PA-44-180 Seminole

Piper · United States · first flew 1976 · light aircraft

The PA-44 Seminole is a light twin-engine trainer developed by Piper primarily to teach multi-engine flying, notable for its counter-rotating propellers that tame asymmetric handling.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.41 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

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

Spot it by:

Light twin trainer
T-tail empennage
Counter-rotating propellers

The T-tail and twin nacelles on a slim low wing are the giveaways. Its counter-rotating propellers turn in opposite directions, visible on close inspection as mirror-image spinners.

Specifications

The PA-44-180 Seminole has a length of 8.41 m (28 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.75 m (39 ft).
Its maximum speed is 315 km/h (196 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2 pilots, up to 4 seats.

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

History

First flown in 1976, the Seminole entered production to meet demand for an affordable multi-engine trainer alongside rivals like the Beech Duchess. Production has been intermittent over the decades but the type remains in manufacture for flight schools.

Variants

A turbocharged Turbo Seminole was offered for higher-altitude work, while the baseline PA-44-180 uses normally-aspirated Lycoming engines. The core design has changed little across its production runs.

Where you'll see it

The Seminole is widely used by UK and European flight-training organisations for commercial multi-engine ratings. Its forgiving handling, thanks to the counter-rotating props, makes it a staple of the professional-pilot training pipeline.

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