VERO BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2017) – Piper Aircraft has announced that certification on both the twin-engine Piper Seminole and single-engine Archer has been achieved and aircraft deliveries have begun.
The University Of North Dakota John D. Odegard School Of Aerospace Sciences is the launch customer for the next generation Piper trainers. UND and Piper Aircraft announced the awarded contract in April of 2016 for more than 100 trainer aircraft of which 12 aircraft have already been delivered.
The G1000 NXi incorporates innovative capabilities into a state-of-the-art avionics platform. The significantly upgraded system offers enhanced processing power that supports faster map rendering and smoother panning throughout the displays. Features such as wireless cockpit connectivity, including wireless database updates using Garmin Flight Stream 510, visual approaches, map overlay on the horizontal situation indicator (HSI), as well as improved ADS-B options are now all available in the next generation Archer and Seminole.
“The FAA certified Piper Archer and Seminole equipped with G1000 NXi provide a modernized flight display and offer significant performance enhancements to the avionic capabilities. This improvement along with the addition of the Lycoming fuel injected engine (IO-360-B4A) available in the Archer, make our primary trainers the most advanced piston training aircraft available on the market today,” said President and CEO Simon Caldecott.
About the Archer TX – The Archer TX includes the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics package which incorporates moderns processing power that supports faster map rendering and smoother panning throughout the displays. Saving valuable time in the cockpit, the displays initialize within seconds after start-up, providing immediate access to frequencies, flight plan data and more. Also included is the Air Data Attitude Heading Reference System (ADAHRS) (GSU 75), an Aspen Electronic Standby System (EFD-1000), a solid state 3-axis Magnetometer (GMU 44), Dual IFR Enroute/Approach and WAAS Certified GPS systems and Nav/Comm (16 watt) radios (GIA 63Ws), an Electronic Engine Indication System (EIS), a Mode S Transponder with ADS-B out (GTX 335ES), Digital Audio Panel (GMA 1347), Traffic Information Systems (TIS), and Terrain and Obstacle Mapping round out the standard equipment on the TX. The Archer TX comes standard equipped with a 180 hp Lycoming engine, offers 128 ktas / 237 km/h cruise speed. An optional fuel injected LycomingIO-360-B4A engine is also available.
About the Seminole – The Seminole includes the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics package which incorporates moderns processing power that supports faster map rendering and smoother panning throughout the displays. Saving valuable time in the cockpit, the displays initialize within seconds after start-up, providing immediate access to frequencies, flight plan data and more. Also included is the Air Data Computer (GDC 72), Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) (GRS 79), an Aspen Electronic Standby System (EFD-1000), a solid state 3-axis Magnetometer (GMU 44), Dual IFR Enroute/Approach and WAAS Certified GPS systems and Nav/Comm (16 watt) radios (GIA 63Ws), an Electronic Engine Indication System (EIS), a Mode S Transponder with ADS-B out (GTX 335ES), Digital Audio Panel (GMA 1347), Traffic Information Systems (TIS), and Terrain and Obstacle Mapping round out the standard equipment on the TX. The Seminole, equipped with two 180 hp Lycoming engines, has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 pounds, a max speed of 202 kts and ceiling of 15,000 feet.
About the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences – The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota is a world-renowned center of aerospace learning, internationally acclaimed for its achievements in collegiate aviation education and flight training, atmospheric research, space studies, earth systems science and computer science applications. With 825 faculty and staff members, and over 1800 students from around the world, and many programs and research projects, UND Aerospace Sciences is setting the pace for aerospace education. UND Aerospace owns and operates the largest civilian training fleet in the world consisting of over 150 aircraft and flight training devices. UND Aerospace logs over 125,000 hours of flight training at their Grand Forks, ND; Meza, AZ and Crookston, MN locations annually.
About Piper Aircraft – Piper Aircraft Inc., headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla., offers aviators throughout the world efficient and reliable single- and twin-engine aircraft. The single-engine M-Class series – the M600, M500, M350 and Matrix – offers businesses and individuals elegant performance and value. The Twin Class Seneca V and Seminole balance proven performance, efficiency, and simplicity in twin-engine aircraft. The Trainer Class Warrior, Archer TX, Archer DX, Arrow, Seminole and Seneca V aircraft form the most complete technically-advanced line of pilot training aircraft in the world. All Piper airplanes feature advanced Garmin avionics in the cockpit. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. For more information, visit www.Piper.com.
