Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Aircraft and simulator background
Lionheart's Pacer collection explores several physical configurations of Piper's short-wing family. Its five models vary in tailwheel or tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configuration, and amphibious equipment. Panel colours and wheel skirts are presentation options within those models.
Piper PA-20 Pacer
secure.simmarket.com · Read more ↗Five physical configurations
The developer's collection distinguishes tailwheel and tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configurations, and an amphibian with retractable wheels in its floats.
Piper PA-20 Pacer
secure.simmarket.com · Read more ↗Meet Piper PA-20 Pacer
Lionheart's Pacer collection explores several physical configurations of Piper's short-wing family. Its five models vary in tailwheel or tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configuration, and amphibious equipment. Panel colours and wheel skirts are presentation options within those models.
The amphibian has retractable wheels in its floats. The seller's Build 5:1.3.21 description names five models and lists MSFS 2020 and 2024 support.
Piper PA-20 Pacer
Piper → · Explore the family →
Piper PA-20 Pacer
secure.simmarket.com · Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger — product and aircraft reference ↗Aircraft type designators
No type designator selected for this reference.
History & design
A Pacer returns to Lock Haven
Piper Aviation Museum published Ed Becerra's account of N7413K, a 1950 PA-20 whose first flight was on 17 June that year. Becerra and his wife bought it in 2019 and later flew it back to Lock Haven, where Piper built it. Their update added ADS-B to an otherwise maintained example; the dates and equipment concern that individual aircraft.
Piper Aviation Museum · From Past to Present: Our Piper Pacer’s Journey and the Adventures Ahead ↗Ed Becerra; N7413K, 1950 PA-20; factory, ownership and return to Lock Haven
Systems & details
Five physical configurations
The developer's collection distinguishes tailwheel and tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configurations, and an amphibian with retractable wheels in its floats.
Pilot accounts
Travelling with a family Pacer
Becerra recalls collecting N7413K from St. Joseph, Missouri after buying it in 2019. He and his wife subsequently used it for trips around Wisconsin with their dog, including a project to visit every public-use airport in the state. Returning to Lock Haven connected those journeys with the aircraft's factory origins.
Ed Becerra; N7413K, 1950 PA-20; factory, ownership and return to Lock Haven
Read the full account · Piper Aviation Museum ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Lionheart Creations Pacer Amphibian
Lionheart Creations · Released
Lionheart Creations Pacer Amphibian
Lionheart Creations · Released
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Lionheart Creations Pacer Bush
Lionheart Creations · Released
Lionheart Creations Pacer Bush
Lionheart Creations · Released
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Lionheart Creations Pacer Bush Special
Lionheart Creations · Released
Lionheart Creations Pacer Bush Special
Lionheart Creations · Released
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Lionheart Creations Pacer 180 Taildragger
Lionheart Creations · Released
Lionheart Creations Pacer 180 Taildragger
Lionheart Creations · Released
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Owner account
From Past to Present: Our Piper Pacer’s Journey and the Adventures AheadPiper PA-20 Pacer
Ed Becerra; N7413K, 1950 PA-20; factory, ownership and return to Lock Haven
Piper Aviation Museum · Read the source ↗Developer documentation
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger — product and aircraft referencePiper PA-20 Pacer
Product description, configuration and simulator editions
secure.simmarket.com · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Owner account
From Past to Present: Our Piper Pacer’s Journey and the Adventures AheadPiper Aviation Museum · Ed Becerra; N7413K, 1950 PA-20; factory, ownership and return to Lock HavenDeveloper documentation
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger — product and aircraft referencesecure.simmarket.com · Product description, configuration and simulator editionsBuilt-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 · 5 profile choices
Lionheart Creations Pacer Amphibian
Lionheart Creations · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Lionheart Creations Pacer Bush
Lionheart Creations · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Lionheart Creations Pacer Bush Special
Lionheart Creations · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Lionheart Creations Pacer 180 Taildragger
Lionheart Creations · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 12
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger · MSFS 2020 · Variant starting point
- Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger · MSFS 2024 · Variant starting point
- Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger · X-Plane 12 · Variant starting point
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger generic civil family/configuration; physical clauses from the preserved developer description. Exact proprietary equipment, installed package and hardware acceptance are outside this scope.
The simulator model and controls
A short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
How this profile feels
Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Pitch-trim relief is off. Autopilot following is off.
Aircraft and configuration
The Pacer is a four-seat high-wing fabric-covered aircraft with side-by-side seating and a tailwheel configuration.
Five physical configurations
The developer's collection distinguishes tailwheel and tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configurations, and an amphibian with retractable wheels in its floats.
About the values
Strengths are normalized hardware-feel settings. They set the effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its limits. The IAS reference is a tuning value.
What the documentation establishes
The Pacer is a four-seat high-wing fabric-covered aircraft with side-by-side seating and a tailwheel configuration.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
ReviewedA short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Flight controls
Not yet reviewedA short-wing Piper family represented with tailwheel, tricycle, bush and amphibious variants.
Trim
Not yet reviewedThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0.
Autopilot and stability
Not yet reviewedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
ReviewedThe Pacer is a four-seat high-wing fabric-covered aircraft with side-by-side seating and a tailwheel configuration.
Speeds and limits
InheritedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets msfs2020, msfs2024, xplane12. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
InheritedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe developer's collection distinguishes tailwheel and tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configurations, and an amphibian with retractable wheels in its floats. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 47.5 KIAS. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 95 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value95 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value47.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.64 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.64 and 0.78, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value0.78 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe developer's collection distinguishes tailwheel and tricycle gear, bush tyres and wing configurations, and an amphibian with retractable wheels in its floats. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 47.5 KIAS. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.8 with an indicated-speed reference of 95 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value0.78 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.64 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.64 and 0.78, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger: 95 indicated knots is the inherited control-feel reference; it is not cruise TAS, a flight limit or a measured load threshold. Speed scheduling remains an editable estimate.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value95 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value13.3 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value47.5 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
Piper PA-20 Pacer 180 Taildragger: exact trim axes, mechanism and portable telemetry contract are unresolved in the inspected source. Trim feel, trim relief, force trim and hydraulic centering are disabled for this generic choice.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
Exact configured values with software explanations. Force magnitudes remain editable estimates; disabled features retain inactive values.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.04 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0.15 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0.15. It strengthens the permitted spring response above 47.5 KIAS, with the squared-speed ratio capped at 5. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.35 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value3 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.4 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- The 180 designation follows the documented source configuration; no universal engine installation or performance table is asserted.
- Generic airframe starting scope; exact installed add-on matching, custom signals and device operation remain unqualified.
- Force magnitudes and scheduling are inherited estimates. No physical calibration or certification is claimed.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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