Cheyenne III with a
T-tail Cheyenne III Cheyenne IIIA with
PT6 side exhausts The PA-42 Cheyenne III was announced in September 1977. The first production Cheyenne III flew for the first time on May 18, 1979, and FAA certification was granted in early 1980. Compared with the Cheyenne II, the PA-42-720 was about 1 m (3 ft) longer, was powered by 537 kW (720-shp) PT6A-41 turboprops and introduced a T-tail, the most obvious external difference between the PA-31T and PA-42, as well as the most significant change to the series. Deliveries of production Cheyenne IIIs began on June 30, 1980.
Cheyenne 400 rear exhaust In the late 1970s, Piper avoided developing a clean-sheet
light business jet to compete with the
Cessna Citation I and upgraded its PT6As from
Honeywell TPE331-14s. The PA-42-1000 Cheyenne IV was certified in 1984, 43 were built until 1991 and 37 remain in service in 2018. The 400LS has 100-hour
inspection intervals, engine midlife inspections are due at 1,500 hours and
overhauls come at 3,000 hours. The
fuselage is limited to a 15,000-hour life, while the wing and empennage have 20,000-hour life limits. == Variants ==