Piper PA-48 Enforcer

The Piper PA-48 "Enforcer" is a turboprop powered light close air support/ground-attack aircraft built by Piper Aircraft Corp. It was an ultimate development of the original World War II North American P-51 Mustang. It was orginally created by Cavalier Aircraft as a PAVE COIN platform in 1968 by taking two existing P-51 Mustang aircraft and fitting them with turboprop engines (along with other modifications). Cavalier failed to secure an United States Air Force contract and the two aircraft and the rights to the P-51 design were transferred to Piper Aircraft.

Piper further developed the aircraft in response to the contract that produced the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II and, by the time their prototypes were turned over to the Air Force for testing, they shared less than ten percent of their structure with the parent.

The Air Force only agreed to evaluate the aircraft after Congressional and court mandates and found it unsuitable, purchasing the A-10 instead. Since the Enforcer was never in the Air Force inventory, it was not given an official military designation and did not receive an Air Force serial number. Instead, it carries the Piper designation PA-48 and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) resistration number N481PE.

Of the prototype aircraft produced, one of the original Cavalier P-51 conversion aircraft was lost in a flight accident and the other awaits restoration at Edwards Air Force Base. The Piper aircraft has been fully restored and resides in the 'Prototype Hangar' at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.

Specifications

Crew: one, pilot
Length: 34 ft 2 in (10.40 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 4 in (12.60 m)
Height: 13 ft 1 in (4.00 m)
Wing area: 408 ft² (37.9 m²)
Empty: lb ( kg)
Loaded: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
Maximum take-off: lb ( kg)
Powerplant: 1× Avco-Lycoming T55-L-9 turboshaft, 2,455 shp (1,831 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 405 mph (650 km/h)
Range: 920 miles (1,480 km)
Service ceiling: 37,600 ft (11,465 m)
Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
Wing loading: 34 lb/ft² (167 kg/m²)
Power/Mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.29 kW/kg)
 
Armament

ten underwing hardpoints for a variety of stores

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Uses material from the article Piper PA-48 Enforcer.