Piper Aerostar [SEP] designer
Piper Aerostar
The Piper Aerostar (formerly Ted Smith Aerostar) is an American twin-engined propeller-driven executive or light transport aircraft, designed by Ted R. Smith. It was originally built by Ted Smith Aircraft Company, which after 1978 became part of the Piper Aircraft Corporation.
Design and development.
Ted Smith flew the first Aerostar 600 in October 1967. It was a mid-wing cantilever monoplane powered by two wing-mounted Avco Lycoming piston engines, with a tricycle landing gear. It was fitted with
and manufactured the Aerostar line, under his own name. The Aerostar was later built by Piper Aircraft, as the Piper Aerostar.
Smith was born in Oroville, California. His family later move to Oakland in 1916 where he graduated Oakland technical high school in 1925 and soon developed his first aircraft, a tube and fabric glider. In 1929 Smith graduated from the Boeing School of Aeronautics. In 1935 Smith started his career at Douglas as a tool designer that would lead him to work on the B-18, B-23, and