What Happened to the Piston Twin?

FLYING Staff

Tuesday, February 05, 2008 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Piston twin aircraft sales and models have dramatically declined since 1979, moving from a thriving market to near extinction due to evolving pilot perceptions and market realities.
The historical belief that twins were inherently safer than singles was largely a myth; early accident studies revealed higher risks, especially in training, eventually leading to increased insurance costs and strict training requirements.
Modern high-performance single-engine aircraft now offer comparable speed, climb rates, and improved safety features, often with better economic efficiency, effectively replacing the piston twin's market niche.
A revival of the piston twin market is unlikely due to reduced multiengine training availability, the "step-up" market shifting towards single-engine turboprops and jets, and the overall economic and perceived safety advantages of advanced singles.

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The year 1979 was the last big year of aircraft shipments. Almost 18,000 were sold that year. About 3,000 of those airplanes were piston twins. Today, any single that sells 534 units a year is red hot. In 1979, that’s how many Seneca twins Piper sold. If the piston single business looks lethargic when compared with the good old days, the piston twin is practically extinct. Beech builds a few Barons, and Piper some Senecas and Seminoles, mostly on special order. The Diamond Twin Star, which is a diesel twin, and the Adam 500 are just coming on line. In 1979 there were 33 different piston twins on the market.

So, what happened? Why did piston twins virtually go away? Will they come back? It is an interesting story.