The PA-44 is a development of the Piper Cherokee single-engined aircraft and is primarily used for multi-engined flight training. The Seminole was built in 1979–1982, in 1989–1990, and has been in production since 1995. The first production Seminoles are equipped with two 180 hp (135 kW) Lycoming O-360-E1A6D engines. The right-hand engine is a Lycoming LO-360-E1A6D variant, which turns in the opposite direction to the left-hand engine. This feature eliminates the critical engine and makes the aircraft more controllable in the event that an engine needs to be shut down or fails. The Seminole was first certified on March 10, 1978 and introduced as a 1979 model year in late 1978. Gross weight is 3800 lbs (1723 kg). Later production Seminoles were built with Lycoming O-360-A1H6 engines. The PA-44-180T Turbo Seminole version was certified on November 29, 1979 and built between 1981 and 1982. It features two turbocharged 180 hp (135 kW) Lycoming TO-360-E1A6D engines, which offer a significant improvement in performance at high density altitude. The Turbo Seminole had its takeoff gross weight raised to 3925 lb (1780 kg), while the landing weight remained at 3800 lbs (1723 kg). The PA-44 features a high T-tail similar to the T-tailed Arrow IV. The Seminole is visually similar to the Beechcraft Duchess.
