What trainer aircraft was designed with the help of a "committee" of Certified Flight Instructors' inputs to the manufacturer?

!. State first year of introduction, make, model designator and popular name of the aircraft.

This aircraft proved less than an ideal trainer with some unwelcome flight characteristics.

2. Name the earlier, very SIMILAR trainer aircraft from a different manufacturer with no bad flight characteristics. State first year of introduction, make, model number and popular name of this other aircraft

This is a two-part quiz with all correct answers needed to win.

1977 Piper PA-38 Tomahawk "Traumahawk"

Spinning lawn dart.

1979 Beechcraft Model 77 Skipper

(First flight 1975 ?)

Congratulations Zane, on probably setting a new time record for correct quiz response. There is a bit of a quirk in my questions, as friend Timothy has pointed out before. I will explain.

1. The Piper PA-38-112 TOMAHAWK T-tail two-place side by side low wing trainer was introduced in 1978 and was almost immediately hit with multiple ADs. Also, the unpredictable stall characteristics and the slow flight characteristics were not forgiving, especially for an aircraft designed for initial flight training, hence the quick moniker: "Traumahawk". In 1981 the Piper PA-38 TOMAHAWK II was introduced, but only to address the expensive Airworthiness Directives.

These were:

78-22-1: Modify clearance between the rudder leading edge and the fin trailing edge.

78-23-4: Replace missing rivets in the rear wing spar-to fuselage attach fitting.

79-8-2: Inspect/replace stabilizer pulley mounting bracket, and loose stabilizer-to-fin-to-fuselage attach bolts.

81-23-7: This is the biggie expensive one: Mandates the replacement of the engine mount prior to 1,000 hours of operation, to preclude landing gear failure!

PLUS 78-25-2, 80-6-5, 80-25-2, 80-25-7 and 81-18-4 are all engine-related ADs.

Production of the TOMAHAWK I and II totaled 2,475 aircraft from 1978 through 1982.

Now for the good news!

2. The Beech 77-115 SKIPPER T-tail two-place side-by-side low wing trainer was designed mainly as a basic trainer for all Beech Aero Center flying clubs. Its genesis began well PRIOR to the Piper PA-38 in 1974 as the model PD 285 using NASA's new technology GA(W)-1 airfoil for the wing and for the the T-tail empennage. (Flight testing was also done with conventional tail for comparison). NASA explored improving General Aviation safety statistics and the GA(W)-1 airfoil designed by the late aerodynamicist Dr. Richard Whitcomb of NASA resulted from this GA design research. This research resulted in a trainer aircraft with good pitch control at low speeds and positive recovery from intentional spins, which the production version was permitted to perform. The Beech model 77 was first produced in 1979, with 47 aircraft produced that year all for Beech Aero Centers. The first model 77 flight was on 12 September 1978. Because of it's climb prop, the Skipper was somewhat slower than the Tomahawk. In time sales or resales of the SKIPPER put the aircraft in private hands.

Production of the Beech 77 SKIPPER totaled 312 aircraft from 1979 through 1981.

Now, sadly, back to the Tomahawk. One locally crashed near Ojai, CA. not too long ago killing the experienced CFI and his student in a stall-spin witnessed crash.