Piper PA-20 Pacer

PA-20 Pacer
&
PA-22 Tri-Pacer
Family
Piper PA-22-150 Tri-Pacers. The red one is in original configuration, while the blue one has been converted to conventional landing gear
General information
TypeCivil utility aircraft
ManufacturerPiper Aircraft
Number built1,120 (PA-20)
9,490 (PA-22)
History
Manufactured1950–1954 (PA-20)
1950–1964 (PA-22)
First flight1949 (PA-20)
1950 (PA-22)
Developed fromPiper PA-15 Vagabond
VariantsJavelin V6 STOL
Piper PA-20-115 Pacer
Ski-equipped PA-20 Pacer
Piper PA-22-150 Tri-Pacer converted to conventional landing gear
Piper PA-22 Colt
Piper PA-22-150 Caribbean

The PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer, Caribbean, and Colt are an American family of light strut-braced high-wing monoplane aircraft built by Piper Aircraft from 1949 to 1964.

The Pacer is essentially a four-place version of the two-place PA-17 Vagabond, with conventional landing gear, a steel tube fuselage and an aluminum frame wing covered with fabric, much like Piper's famous Cub and Super Cub. The Tri-Pacer is a development of the Pacer with tricycle landing gear, while the Colt is a two-seat flight training version of the Tri-Pacer. Prized for their ruggedness, spacious cabins, and, for the time, impressive speed, many of these aircraft continue to fly today.

Factory installed 108 hp (81 kW), 125 hp (93 kW), 135 hp (101 kW), 150 hp (110 kW), and 160 hp (120 kW) engine options were available, and 180 hp (130 kW) engine after-market conversions have been offered.