FAA STC SA819SW · The Original Stretched Pacer
BUILD YOUR DREAM BUSH PLANE
Turn a Piper PA-22 into a certified 4-seat Super Pacer — room for four people, a baggage compartment, and a 2,100 lb gross weight. Backcountry capability with an FAA-approved pedigree.
Certified gross weight
Seats + baggage compartment
Extended ailerons
Carbon fiber wingtip weight
About the Super Pacer
A 1970s LEGEND, STILL BUILT TODAY
The story of the original certified stretched Pacer — and the people who made it fly.
In the 1970s, Jim and Audrey Simpson developed a version of the “stretched Pacer.” By the late ’70s they had the design approved by the FAA as a repeatable STC. The modification applies to Piper PA-22-150 and PA-22-160 aircraft — not year specific.
STC SA819SW gives you the authority to lengthen the tail section to approximately the length of a Piper PA-14, and lengthen the wings to PA-14 or PA-18 length. It also includes a tailwheel option or Edo-2000 float installation.
The Simpsons also developed a 3″ droop wingtip to finish off the lengthened, squared-off wing. We hold the original mold and manufacture the tips today in carbon fiber — just 2.4 lbs each.
The real history: when STC SA819SW was developed, it bore the name “Super Pacer” on the drawings. Others later took the plans, renamed the design “Bushmaster,” and started their own business with the engineering data — but without FAA certification, those remained experimental. Audrey made us promise to let the truth be known: the original certified aircraft is, and always was, the Super Pacer.
The Super Pacer — the original certified stretched Pacer
FAA Certified
A repeatable STC — your finished aircraft stays in the certified category.
Modern Materials
Carbon fiber droop wingtips and CNC-milled doubler kits made today.
STC SA819SW
WHAT THE STC GIVES YOU
One supplemental type certificate, a complete set of drawings, and the authority to build a certified 4-seat bush plane.
Lengthened Tail Section
Stretch the fuselage tail section to approximately PA-14 length for better stability and real cabin room.
Extended Wings
Lengthen the wings to PA-14 or PA-18 span. Ailerons move outboard per the drawings — 102" ailerons and 90" flaps.
Tailwheel or Floats
The STC includes a tailwheel conversion option or Edo-2000 float installation — your choice of backcountry setup.
2,100 lb Gross Weight
Layers of gussets and doublers in the wings deliver the gross weight increase spelled out in the plans.
3" Droop Wingtips
The Simpson-designed droop tip finishes the squared-off wing. Molded in carbon fiber at only 2.4 lbs each.
Controls Stay Intact
Flight control cables and pulleys remain in the wings just like the original Tri-Pacer — proven, simple rigging.
THE PAPERWORK THAT MAKES IT LEGAL
Your purchase includes the complete set of drawings and the supplemental handbook to finish your stretched Super Pacer, with authorization for one aircraft. It’s the difference between an experimental one-off and a certified, repeatable modification with an FAA pedigree going back to the 1970s.
STC Package — $1,000The Build
FROM PA-22 TO SUPER PACER
What the modification actually involves — and how our parts take days of work off your build.
CNC-MILLED DOUBLER KIT
Layers of gussets and doublers give the wings their 2,100 lb gross weight rating. Our partner shop CNC-mills the entire package — saving you days of tedious work fabricating these intricate pieces by hand.
FUSELAGE STRETCH
The tail section is lengthened to approximately PA-14 length per the STC drawings. The structure is straightforward 4130 tube work for any competent builder or shop.
WING EXTENSION & CONTROLS
Wings go out to PA-14/PA-18 length with the ailerons already moved outboard in the drawings — 102" ailerons, 90" flaps. Control cables and pulleys stay in the wings like the original Tri-Pacer.
CARBON FIBER WINGTIPS
We hold the original Simpson mold for the 3" droop wingtip and manufacture them in carbon fiber at 2.4 lbs each — the finishing touch on the squared-off wing.
Performance & Specs
NUMBERS THAT MATTER IN THE BACKCOUNTRY
Representative figures for a finished Super Pacer. Actual performance depends on your engine, prop and build.
Gross Weight
2,100 lbs
Certified per STC SA819SW
Useful Load
~900 lbs
Typical, varies by build*
Engine Options
O-320 150/160 hp
Lycoming, per PA-22-150/160*
Cruise Speed
~115 mph
Typical at 75% power*
Stall Speed
~45 mph
With 90" flaps deployed*
Takeoff Roll
~400 ft
Light weight, tundra tires*
Fuel Capacity
36–44 gal
Depending on tank configuration*
Configurations
Wheels / Tailwheel / Floats
Edo-2000 floats included in STC
Photo Gallery
A SUPER PACER UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Real photos from real builds — fuselage, wings, doublers and wingtips.
Builder Stories
FROM PILOTS WHO FLY THE BACKCOUNTRY
What builders and owners say about living with a Super Pacer.
“I hauled my family of four plus a week of gear off a 900-foot gravel strip. My old Pacer could never have done that. The stretch and the gross weight bump changed everything about how I use this airplane.”
Dave K.
Willow, Alaska
“The CNC doubler kit alone saved me the better part of two weeks in the shop. Every piece fit the drawings exactly. For a working pilot rebuilding over the winter, that's the difference between flying in June or September.”
Sarah M.
Talkeetna, Alaska
“I wanted a certified four-seater on Edo floats without a Cessna price tag. The Super Pacer STC was the only honest path there. Jim's documentation is old-school thorough — my IA had zero complaints.”
Roy T.
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Get Started
PARTS, PLANS & BUILDS
Start with the STC package, add the parts that save you shop time — or have us build the whole airplane.
STC SA819SW Package
$1,000
- Complete set of drawings
- Supplemental handbook
- Authorization for one aircraft
- Direct support from James A. Smith
CNC-Milled Doubler Kit
Inquire
- Entire package of wing doublers & gussets
- Precision CNC-milled — saves days of work
- Matches the STC drawings exactly
Carbon Fiber Wingtips
Inquire
- 3" droop design from the original Simpson mold
- Carbon fiber — just 2.4 lbs each
- Finishes the squared-off extended wing
Complete or Partial Builds
Custom
- Full turn-key Super Pacer builds
- Partial builds — fuselage stretch, wings, or both
- Built to the STC, certified category
FAQ
QUESTIONS PILOTS ACTUALLY ASK
The practical details of the STC, the build, and what it means for your airplane.
Contact
TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR BUILD
Tell us about your airframe and your mission — we answer pilot-to-pilot.
JAMES A. SMITH
Holder of STC SA819SW — the Super Pacer
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