Crew: One 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 weight: lb (kg)

Role: Counter-insurgency
Manufacturer: Piper Aircraft
First flight: 1971
Retired: 1984
Status: Experimental
Number built: 4
Developed from: P-51 Mustang
Cavalier Mustang

The Piper PA-48 Enforcer is a turboprop powered light close air support/ground-attack aircraft built by Piper Aircraft Corp. Lakeland, Florida. It was the ultimate development of the original World War II North American P-51 Mustang. The Enforcer concept was originally created and flown by David Lindsay, owner of Cavalier Aircraft, in response to the United States Air Force PAVE COIN program, but Cavalier did not have the political clout or manufacturing abilities to mass-produce the Enforcer, so the program was sold to Piper by Lindsay in 1970.

Design and development

In 1971, Piper built two Enforcers by heavily modifying two existing Mustang airframes, fitting them with Lycoming YT55-L-9A turboprop engines along with numerous other significant modifications. One airframe was a single seat (called the PE-1 and FAA registered as N201PE), the other a dual-control aircraft (the PE-2, registered N202PE). Prior to the Pave COIN evaluation, N202PE was lost in a crash off the Florida Coast due to flutter caused by a Piper-modified elevator trim tab. Although the Enforcer performed well in Pave COIN test flown by USAF pilots, Piper failed to secure an Air Force contract.

Flight testing and evaluation

For another eight years, Piper and Lindsay lobbied Congress to force the USAF to officially re-evaluate the Enforcer. Eventually in the 1979 defense bill $11.9 million was allocated for Piper to build two new prototypes and for the USAF to perform another flight evaluation. 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 carried the Piper designation PA-48 and FAA registration numbers. [1]

By the time the PA-48s were completed, they shared less than 10 percent of their structure with the P-51, and were longer and larger. Essentially, the PA-48 Enforcer was a completely new aircraft.

The two PA-48s were tested during 1983 and 1984 at Eglin AFB, Florida and Edwards AFB, California. As in the Pave COIN tests of 1971, the PA-48s were found to perform well in their intended role, but the USAF again decided not to purchase any.

Survivors

Of the prototype aircraft produced, two of the four still exist. One of the PA-48s (N482PE) awaits restoration at Edwards Air Force Base. N481PE (pictured above) 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 (PA-48)

General characteristics

Crew: One
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 weight: lb (kg)
Loaded weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Lycoming YT55-L-9 turboprop, 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: 5000ft/min (m/s)
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. Optional six .50 M2/M3 machine guns

See also

Related development

P-51 Mustang
Cavalier Mustang

Comparable aircraft

Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano (ALX)
Pilatus PC-9

Related lists

References

Notes

1. N481PE and N482PE

Bibliography

Darling, Kev. P-51 Mustang (Combat Legend). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-357-1.
O'Leary, Michael. "Enforcer." Mustangs: North American Aviation's P-51: Past, Present & Future, Warbirds International, Summer 2007.

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia