Meet Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer
The Tri-Pacer is the tricycle-gear member of Piper’s compact cabin-aircraft line represented in Lionheart’s Pacer Series. That package also includes tailwheel and specialized Pacer configurations, placing the undercarriage choice within a broader family of closely related light-aircraft forms.
Carenado’s PA22 product represents the Tri-Pacer in X-Plane. Its package includes normal and emergency procedures and performance tables. The Piper Aviation Museum preserves contemporary Tri-Pacer sales brochures and equipment sheets, providing a period reference alongside these later simulator renditions.
History & design
A third wheel moves to the nose
The Tri-Pacer joined the tailwheel Pacer in 1951. Its tricycle landing gear helped broaden the short-wing Piper market, while retaining the steel-tube, fabric-covered construction. Early aircraft used a 125 hp engine, soon increased to 135 hp; later versions offered 150 or 160 hp.
The two-seat Colt followed as a simpler trainer with a smaller engine and no flaps. A PA-22 converted back to tailwheel gear is commonly identified as a PA-22/20. Those branches explain the different aircraft found beneath the Pacer family name.
AOPA · Piper Pacer and Tri-Pacer ↗Systems & details
Two simulator renditions
Carenado supplies a dedicated PA22 rendition with procedure and performance documents. Lionheart places the Tri-Pacer within its larger Pacer Series product.
A short wing and a noticeable power-off descent
The AOPA author learned in a Tri-Pacer and recalls its brisk power-off sink rate, hand-operated wheel brakes and manually operated flaps. This first-hand description helps explain why approach handling deserves more than a generic light-trainer description.
In your simulator
No released simulator product is listed for this aircraft in the developers reviewed. Announced products are excluded.
Manuals & resources
Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Developer documentation
PA22 TRI PACER XPLANE 11 – Carenadowww.carenado.com · Carenado PA22 features and documents. Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer — product pagesecure.simmarket.com · Aircraft identity, history and configuration.Aircraft background
Tri-Pacer Period Brochures and Equipment — Piper Aviation Museumwww.pipermuseum.com · Piper Aviation Museum Tri-Pacer document collection.Aircraft documentation
Piper Pacer and Tri-PacerAOPA · AOPA Pacer/Tri-Pacer account including the author's own training experience.Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261011-v3 · 3 profile choices
Carenado PA22 Tri-Pacer
Carenado · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
X-Plane 11
The Tri-Pacer is the tricycle-gear member of Piper’s compact cabin-aircraft line represented in Lionheart’s Pacer Series.
Lionheart Creations Tri-Pacer
Lionheart Creations · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
The Tri-Pacer is the tricycle-gear member of Piper’s compact cabin-aircraft line represented in Lionheart’s Pacer Series.
Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 12
The Tri-Pacer is the tricycle-gear member of Piper’s compact cabin-aircraft line represented in Lionheart’s Pacer Series.
Discuss this aircraft (0)
Questions, observations and useful sources from the community.
No published discussions yet. Bring a question or share a useful source.
Open aircraft discussions →Something missing or a source that needs attention?
Suggest a correction ↗