Aircraft model
PIPER J4
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental A-50-1 |
| Horsepower | 50 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1938 |
| Production end | 1939 |
| Endorsements required | tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 72 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 250 nm |
| Service ceiling | 9,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 400 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 35 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 530 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 434 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,200 lb |
| Empty weight | 670 lb |
| Usable fuel | 16 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 2.8 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $28,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $55,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | — |
| Overhaul cost, low | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | — |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 42 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 15 |
| Median year built | 1939.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 1 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | — |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | — |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 1 |
| Transfers per 100 active | — |
| Airworthiness directives | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | none |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | — · class median 37.5 · 181 models in class |
| Severity | — · class median 10.44 |
| Access | 2.6 of 10 · class median 1,045 |
| Support | 3.1 of 10 · class median 72 |
| Liquidity | — · class median 20.59 |