at any time in its life).
But at 2000 hours (or 1000), the forks have to be replaced with rolled-thread types (Piper part No. 14481-2). Buyers shopping for a Tri-Pacer and finding one advertised as low time should make sure the AD has been complied with, or the forks replaced with either the new Piper part or the Jensen Lifetime models.
Maintenance
Beyond the lift-strut brouhaha, owners report no special maintenance problems and upkeep costs are quite low. A scan of a six-year printout of FAA Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs) showed few real trends. In fact, only one other problem besides the aforementioned corrosion turned up with any regularity.
That involved the starter cables. Slow cranking and eventually, burned wires were cited in 10 reports, ranging through all models. Replacement with Bogert copper cables is a popular option. Another contributor to reduced cranking power seems to be caused by low/no battery charging from the 25-amp generator during taxi, and especially at night with all the lights and avionics running. Running the RPM up for a few minutes after landing and taxi insures a full battery charge the next time you want to go flying. Considering its age, the Tri-Pacer has fared very we’ll in terms of ADs-again, excepting the lift-strut business. Most were of the one-time variety and should have been complied with long ago.
Want One?
When it comes to eye appeal, the Tri-Pacer certainly has come in for more than its share of abuse, giving rise to charming appellations like Flying Milk Stool, Slow-Pacer, Flying Brick and Three-Legged Hog. However, many senior pilots look back with nostalgia on learning to fly in a Tri-Pacer or on their very first airplane ride in one.
Owners delight in the airplanes pleasing mix of reasonable performance and load-carrying capability. Of course they could just be cheapskates.
With todays prices ranging from about $20,000 up to around $30,000 or so, and the promise of rock-bottom maintenance costs-assuming the struts are up to snuff and the fabric is clean-the Tri-Pacer is a good value.
Well-maintained examples have generally appreciated over time, although the Tri-Pacer market seems to exist in a quiet tidepool, out of reach of the crashing waves of GAs recent value fluctuations.
Because of the low cost of the Tri-Pacer, you must be on the lookout for owners who have been tempted to cut corners on maintenance. There are some fine Tri-Pacers out there and more than a few with too many Ace Hardware bits jangling in the belly.
Any mechanic worth his hourly rate (and familiar with the airplane) should catch most of the worst transgressions, but keep in mind that the PA-22s basement buy-in makes rescue missions fiscally inadvisable.
In the same vein, don’t expect top-line avionics; be wary of creaky radios with too many vacuum tubes in them. Piper changed the panel for the 1956 models, moving the radios to the center stack and enlarging the gyro panel in front of the pilot, a tremendous improvement.
The Tri-Pacer is no stranger to brake failures, so a careful check of the condition and history of the brakes is in order. The brakes are operated by a single hand lever (Johnson bar) pressurizing a single master cylinder. The rubber diaphragm in the master cylinder gets stretched and weakens after about three years service. It is recommended the diaphragm be changed at every other annual. A number of owners have installed the North River Brake Booster STC which replaces the rubber diaphragm with a machined piston and greatly improves braking performance while eliminating the fragile diaphragm altogether. Look for recent (i.e., within the last three years) replacement of the diaphragms and drum turning to ensure long-lasting, reliable brakes.
Another item to look for is half-inch exhaust valves in the O-320 engines. With the valves, TBO is a healthy 2000 hours. Without, its only 1200-pretty poor for such a low-output engine.
Mods, Clubs
There are mods a-plenty for the Tri-Pacer. Owners can get everything from the mundane to the radical for their airplane. A mod worth looking into gets rid of the old drum-type brakes and installs disk brakes. You might look into Univairs brake STC.
Another is the Williams dual toe brake modification that makes it easier to turn a tight radius on the ground and is a must for taildragger conversions, below.
Some owners are turning their Tri-Pacers back into Pacers by removing the nosegear and moving the mains forward a bit. It improves the airplanes looks considerably, but brings with it taildragger ground handling foibles. Univair also holds an STC for this.
Another popular mod is to replace the puny 25-amp and 35-amp generators with alternators. Interav makes an alternator kit. Perhaps the best mod is a simple engine swap, from the increasingly rare O-290 to the quite-common and bulletproof Lycoming O-320.
Be careful, though, because the extra horsepower requires an additional rib in the older wings. The 160-HP Lycoming O-320 has an AD to inspect the front crankshaft seal for pitting and corrosion. A number of owners have added droop wing tips and vortex generators in an attempt to increase short field performance.