Aircraft for Sale: 1979 Piper Aerostar PA-600A (N323AK)
Fastest 6-seat piston plane. No turbos, not pressurized, easy on maintenance and annuals, Equipped with de-ice boots. We bought two planes from Canada. It took us almost 6 months to complete all paperwork, registration, and STC. We flew those planes to Florida. I love flying the Aerostar — fast and economical. Cruises at 200-210 knots at 8,500-10,000 feet on 24 gallons of fuel. The company that had these planes did a great job keeping them squawk-free mechanically. The engines are nearly new, with 670 hours on both. You need to come see this plane with your own eyes and fly it. Short takeoff and landing. Better than turbo ones. You can contact me for more details - we have all maintenance documents.
Details
- Aircraft For*Sale
- State*Florida
- Passenger Capacity6
Manufacturer year
1979
Serial Number
6007027961218
Registration Number
N323AK
Make/Model
Piper Aerostar 600A
Engine Details (e.g. Total Engine Time; Suggested TBO; Hours Remaining)
Engines: 2 Engine Mfg: Lycoming Engine Model: I0-540-K1J5 Horsepower: 290 hp
Performance Specs
Rate of Climb: 1800 fpm Max Speed: 226 kts Normal Cruise: 200 kts Economy Cruise: 193 kts Stall Speed: 85 mph
Interior/Exterior; Additional Equipment
Exterior Height: 12 ft 1 in Wing Span: 34 ft 2 in Length: 34 ft 10 in
Aircraft Model Overview (Reference only)
The Aerostar PA-600A is a high-performance twin-piston aircraft with origins in the Ted Smith Aerostar line, a design first flown in the late 1960s and subsequently produced under Smith, Rockwell, and Piper ownership. The 600A designation identifies the naturally aspirated variant of the core Aerostar airframe — a platform widely recognized as one of the fastest unpressurized piston twins ever certified under FAA regulations. Regardless of production era, the Aerostar's performance credentials and distinctive mid-wing, mid-engine configuration set it apart from every conventional twin-engine piston aircraft in the certified fleet. Two Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engines, each rated at 290 horsepower, are mounted in the wings in a true mid-engine configuration — positioned behind the main spar rather than ahead of the leading edge as in a conventional twin. Each engine drives a three-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The mid-engine placement lowers the propeller disc well below the wing's chord line and dramatically reduces asymmetric yaw on engine failure, contributing to the Aerostar's notably benign single-engine handling relative to its performance class. TBO is 2,000 hours on both engines, though the IO-540 family's operating costs are a meaningful ownership variable. The airframe is an all-metal, low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle gear and an exceptionally clean aerodynamic profile. The fuselage is elliptical in cross-section, kept narrow and drag-minimal, and the wing is a laminar-flow design with a low aspect ratio optimized for high-speed cruise rather than low-speed performance. The result is an aircraft that reaches cruise speeds that comfortably exceed 200 knots TAS at altitude — territory normally requiring turbine power — while operating on avgas from conventionally equipped FBOs. The Aerostar's drag coefficient remains among the lowest of any certified piston aircraft, twin or single. The cabin accommodates up to six occupants across three rows of seating in a compact but workable configuration. Entry is via a forward airstair door on the left side and an aft door on the right, providing practical access for all cabin positions. The fuselage's narrow elliptical cross-section means the cabin is tighter than a Cessna 310, Baron, or Seneca — a deliberate trade for aerodynamic efficiency. Front-seat ergonomics are good and forward visibility is excellent; rear passengers on longer flights will notice the constrained shoulder room. Baggage capacity is provided by nose and aft compartments, helping manage center-of-gravity loading across various passenger and fuel configurations. In the used market, the Aerostar occupies a distinct performance niche with limited competition. Buyers drawn to the type are typically motivated by cruise speed above all else — the 600A regularly delivers 205–210 knots TAS at optimal cruise altitudes, matching or exceeding pressurized twins at a fraction of the acquisition cost. Ownership demands respect for the type's known sensitivities: the Aerostar has a relatively narrow CG envelope that requires disciplined weight-and-balance management, and the mid-engine configuration creates unique maintenance access requirements that not all shops are familiar with. Type-specific training and checkout are strongly recommended and, in practice, expected by most insurers. The Aerostar PA-600A is an aircraft for the proficient, speed-motivated pilot who values performance above cabin volume and is prepared to invest in type-specific training and maintenance relationships. For operators who understand and respect the aircraft's characteristics, it offers a genuinely extraordinary performance-per-dollar proposition in the unpressurized piston twin segment — a legacy of Ted Smith's singular design vision that remains unreplicated in the certified market more than five decades after the original design first flew.
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Aircraft for Sale: 1979 Piper Aerostar PA-600A (N323AK)
Aircraft for Sale: 1979 Piper Aerostar PA-600A (N323AK)
$153,000.00

