Yeager och Cheyenne 400LS
Härlig amerikansk 80-talsreklam från the US med Chuck Yeager som dragplåster när man ska slå rekord!
Det flygplan som de använder är N400PS, en av de första tillverkade Piper PA-42-1000 Cheyenne IV, senare kallad Cheyenne 400LS. Följande står att läsa i Roger W. Peperells bok "Piper Aircraft - The development and history of Piper designs":
Piper developed the Cheyenne IV between 1981 and 1984. They wanted more power then the existing P&W PT6 engines on the III and counter rotating opereration. Pratt & Whitney didn't have an engine, so Piper went to Garrett. In early 1983 Piper announced the PA-42-1000 Cheyenne IV. It was basically a redesingned Cheyenne III airframe with structural changes and counter-rotating 1,000 shp Garrett TPE331-14 turbo prop engines. The prototype s/n 42-8427001 registration N400PT first flew at Lakeland on the 23rd of February 1983. The production prototypes were s/n 42-8427002 registration N400PS which first flew on the 26th June 1983 and s/n 42-8427003 registration N400PJ which was registered later in 1983. In August 1983 the serial number series was changed on the Cheyenne IV from 42-8427001, 2 and 3 to 42-5527001, 2 and 3. FAA certification of the Cheyenne IV was granted on the 13th of July 1984. In September 1984 it was renamed the Cheyenne 400LS, the '400' to show the aircraft can go to 400 mph and the 'LS' to indicate Lear Siegler its new parent company. The FAA re-certified it and deliveries from Lakeland commenced with s/n 42-5527004 registration N290T in December 1984. The price with IFR equipment was $1,774,500.
Piper developed the Cheyenne IV between 1981 and 1984. They wanted more power then the existing P&W PT6 engines on the III and counter rotating opereration. Pratt & Whitney didn't have an engine, so Piper went to Garrett. In early 1983 Piper announced the PA-42-1000 Cheyenne IV. It was basically a redesingned Cheyenne III airframe with structural changes and counter-rotating 1,000 shp Garrett TPE331-14 turbo prop engines. The prototype s/n 42-8427001 registration N400PT first flew at Lakeland on the 23rd of February 1983. The production prototypes were s/n 42-8427002 registration N400PS which first flew on the 26th June 1983 and s/n 42-8427003 registration N400PJ which was registered later in 1983. In August 1983 the serial number series was changed on the Cheyenne IV from 42-8427001, 2 and 3 to 42-5527001, 2 and 3. FAA certification of the Cheyenne IV was granted on the 13th of July 1984. In September 1984 it was renamed the Cheyenne 400LS, the '400' to show the aircraft can go to 400 mph and the 'LS' to indicate Lear Siegler its new parent company. The FAA re-certified it and deliveries from Lakeland commenced with s/n 42-5527004 registration N290T in December 1984. The price with IFR equipment was $1,774,500.
Och en bit längre ner står detta:
The Cheyenne 400LS holds many speed and time-to-climb records. Chuck Yeager set a speed record of 568.86 km/hr between New York and Gander on the 1st of October 1984. In April 1985 time-to-climb records were set in Oregon for 3000, 6000, 9000, and 12,000 metres.
Typen har figurerat på svenskt register i ett exemplar för cirka tio år sedan; SE-LYY (42-5527010). Numera verkar den maskinen ha identiteten M-NLYY, här fotograferad av Chris Mabott.
The Cheyenne 400LS holds many speed and time-to-climb records. Chuck Yeager set a speed record of 568.86 km/hr between New York and Gander on the 1st of October 1984. In April 1985 time-to-climb records were set in Oregon for 3000, 6000, 9000, and 12,000 metres.
1984 såldes Piper av Bangor Punta till Lear Siegler och det kommande årskiftet stängdes Piper sin anläggning i Lakeland. Man koncentrerade verksamheten till Vero Beach och produktionen av PA-42 flyttade med. Den skakiga tillvaron för Piper fortsatte - i början av 1987 kom Lear Siegler sälja Piper till Forstmann Little & Co. som i sin tur sålde företaget till det av Monroe Stuart Millar ägda Romeo Charlie Inc. den 12 maj 1987. Man kan undra vad detta gjorde med namnet Cheyenne 400LS? Jo, den blev kallad kort och gott Cheyenne 400!
Totalt kom dock bara 44 stycken Piper PA-42-1000 Cheyenne IV/Cheyenne 400LS/Cheyenne 400 att tillverkas 1983-91. Sedan kan man vidare undra över vad en stabilare ägarsituation hade betytt för "The Jet Killer" PA-42-1000? Hade produktionssiffran blivit högre? Hade den kanske fortfarande varit i produktion?
Typen har figurerat på svenskt register i ett exemplar för cirka tio år sedan; SE-LYY (42-5527010). Numera verkar den maskinen ha identiteten M-NLYY, här fotograferad av Chris Mabott.
