The Buttonville Flying Club COPA Flight 44

 
The Airplane of the Day is the Piper Cherokee PA-28
 
The very popular Piper PA-28 Cherokee was designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use, built by Piper Aircraft and certified by the FAA in 1960. There are many versions of the aircraft which include the Archer, Arrow, Charger, Challenger, Cruiser, Dakota, Pathfinder, and Warrior. All of the PA-28 family are all-metal, unpressurized, four-seat, single-engine piston-powered airplanes with low-mounted wings and tricycle landing gear. All PA-28 aircraft have a single door on the co-pilot side, which is entered by stepping on the wing, which for some Pilots proves to be of some concern.
 
The PA-28 began production in 1960 and the series remains in production in 2009. Although opinions differ, the competition for the PA-28 series includes the Cessna 172, the Grumman American AA-5 series and the Beechcraft Musketeer.
 
The numerous versions Piper has created within the Cherokee family include a varying range of engines from 140 to 300 hp, turbo-charging, offering fixed or retractable landing gear, fixed-pitch or constant speed propellers, and stretching the fuselage to accommodate 6 people, as in the Cherokee Six. (not as inventive as the name of some of the other models) The larger Cherokee is generally known as the PA-32; earlier versions were known as the "Cherokee Six," and a PA-32 version is still in production today under the model name Saratoga.
 
When the Cherokee was first introduced, Piper's primary single-engine, all-metal aircraft was the Piper PA-24 Comanche, a larger, faster aircraft with retractable landing gear and a constant-speed propeller. Designed by Karl Bergey, Fred Weick and John Thorp, the Cherokee was a less expensive alternative to the Comanche, with lower manufacturing and parts costs in order to compete with the Cessna 172. The Cherokee and Comanche lines continued in parallel production serving different market segments for over a decade, until Comanche production was ended in 1972, to be replaced by the Piper PA-32R family.
 
In 1962, Piper added the Cherokee 180 (PA-28-180) powered by a 180 horsepower Lycoming O-360 engine. Piper continued to expand the line rapidly and in 1963, the company introduced the even more powerful Cherokee 235 (PA-28-235), which competed very favourably with the Cessna 182 for load-carrying capability. The Cherokee 235 featured a Lycoming O-540 engine derated to 235 horsepower and a longer wing which would eventually be used for the upcoming Cherokee Six. It included tip tanks having 17 gallon capacity each, bringing the total fuel capacity of the Cherokee 235 to 84 gallons. The aircraft had its fuselage stretched in 1973 giving much more leg room in the rear. The stabilator area was increased as well. In 1973 the name was changed from "235" to the Charger. In 1974 it was changed again to Pathfinder. Production of the Pathfinder continued until 1977. There was no 1978 model year. In 1979 the aircraft was given the Piper tapered wing and was again renamed to the Dakota.
 
In 1964, the company filled in the bottom end of the line with the Cherokee 140 (PA-28-140), which was designed for training and initially shipped with only two seats. One source of confusion is the fact that the PA-28-140 engine was slightly modified shortly after its introduction to produce 150 horsepower, but kept the -140 name.
 
In 1965, Piper developed the Piper Cherokee Six, designated the PA-32 from the PA-28. This new model featured a stretched fuselage and seating for one pilot and five passengers.
 
In 1967, Piper introduced the PA-28-180 Arrow. This aircraft featured a constant-speed propeller and retractable landing gear and was powered by a 180 horsepower Lycoming IO-360-B1E engine. The engine was upgraded to a Lycoming IO-360-C1C of 200 horsepower in 1971 and the designation was changed to PA-28R-200. At the time the Arrow was introduced, Piper removed the Cherokee 150 and Cherokee 160 from production.
 
In 1968, the cockpit was modified to replace the "push-pull" style engine controls with levers. In addition, a third window was added to each side, giving the fuselage the more modern look seen in current production.
 
In 1976, Piper introduced the Arrow III (PA-28R-201), which featured a semi-tapered wing and longer stabilator, a design feature that had previously been introduced successfully on the PA-28-181 and provided better low-speed handling. It also featured larger fuel tanks, increasing capacity from 50 to 77 gallons.
 
In 1979, the Arrow was re-styled again as the PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV, featuring a "T" tail that resembled the other aircraft in the Piper line at the time.
 
In 1971, Piper released a Cherokee 140 variant called the Cherokee Cruiser 2+2. Although the plane kept the 140 designation, it was, in fact, a 150 horsepower airplane, and shipped mainly as a four-seat version.
 
In 1973, the Cherokee 180 was named the Cherokee Challenger, and had its fuselage lengthened slightly and its wings widened, and the Cherokee 235 was named the Charger with similar airframe modifications.
 
In 1974, Piper changed the names of some of the Cherokee models again, renaming the Cruiser 2+2 (140) to simply the Cruiser, the Challenger to the Archer (model PA-28-181), and the Charger (235) to Pathfinder. Piper reintroduced the Cherokee 150 in 1974, renaming it the Cherokee Warrior (PA-28-151) and giving it the Archer's stretched body and a new, semi-tapered wing.
 
In 1977, Piper stopped producing the Cruiser (140) and Pathfinder (235), but introduced a new 235 horsepower plane, the Dakota (PA-28-236), based on the Cherokee 235, Charger, Pathfinder models but with the new semi-tapered wing. The PA-28-201T Turbo Dakota followed the introduction of the PA-28-236 Dakota in 1979. The airframe was essentially the same as a fixed gear Arrow III and was powered by a turbo-charged Continental Motors TSIO-360-FB engine producing 200 hp. The aircraft did not sell well and production ended in 1980.
 
In 1978, Piper upgraded the Warrior to 160 horsepower PA-28-161, changing its name to Cherokee Warrior II. This aircraft had slightly improved aerodynamic wheel fairings. Later models of the Warrior II, manufactured after July 1982, incorporate a gross weight increase to 2,440 pounds, giving a useful load over 900 pounds. This same aircraft, now available with a glass cockpit, is available as the Warrior III, and is marketed as a training aircraft.
 
  
 
 
General characteristics
 
Crew: one pilot
Capacity: three passengers
Length: 23.3 feet (7.16 m)
Wingspan: 30.0 feet (9.2 m)
Height: 7.3 feet (2.25 m)
Wing area: 160 sq ft (15.14 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 652-415
Empty weight: 1201 lb (544 kg)
Loaded weight: 2150 lb (975 kg)
Useful load: 949 lb (430 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 2150 lb (975 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Lycoming O-320-E2A Sensenich M74DM, 150 hp (113 kW)
Propeller diameter: 74 inches (1.9 m)
 
Performance
 
Maximum speed: 123 knots (142 mph, 230 km/h)
Cruise speed: 108 knots (124 mph (200 km/h), 201 km/h)
Stall speed: 47 knots (54 mph, 87 km/h)
Range: 465 nm (535 sm, 867 km)
Service ceiling: 14,300 feet (4400 m)
Rate of climb: 660 ft/min (3.4 m/s)
Wing loading: 13.4 lb/sq ft (64.4 kg/sq m)
Power/mass: 14.3 lb/hp (0.116 kW/kg)