DISCONTINUED PIPER PA-25 "PAWNEE"

The Piper PA-25 Pawnee is an American agricultural plane in the low wing configuration, with a classic solid landing gear from the post-war and modern times. The flight of the prototype took place in 1957, and serial production was carried out in the years 1959-1981. Over 5,100 machines of this type were created in its course! In the PA-25-235 version, the plane was 7.55 meters long with a wingspan of 11.02 meters. The drive was provided by a single Lycoming O-540-B2B5 engine with 235 HP. The top speed did not exceed 188 km / h. The PA-25 Pawnee was developed at the Piper Aircraft plant, and its main designer was Fred Ernest Weick. Unlike many agricultural aircraft used in the US after 1945, the PA-25 was designed for this very purpose right from the start. It gained popularity and commercial success relatively quickly. Over time, it also began to be used as a glider towing plane and as a banner towing plane. Several versions of this aircraft were developed in the course of production, including: PA-25-150 (the first production version with the Lycoming O-320 engine), PA-25-235 (version with a more powerful power unit) or PA-25- 260 Pawnee C (Lycoming O-540 version with turbocharger and redesigned hull).