Piper PA-38 Tomahawk

Piper · United States · first flew 1977 · light aircraft

The Piper PA-38 Tomahawk was a purpose-designed two-seat trainer introduced in 1978 to compete with the Cessna 152, featuring a T-tail and deliberately docile stall characteristics to make spin training safer and more predictable.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.04 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Two-seat trainer with a T-tail — one of the most visually distinctive trainers of the late 1970s
Wide side-by-side cockpit with excellent visibility from large wrap-around windows
Low-wing with a distinctive dihedral and a fixed tricycle undercarriage with streamlined fairings

The T-tail immediately identifies the Tomahawk; no other common two-seat single-engine trainer of the era shared this configuration. The wide canopy and distinctive nose profile further aid recognition.

Specifications

The Piper PA-38 Tomahawk has a length of 7.04 m (23 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft).
Its maximum speed is 201 km/h (125 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2 (side-by-side).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Piper developed the Tomahawk after market research showed flight schools wanted a modern trainer with side-by-side seating and a fully developed stall. Around 2,500 were built between 1978 and 1982 before production ended; the type became controversial for its stall-spin characteristics and suffered several fatal accidents, prompting additional pilot guidance.

Variants

PA-38-112 Tomahawk; a Tomahawk II with minor updates was also offered. An aerobatic variant was evaluated but not produced.

Where you'll see it

The Tomahawk served extensively in US flight schools through the 1980s and was exported to the UK and Europe; a number are still active at flying clubs, particularly in North America and the UK.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.