The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, was the first twin-engine aircraft built by Piper Aircraft.
Originally to be named the "Twin-Stinson" and designed as a four-seater low-wing all-metal monoplane, the prototype first flew 2 March1952. It was renamed to "Apache 150" when it entered production in 1954; 1,231 were built. In 1958, the Apache 160 was produced by upgrading the engines to 160 hp (119 kW), and 816 were built before being superseded by the Apache 235, which went to 235 hp (175 kW) engines and swept tail surfaces (119 built).
Declining sales of the Apache prompted the redesign dubbed PA-23-250 Aztec, with 250 hp (186 kW) O-540 engines and six-seat capacity, which became available in 1959 and continued in production until 1982.
The US Navy acquired 20 Aztecs, designating them UO-1, which changed to U-11A when unified designations were adopted in 1962.
hen Piper purchased the assets of the Stinson Division of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation in 1948, one of the proposed designs was the Twin Stinson that was to be a modification of the popular Stinson 108 Voyager/Station-Wagon.
The experimental prototype, the Model 23-1, was a four-place, steel tube-and-fabric, low-wing airplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear and a twin tail.
Piper upgraded the Apache in 1960 with 250 hp Lycoming engines, new flight instrumentation, a swept vertical fin that increased performance, and a new name, the Aztec.
In contrast to the very modern, slick, swept, quarter-century-newer Piper Seminole, the original PiperApache had manifested itself with the aerodynamics of a pet rock and all the charisma of a speed bump.
As a result, Piper built just over 2,000 of the bulbous PA-23 Apache 150s as well as 160s between 1953 and 1961, and the airplane proved to be one of the most popular multi-trainers of its day, flying in between a pair of Lycoming O-320s.
Since the original PiperApache 150 was far from the so-called fast lane—the airplane was working hard to produce 145 knots—a typical PiperApache Geronimo conversion delivers more like 160 to 165 knots on a smooth day at optimum altitude on an ISA day with everything trimmed, all the vents closed and perfect rig.
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