The Seneca V is a light twin and is part of the PA-34 family.
Just as the Seminole grew out of the Arrow, the Seneca grew out of the Cherokee Six. The initial version, introduced in 1972, shared the same roomy cabin and “Hershey Bar” wing of the Cherokee Six. The Seneca was designed to replace the 1950’s era Twin Comanche and to also be a lower cost alternative to the Aztec.
Handling of the original Seneca was poor and that was corrected with the Seneca II. Earlier Seneca models had a pair of 200 hp Continentals. Two turbocharged 220 hp Continentals power the Seneca IV and Seneca III. The Seneca III and IV are essentially the same aircraft. The Seneca V’s engines are slightly different versions of the 220 hp Continentals in the Seneca IV.
The cabin, shared with the Cherokee Six, also had a rear passenger/cargo door on the left, which made loading/unloading easier. Gross weight increases in the later models (III and later) added significantly to the payload capability. Handling is predictable and stable.
Starting in 2005, the aircraft had an option to be equipped with the Avidyne Entegra digital avionics suite.
