This 1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche Is a Fast, Graceful ‘AircraftForSale’ Top PickThis 1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche Is a Fast, Graceful ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick

Company’s first in-house-developed, all-metal, high-performance plane made an immediate impression with pilots.

Jonathan Welsh

Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 02:31 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche [Credit: Tom Henry]

Key Takeaways:

The article highlights a 1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, a model Piper developed to compete with modern, high-performance aircraft like the Beechcraft Bonanza.
The Comanche was highly regarded by pilots for its speed and smooth handling before production ceased due to a factory flood.
The featured 1964 model blends vintage appeal with modern updates, including a custom panel with Garmin GNS 430 WAAS and a recently overhauled 250 hp Lycoming engine.
This specific aircraft is available for $148,500, offering an attractive, economical, high-performance four-seater for buyers valuing both history and modern utility.

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Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche.

When Beechcraft rolled out the striking, speedy, V-tail Bonanza in 1947, it shook up the general aviation industry, which had been turning out an assortment of slow, mostly high-wing airplanes with steel-tube frames and fabric covering. Many still had wooden wing spars.

This Comanche has a custom panel with GPS. [Credit: Tom Henry]

For rival manufacturer Piper, the message was clear. The company, based in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and famous for selling nearly 20,000 J-3 Cubs, needed to catch up with the developing trend toward higher-performance, low-wing aircraft with all-metal, semi-monocoque construction, retractable landing gear, and a lot more power than the company’s earlier aircraft.

The result was the PA-24-180 Comanche, with a 180 hp Lycoming O-360.

While sleek and modern, the initial Comanche lacked the power needed to truly compete with the Bonanza. Piper soon upgraded the airplane with a 250 hp Lycoming O-540, which turned out to be an ideal powerplant for the new, aerodynamic airframe. The Comanche was a hit with pilots, who enjoyed its speed, smooth handling, and comfort on long cross-country flights.

Piper built more than 4,800 PA-24s in its Lock Haven factory before a flood wrecked the facility and much of the tooling needed to manufacture the complex model. The company decided to end production of the PA-24 and focus on its simpler, less-expensive Arrow for the retractable market.

The Arrow was built at the company’s Vero Beach, Florida, plant, where Piper eventually consolidated its operations. Today the former Lock Haven factory houses the Piper Aviation Museum, which is absolutely amazing but also a sad reminder of the Comanche’s demise.

Neat red upholstery enhances the Piper’s mid-century style. [Credit: Tom Henry]

The aircraft for sale today harks back to the good times when Comanche sales were brisk and general aviation was growing in the U.S. Even after more than 60 years, this classic four-seater remains competitive in the market for personal aircraft, especially for buyers who care about history and style in addition to performance and practicality.

This airplane, with an updated panel and classic 1960s interior offers a nice combination of the past and present.

This 1964 Comanche has 5,305 hours on the airframe and five hours since overhaul on its 250 hp Lycoming O-540 engine. Its panel features updates including a Garmin GNS 430 WAAS GPS/nav/com, GTX 345 transponder, and Flight Stream 250. The cabin features shoulder belts and quarter-inch tinted glass.

Pilots looking for an attractive, economical, high-performance four-seater with vintage appeal and modern performance should consider this 1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, which is available for $148,500 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use our airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.