August 2013
Piper had success with its twin-engine Seneca, but complaints of poor handling had plagued the early models and Piper had been on a quest for more power and better handling for the Seneca nearly from the outset.
Seneca II
To gain more power for the 4,200-pound (gross weight) Seneca, Piper engineers looked at the possibility of adding a supercharger. They tried out the 220 hp Franklin 6A-350-C1 as well as turbocharged engines from Lycoming and Continental. In tests the 200 hp turbocharged Continental L/TSIO-360-E performed well and was eventually chosen for the powerplant.
In-flight handling was improved by adding aerodynamically balanced ailerons, an anti-servo tab for increased rudder effectiveness and a redesigned stabilator, while ground handling received enhancements in the form of a reworked nosegear steering linkage. To keep things simple engineers chose a fixed wastegate.
The Seneca II also introduced optional club seating.
The Seneca II PA-34-200T premiered in October 1974 with a base price of $63,995. It had gross and empty weight increases—to 4,570 and 2,770–2,848 pounds, respectively—as compared to the PA-34-200.
In 1977 the Seneca II received new brakes and tires and optional additional fuel tanks with a capacity of 30 gallons.
By 1980 Piper marketing material was touting the Seneca II as the model that “outsells every other twin-engine airplane in the world.” This was due to “Piper’s advanced design techniques…a price $50,000 less than comparable twins…turbocharging as standard equipment” and “fuel efficiency that compares favorably with many high performance singles.”
The 1980 Seneca II offered options of built-in oxygen with outlets at each seat and increased door clearance.
Seneca III
Never content with enough of a good thing, Piper had begun work on the next version of the Seneca in 1978.
After the usual fiddling with wing and tail configurations that didn’t work, the Seneca III debuted with the Seneca II tail and wings intact, but Continental L/TSIO-360-KB engines and three-bladed propellers. The engines were rated at 220 hp for takeoff and 200 hp continuous. Also new for the III: a one-piece windshield and a useful load increase of 180 pounds.
Sales of the Seneca III began in January 1981 at a base price of $138,250.
Seneca IV
The short-lived Seneca IV was a Seneca III with an axisymmetric cowl, a modified window line and a couple of changes to the interior and panel. It debuted in 1994 with a price of $424,900 and only 71 were sold over a period of four years.
Seneca V
Almost before the ink had dried on the first sales contract for the IV model, Piper was hard at work on the next version. The Seneca V came with improved cowl inlets and 220 hp continuous TCM L/TSIO-360-RB engines and Harzell propellers.
Unlike its predecessors, the V came standard as a five-seater, its sixth seat replaced by an entertainment console in the starboard aft-facing position. A six-seat version was available as an option. Deliveries began in February 1997 at $472,900.
Changes in the Seneca V over the years have centered around avionics, exterior paint and interior cabin changes.
The model is still in production today with the six-seat configuration. It comes standard with a dual Garmin G1000 avionics suite for a price of $972,400.
For 42 years the Seneca has been fulfilling its mission as a reliable light twin. More than 5,000 Senecas have been built to date and the FAA database shows almost 1,500 still registered.
Source: “Piper Aircraft,” by Roger Peperell. Air-Britain, 2006.
Jennifer Dellenbusch is president of the Piper Flyer Association. Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
