The Piper Tri-Pacer is not what one would call a modern-looking airplane. Short-coupled, with stubby, strut-braced wings and thick-looking tricycle landing gear, the tube-and-fabric four-seater seems a bit dowdy.
It 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.
But owners delight in the airplanes pleasing mix of reasonable performance and load-carrying capability combined with low purchase prices and rock-bottom operational costs.
And theyve got a point. The Tri-Pacer can cruise faster than a vintage Cessna 172 while using from seven to nine GPH. It has good short-field performance, a wide CG range and good parts availability to boot.
The price for this ranges from about $15,000 up to around $20,000 or so, though a fixer-upper can be had for less. Thats a pretty good value, if the prospect of being snickered at doesnt bother you.
History
The Tri-Pacer is a crossover design, being introduced at a time when most light aircraft were taildraggers. In a way, it defined a whole new market niche, one that would eventually come to be dominated by the Skyhawk.
Introduced in 1951, the Tri-Pacer was not an all-new design. It was based on the PA-20 Pacer, and today its possible to reconvert a Tri-Pacer to taildragger configuration with an STC. Interestingly, the PA-20 is, to our eye, much more aesthetically pleasing than the Tri-Pacer. Amazing what that nose gear 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. But in 1956 Cessna introduced the world-beating 172, which outsold the Tri-Pacer so badly that production was stopped in 1960.
The first Tri-Pacers had 125 HP Lycoming O-290-D engines, which were changed halfway through the second year of production to 135 HP D2 models. In 1955, that engine was swapped out for a 150 HP Lycoming O-320-A1A. In 1958, the 160 HP O-320-B2A was offered as an option, giving a boost in useful load. The latter engine can be retrofitted with an STC; a worthwhile mod. Aside from this, there were no significant changes during the Tri-Pacers production run. Floats were offered as an option, as were 44-gallon tanks after 1955.
Accommodations
Despite two doors (one on the right front for the front seats, one of the left rear for the back seats), its tough to climb into, 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 will find the Tri-Pacer is cramped and dark. Two wide people sitting side-by-side should be very good friends, at least. An owner put it best: The Tri-Pacer is built for people who are either small, or who are intent on becoming good friends. Spacious appointments are not the Tri-Pacers virtue.
Built to last
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 fabric holds up we’ll according to most owners, especially the Ceconite and Razorback coverings. Some might say they last too long, allowing corrosion to progress undetected for a long time.
Although Razorback can last more than 20 years, the structure underneath may rot away in only 10 years. Some owners, opting for safety, get the bird recovered every 10 years, whether it needs it or not.
Even with regular inspections and recovering, the steel-tube structure of the Tri-Pacer is somewhat susceptible to corrosion. 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.
The lift struts are another nettlesome component. Internal rusting is a well-known problem, as is cracking of the strut forks (well discuss these further, shortly).
Maintenance
Owners report maintenance offers no special 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 at the first signs of reduced cranking power seems to be the order of the day here.
Performance
Despite its rather rude looks, the Tri-Pacer is a surprising performer. The frumpy little four-placer earns high marks from owners in this regard.
Except for the lower-powered models, most Tri-Pacers can lift three adults, a smidgen of baggage, and full fuel-and still manage a decent climb rate. 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 quite possible to overload.)
Its got 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 9,000-foot mountains in the west.
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 or even a Warrior. Maximum altitude is also very good, with climb performance petering out at about 13,000 feet as engine power bleeds away.
The low-power models are another story, though. don’t expect to carry four people and more than an hour of fuel, because the airplane may not make it off the ground. Many Tri-Pacer pilots have become tree surgeons, wallowing through the branches after takeoff. The low-power models can make fine Sunday fliers, but don’t buy one as a cross-country, load-toting machine.
Landing can be a dicey affair, judging by the aircrafts accident history. Getting slow on final can produce prodigious sink rates (as high as 2,000 FPM, according to one owner). This may be why the Tri-Pacer has a reputation for gliding like the proverbial brick. 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 down the speed (68-70 MPH) and carry power. As one owner notes, You pull the power back, and she lands.
Once the airplane is on the runway, the short fuselage and narrow landing gear can make for somewhat nervous manners. Swerves that are mild in other aircraft can be hair-raising in a Tri-Pacer. Hand-operated brakes don’t help here, either.
Handling
This leads us to one of the Tri-Pacers few real problems-ground handling. Strong winds can be a real hazard for this airplane. Its stance on the ground and its high wing are almost an invitation to get blown over.
And taxiing is no tea party, either. Fast turns can spell disaster, as can turns from a headwind into a crosswind. Make a sharp, snappy turn off the runway with a strong wind, and remaining upright can be a real challenge.
But once its off the ground, 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. Pilots report the interconnect is easy to overpower for slips.
Though close-coupled, the Tri-Pacer is surprisingly stable. Although it will bounce around in turbulence, it 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.
AD scene
Considering its age, the Tri-Pacer has fared very we’ll in terms of ADs. Most were of the one-time variety and should have been complied with long ago.