General Aviation

Piper PA-28 Cherokee

Manufacturer: Piper Aircraft

The Piper PA‑28 Cherokee is a family of light, all‑metal, low‑wing aircraft built by Piper Aircraft. Designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use, the PA‑28 comes in two‑ or four‑seat versions and features tricycle landing gear and a single right‑side door. It is the fourth most produced aircraft in history and remains in production today.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
piper-pa-28
Class
General Aviation
Registry Count
18,580
Example Registration
N5897V

Specifications

Wingspan
9.14 m / 30 ft
Length
7.1 m / 23.3 ft
Height
2.23 m / 7.3 ft
Max Speed
228 km/h / 142 mph
Cruise Speed
200 km/h / 124 mph
Range
861 km / 535 mi
Ceiling
4400 m / 14300 ft
First Flight
1960-01-14
Production Start
1961
Total Built
32778

Aircraft Overview

History

The PA‑28 received its FAA type certificate in 1960 as a cheaper alternative to Piper’s larger Comanche. Production grew rapidly, adding models with 140 to 300‑hp engines, turbocharging, retractable gear and constant‑speed props. The Archer line was discontinued in 2009 but revived in 2010. By 2026 five models—Archer TX/LX, Archer DX/DLX, Pilot 100i, and the six‑seat PA‑32 Cherokee Six—were still in production. The Cherokee competed with the Grumman AA‑5, Beechcraft Musketeer and the high‑wing Cessna 172.

Design

All Cherokees are unpressurized, single‑piston‑engine aircraft with low‑mounted wings. Early models used a rectangular “Hershey‑bar” wing; later versions adopted a semi‑tapered wing to improve stall characteristics. The aircraft offers a range of engine options (140–300 hp), optional turbocharging, retractable gear, constant‑speed propellers, and a fuselage stretch for six seats. Flight controls use a stabilator, flaps up to 40°, and a Johnson bar for flap selection.

Variants

Key variants include the PA‑28‑150, 160 and 180 (140‑180 hp), the high‑power PA‑28‑235/Charger, the trainer PA‑28‑140, the Arrow series (PA‑28R‑180/200/201/201T), the Dakota (PA‑28‑236), and the Archer family (PA‑28‑181). The PA‑32 Cherokee Six is a six‑seat stretch of the PA‑28. Diesel‑powered Archer DX/DLX and the modern Pilot 100i are recent additions.

Operations

Cherokees are widely used for flight training, personal ownership, and light air taxi operations worldwide. The aircraft’s simplicity, low operating cost and proven reliability make it a popular choice in both the United States and abroad, where it is also produced under license in Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Notable Facts

  • The PA‑28 is the fourth most produced aircraft in history.
  • Its first type certificate was issued in 1960 and the series remains in production.
  • The Archer line was discontinued in 2009 but returned to production in 2010.
  • The PA‑32 Cherokee Six is a six‑seat variant of the PA‑28.
  • The PA‑28‑201T was the first turbocharged model in the family.

Variants

  • PA-28-140- 4,264 registrations - Example N1003C
  • PA-28-180- 3,503 registrations - Example N1000P
  • PA-28-181- 3,486 registrations - Example N100EU
  • PA-28-161- 1,523 registrations - Example N101KW
  • PA-28R-200- 1,225 registrations - Example N100TC
  • PA-28-151- 960 registrations - Example N1004H
  • PA-28-235- 860 registrations - Example N101YT
  • PA-28R-180- 535 registrations - Example N1094T
  • PA-28-236- 480 registrations - Example N100LG
  • PA-28R-201T- 370 registrations - Example N1007L
  • PA-28R-201- 354 registrations - Example N102ER
  • PA-28RT-201T- 257 registrations - Example N100WQ
  • PA-28-160- 251 registrations - Example N1079Y
  • PA-28RT-201- 179 registrations - Example N101RT
  • PA-28-150- 121 registrations - Example N160TP
  • PA-28- 117 registrations - Example N128AV
  • PA-28-201T- 62 registrations - Example N205ZD
  • PA-28-181- 16 registrations - Example N1059F
  • PA-28-161- 15 registrations - Example N281BG
  • PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II- 1 registrations - Example N5897V
  • PA-28S-180- 1 registrations - Example N7375W

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources