02/28/2015. Remarks by Larry Westin: "The PA-15, Piper's first 'Short Wing airplane', was the airplane which saved Piper from bankruptcy after the disastrous 1947 light plane recession. Piper built 387 Vagabonds, all were built in 1948, except for the first prototype (December 22, 1947) and the last production aircraft (January 1949)."