Sucked in…
This is my current, that I love:
But I’ll always have the softest spot for the one I owned for over 20 years. I’ll leave you to guess which one was mine:
PA31-310 Navajo
Timothy is yours an early normally aspirated version? The original Navajo struck me as a nicely balanced cabin class twin, with a comfortable passenger cabin. Useful load and cruising speed was not that different to the Aztec, unless it was turbocharged and above FL100.
I didn’t know that there ever was a normally aspirated one. Mine is a 310hp TIO540, which I have taken to FL250, where the pulse oximeter ran out of puff before the engines!
The cruising speed and payload are both superior to the Aztec. The full fuel payload is 510Kg, and for a 2 hour flight with IFR reserves it can take 730Kg. Cruise at low level is 180kt, and at FL180 it’s 195-200Kt. I have the VGs, which add 100Kg to the MAUW.
It is also very comfortable inside, with tables and chairs and so on.
The air stairs are an improvement on clambering over the wing!
It is very popular in my family.