From The Cockpit – Piper PA28

The PA28 was aimed at as broad a market as possible – primarily as a sporting and training aircraft, but at the same time equally suitable for general transportation use. The PA28-140, with a 140hp Lycoming installed, received FAA Type Approval in mid-February 1964.

Piper’s emphasis on productionisation is clearly seen in a walk-around of any early -140: notably in features such as the ‘trademark’ wing (chunky, constant chord and simple), the straight fuselage lines, uncluttered engine compartment and cowling design, flap control system and elevator (in fact a stabilator) trim mechanism. The mechanical flap system, together with the large operating handle between the front seats became a Piper hallmark and with it, Vero Beach designers stuck like glue to the adage that ‘simplicity is best’ – taking it as far as the Seneca series of light twins.

The trim control consisted of a ‘window-winder’ handle in the roof – providing the simplest and most direct path for the trim drive cables, but for the pilot it meant winding about the lateral axis (not acceptable to contemporary airworthiness requirements, which necessitates trimmer actuator axes to be parallel to the appropriate motion axis).

As an example of the Cherokee’s production cost emphasis, I recall a story concerning another training aircraft of the 60s/70s, the Beagle Pup (which was designed for quality – a Rolls Royce of training aircraft). As a competitor, Piper gave it the once over and, while being impressed by the engineering standard concluded that, comparatively, the cost of making the Pup’s doublecurvature doors would be equivalent to that of a complete Cherokee.

In Autumn 1965, the Cherokee 140 was superseded by the 140-4, convertible to seat 4 adults. Additionally, conversion of existing 140s was provided for by Piper marketing a separate mod kit- seats and a prop mod to permit the Lye 0-320 engine to produce 150hp. By mid-1967 the PA28-140-4 was being offered in three differing engine variants as the Cherokee C 150/160/180: the 150 having the -320-E2A, the 160, the -O2A, and the 180, the 0-360-A3A engine. This range offered maximum speeds from 124 to 131 knots for 4 occupants and up to 17 cu. ft. /2001b of baggage.

Production of all Cherokees took place at Piper’s Vero Beach facility. By June 1967 production of the aircraft had risen to about 5 per working day. To assist production, the world’s largest turntable had been installed at Vero Beach. With an approximate radius of 85ft, the turntable was provided to transfer assembled aircraft to 1 of 3 paint rooms. It carried 9 aircraft and completed one turn every 4 ½ minutes; such a distribution system cut the total finishing time from 2½ days to 6 hours.

Top-of-the-line Cherokee was the PA28-235B. Fitted with the 0-540-8285 and a fixed pitch propeller, this aircraft attained a top speed of 144 knots, taking off in 17% less distance than the C180, at 1360ft at ISA/SL. Wingtip fuel tanks were included in addition to the normal leading-edge tanks. The PA28-235 load capability was particularly attractive. Even with a full panel, four on board and 2001b of baggage in the compartment the aircraft retained some weight margin to make up to the MTOW of 29001b.

The retractable Cherokee, the Arrow, was announced in the week of 22nd June 1967. Apart from the hydraulically retracted undercarriage, the PA28-180R came with the fuel-injected 10-360, CS prop, additional side windows, an instrument Tlayout and lever power controls. Otherwise the aircraft was identical to the Cherokee C180, but with a 17 knot faster cruise speed. With an MTOW of 25001b, the aircraft afforded a standard useful load of 11201b, a maximum speed of 148 knots and a 75% power cruise speed of 141 knots at 8000ft cruise altitude.

Takeoff length was up slightly to 1700ft, landing distance 1330ft.

Whereas for many the Arrow was the long-awaited high-performance version of the Cherokee, the utility version, the Cherokee Six, was developed early on in the series life. The prototype Six, registration N9999W was flown on 6th December 1963 and the first production model, on 17th September 1964. The model received FAA Type Approval on 4th March 1965, as the PA32. Note the change to a new designation, probably at the behest of the FAA. To explain, an aircraft manufacturer certificates a model variation such as an engine change, fuselage extension or retractable undercarriage installation, if at all possible as a major modification to the original model Type Certificate, as this process by far eases the financial costs involved. It is a matter of consultation with the Aviation Authority as to which changes can be considered as modifications to Type, or otherwise sufficiently expansive to warrant a new model designation, with the associated increased certification costs. The Cherokee Six not only had the larger engine and extended fuselage, but wing area and fuselage width were increased and further doors added.

In October 1966 the Six was offered with an optional 7th seat, and in two versions, the Six 260 and the Six 300, differing principally in choice of engine (the designation pertaining to engine horsepower;: the Six 260 having the 0-540-E and the Six 300 the 1O-540-K fuel injected engine. The Six had four fuel tanks, two in each wing, all separately plumbed to the fuel selector valve below the cockpit floor. For a MTOW of 3400Ib in both cases, the models’ standard empty weights gave useful load capabilities of 1694Ib and 1601lb respectively. However 75% power cruise speeds at 137 and 146 knots differed substantially.

In 1968/69 the PA28-180 Cherokee D superseded the Cherokee C. . The D saw the addition of a third side window, a new instrument panel and a new power quadrant (the T-bar throttle;. All versions of the D (Standard, Custom, Executive and Sportsman, depending on different equipment options; were equipped with the Piper Auto Flite automatic stability system – basically a wing leveller consisting of an electric rate gyro with a zero threshold, sensing both azimuth changes and wing-down conditions and operating the ailerons to stabilise. Piper expanded the market base of the Cherokee by certificating a seaplane modification with Edo 89-2000 floats on the PA28S-180 (FM Type Approval in May 1963). Also marketed was an ag-version, a Cherokee with low-drag Sorensen spray gear – a 416-litre glass fibre belly tank, half inch pump, pipes and boom, feeding 17 nozzles.

With the burgeoning market for Cherokees increasing, mass production came to light aircraft unlike never before – the Vero Beach line turning out aircraft at the rate of 15 per day in the summer of 1968.

A further and very substantial marketing effort was seen in early 1971 when Piper introduced the first of 400 Flite Centres across the US, to be equipped with the Flite Liner, a simplified version of the Cherokee 140.

On 9 October 1972 the Challenger was announced as the successor to the 180. The name was thereafter changed to the Archer. Differences included a lengthened fuselage, 2ft wingspan extension, larger tailplane, and a change to the 0-360- A3A engine. With a MTOW of 2450Ib, the standard useful load of the Archer was about 1460Ib. The Arrow II followed with the Archer’s fuselage and wing changes.

Following closely, Piper introduced the PA28-151 Warrior, flown in October 1972 and certificated in August 1973. The Warrior included extensive configuration changes, combining the Archer with a completely new wing; MTOW was increased 75Ib. Intended to provide competitive cost and performance in the US, the aircraft departed from the traditional Piper wing: inboard: planform and profile were the same; outboard: the section leading edge features a droop modification and tapers towards the wingtips. Powering the Warrior is the Lycoming 0-320-E3D, itself fed from a total of 50 USgal fuel tanks.

The PA28-235 embodied the 5 inch fuselage stretch of the Archer, strapped a CS prop to the 0-540-B4B5 and renamed the model the Pathfinder: 75% cruise speed 133 knots, MTOW 3000Ib, standard useful load of 1450lb.

By the beginning of 1974, 23,169 Cherokees of all versions had been produced.

The Cherokee Six was given a retractable landing gear (albeit with the Arrow’s complicated gear ‘safety’ features – more about this later) to become the Lance. In the early ’80s, with equipment and interior fitment changes, the Lance II was renamed the Saratoga SP; and the Cherokee Six, the Saratoga, PA32-301. Both Saratogas are powered by the IO-540-K1G5D of 300hp; MTOW in both cases being 3600Ib. Fuel capacity of 84 USgal provides respective ranges of 7451784nm at 75% cruise speeds of 150/159 knots for the Saratoga and SP. Additionally, the Turbo-Saratoga SP was marketed with the TIO-540-S1AD engine cruising the aircraft at 177 knots over 730nm. The contemporary versions of the ‘Cherokee· were the subject, under Lear Siegler’s corporate plan (following its purchase of the company) of production rationalisation in 1984, in preference to Malibu development and production. Production of all models was again suspended in early 1985. Although Warrior/Archer production was resumed, temporarily as it turned out, for they were suspended again in 1987 and with the continuing problems of depressed sales and incumbent costs, there are no clear signs when new Cherokees will again be seen in production despite the new Piper ownership declaring their intention to resume light aircraft production.

Like the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, the early Cherokees attained a reputation for efficient, economical transportation. Performance of the early Cherokees, with the ‘stubby’ Piper wing was never more than two shakes. On the other hand the stubby wing resulted in a responsive roll rate from the ailerons. When the wing planform was changed for the Warrior, ie. extended and tapered, it was at a cost to the aircraft’s roll performance, leading to extended area ailerons.

The mechanical flap control system of the PA28 Type is admirable in its simplicity, although it takes time to master movement of the ‘park-brake’ flap handle to result in smooth pitch changes during transitions on takeoff and approach. Similarly the trim handle in the cabin roof of early Cherokees requires familiarisation time, but works effectively.

From the beginning, Cherokees have demonstrated safe and benign stall handling qualities at typical training and cruising forward/mid-centre-of-gravity positions – at full-back stick on the Cherokee C for example, the aircraft will mush down, with a slowly oscillating pitch nod, roll being fully controllable throughout with ailerons.

The Arrow shows the performance benefit of tucking away the landing gear, although my feeling upon flying the Arrow 111, was that a rounded TAS to plan of 130 knots left a feeling of some cruise performance lacking. The bane of the Arrow Ill is its LG extension subsystems: the automatic extension system, which drops the gear if power is reduced and the speed is below 91 knots (the sensor is a slipstream probe on the fuselage left-hand side). The gear has the standard free-fall emergency extension system; additionally is included an ‘anti-retraction’ system to guard against premature retraction of the landing gear below 74 knots, and finally . . . a manual override lever is included for the pilot to hold the gear retracted as speed is reduced below 91 knots.

The Cherokee Six I have found to be a most useful workhorse particularly because of its excellent length cabin, for ‘cubed-out: cargo haulage.

On long sectors however, the lack of interconnecting plumbing between tanks (each wing fuel tank is individually selectable only) coupled with GA aircraft’ typically poor fuel gauges necessitates the disconcerting practice of running the inboard tanks dry to be sure of the fuel state and usage progress. As a reasonable rough field aircraft, its STOL qualities are not assisted however by the aircraft’s high nose attitude on the ground, caused by the extended nose landing gear (presumably for prop ground clearance), but obscuring the view ahead.

Flying for performance, the Lance has a worthwhile speed gain over the Six. As with the Arrow, Piper dabbled with a T-tail stabilator on the Lance, which however have not lasted, for whatever reason, but probably market prejudice more than anything else.

. On the market, early Cherokees (such as mid-1960s 180C/Ds) 11st at prices from $27,000 to $35,000. 1975/6 Cruisers command prices at the top of the twenties, although a full-life engine can tack on a further $10,000. Archers and Warriors on the market have often emerged from the training industry sector and as such have higher airframe hours, about 5,000 to 6,000, over the last ten years. With engine hours to sell, they list for moderate $35,000s to high $40,000s, with (at probably lower hours) occasional prices into the sixties.

On the utility side, Six’s list prices start in the fifties and can go as high as the $80,000s, which is the starting price for mid-1970s Lances. As with other aircraft, the prices of 1980 onwards aircraft jump, particularly evident on Saratoga SPs, which, well-equipped with Piper options and with excellent!FR avionics such as Silver Crown, list for over $150,000. Early PA28-235s may provide particularly good value at $37-42,000 for 1966 to 1968 models. Early Arrows can go with tags of about $40,000, even with avionics refitments, whilst Turbo Arrows with low time and IFR radios price at $80-90,000 and then plus a further $5-10,000 for the Arrow IV.

Next Issue: Anthony Brown reflects upon the gestation and production history of Australia’s own Victa Airtourer. Don’t miss it!