The highly successful Navajo six/eight seat cabin class twin has been adapted to a number of commuter, charter, air taxi, light freight and executive transport roles, and has spawned a series of developments. It has a cruising speed of 165 knots, and a range of approximately 1300 nautical miles.

The PA-31 was developed at the request of company founder William T Piper, and the program for a new larger twin was given the project name Inca. The first prototype PA-31 made the type's first flight on September 30, 1964 and was Piper's largest aircraft to be built to that time.

Deliveries began began in the first half of 1967. The first model was the PA-31-310, powered by two 230kW (310hp) turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540-A1A engines. A small number of the PA-31-300 with two normally aspirated 225kW (300hp) IO-540-M engines were also built in 1968 and 1969. The PA-31-310 had five cabin windows per side and Piper's distinctive Tiger Shark engine nacelles with optional nacelle lockers. The PA-31-310 was further improved in late 1971 in the Navajo B and in 1974 in the Navajo C and the PA-31-325 Navajo C/R with counter rotating 242kW (325hp) TIO-540-F engines.

The PA-31P-425 Pressurized Navajo was aimed at the corporate market and had three windows on the right side and two on the left side of the cabin, geared turbocharged and fuel injected TIGO-541-E1A engines, a higher takeoff weight and strengthened structure and undercarriage, optional extra fuel, a lengthened nose, and most importantly a cabin pressurisation system. First flown in March 1968, first deliveries took place from 1970, and it remained in production until 1984.

Production of the PA-31-310 ceased in 1983.

Our Navajos are often used to transport oil workers and firefighters into many of the smaller gravel landing strips dotting northern Alberta's landscape.

All Piper Navajo general information courtesy of Airliners.net