A Look At The History Of Piper Aircraft

Piper Aircraft is one of the largest manufacturers of general aviation aircraft and is considered to be one of the big three in the general aviation market. The other two aircraft manufacturers considered to be in the Big Three are Cessna and Beechcraft. However, Piper Aircraft is based in Vero Beach, Florida, instead of Wichita, Kansas, like the other two manufacturers.

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Originally, Piper Aircraft was founded in 1927 as the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Manufacturing Company. It was founded by William Piper and the two Taylor brothers, Clarence and Gordon Taylor. However, since then, it has changed names several times before it was named Piper Aircraft in 1938. The vision of the company has also changed slightly throughout the years. However, the company has continued to produce some of the most famous general aviation aircraft of all time. This includes:

• Piper J-3 Cub
• PA-12 Super Cruiser
• PA-22 Tri-Pacer
• PA-28 Cherokee
• PA-34 Seneca

The Piper J-3 Cub is one of the most manufactured aircraft of all time, with over 20,000 total aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of these aircraft are still flying today, making Piper Aircraft one of the most notable aircraft manufacturers in the world. Let’s take a closer look at Piper Aircraft’s interesting history and how it became so popular in the general aviation industry.

The Taylor Brothers Aircraft Manufacturing Company

As previously mentioned, what is currently known as Piper Aircraft today, was once known as Taylor Brothers Aircraft Manufacturing Company. In 1927, the Taylor Brothers, Clarence and Gordon, founded the company in Rochester, New York. However, just a year after the company was officially founded, Gordon passed away in an aircraft accident. He was flying one of his own designs, the Taylor Chummy. Shortly after the incident, Clarence moved the company to Bradford, Pennsylvania. Taylor received a large investment from William Piper, an oil industry engineer in the area, to move to Pennsylvania.

Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

However, Taylor was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1930. This allowed Piper to purchase the rest of the company for under $1,000. Piper focused the company on building a low-cost and simple aircraft. This birthed the E-2 Cub, which was popular even as the Great Depression subsided. After a series of clashes, Piper bought out Taylor to resume complete control of the company. In 1937, the company was renamed again, this time to Piper Aircraft Corporation.

Becoming Piper Aircraft Corporation

As World War II continued, Piper continued to build Cub aircraft, this time for the United States military, designated as the L-4 Grasshopper. After the war concluded, Piper moved the production of the Cub to Ponca City, Oklahoma. In 1946, the company produced nearly 8,000 aircraft, leading the country in the number of aircraft produced.

The general aviation boom slowed down in the late 1940s. After the company suffered an operating loss of more than $500,000, the board of directors at Piper Aircraft removed William Piper from his executive position. He was replaced by William Shriver, a former executive at Chrysler.

Photo: JessicaGirvan | Shutterstock

Under Shriver’s new leadership, Piper was able to withstand several years of low aircraft demand. However, the company saw a turn in the 1950s, with the start of the Korean War bringing in consistent orders for military Cub variants. The 1960s also saw the introduction of several new aircraft as the company officially moved to Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB). This included the introduction of:

• PA-27 Aztec
• PA-28 Cherokee
• PA-28 Warrior
• PA-30 Twin Comanche
• PA-31 Navajo

In the late 1960s, the Piper family sold the company to Bangor Punta Corporation. However, production of several aircraft lines continued through the 1970s and the 1980s, especially with the introduction of a new manufacturing facility in Lakeland, Florida.

Modern years of Piper Aircraft

Piper entered the 1990s as an unprofitable company. Rising insurance premiums forced the company to lower the cost of its aircraft to improve sales. The company officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991. However, after several years, the company emerged, this time renamed New Piper Aircraft. Financial struggles continued through the 1990s, although the situation improved with the introduction of the Piper M500, a pressurized turboprop aircraft, in 2000.

However, Piper was greatly affected by the US recession in 2008. The company struggled to stay afloat, conducting several rounds of layoffs and reducing its work week to save money. In 2009, the company was purchased by an investment firm called Imprimis.

Photo: Konwicki Marcin | Shutterstock

The company continued to rebuild in the early 2010s, with an up-and-down flow of aircraft orders. This led to the occasional round of layoffs throughout the decade. The company was able to stabilize in the second half of the decade, as it received large orders for trainer aircraft, including an order for 152 trainer aircraft from the company’s exclusive dealer in China. L3 Commercial Aviation announced an even larger order, which consisted of 240 aircraft, in 2019.

Currently, the company produces the following aircraft:

• PA-44 Seminole
• PA-28 Archer variants
• Pilot100i
• M350
• M500
• M700 Fury

The most recently introduced aircraft is the M700 Fury. This pressurized aircraft with a turboprop engine is now known as the flagship aircraft of Piper. It was recently certified in March earlier this year, and deliveries of the aircraft began shortly after.