Piper Aircraft yesterday released its third-quarter 2018 figures, which showed the highest number of aircraft delivered since the onset of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.
The company delivered 65 aircraft for the period July-September 2018, totalling $US69.5 million in sales and reflecting a 54% increase over the same quarter of 2017.
"Piper's continued growth in both product deliveries and revenue reflects sustained managed growth and highlights our commitment to a made to order business model which has helped drive continued growth and sales expansion," said President and CEO, Simon Caldecott.
"Our year-to-date performance is at the highest level we have experienced since 2008 and as we look forward to the last quarter of the year, deliveries of our value leading products are expected to continue to increase with deliveries of our robust primary aircraft trainers leading the way."
Piper delivered 152 aircraft for the first three quarters of 2018, which is 53 airframes higher than the comparable 2017 figures. Piper attributed the growth to deliveries of the Archer TX trainer, demand for which is 60% above the 2017 results, and the M-Class product line, which recorded 51 deliveries year-to-date, a 42% increase over last year.
The Archer III has taken the mantle as the primary trainer offering from Piper over the last five years. For the period 2013-17, Piper delivered 232 of all Archer variants, whereas only 30 Warrior IIIs were shipped in that time.
Strong academy sales and the addition of glass cockpit technology as standard are believed to be significant factors in the success of the Archer as a trainer.