General Aviation

Piper PA-28 Cherokee

Manufacturer: Piper Aircraft

The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of two- and four-seat, single-engine light airplanes designed for training, personal travel, and air-taxi work. PA-28s are all-metal, unpressurized low-wing aircraft with tricycle landing gear and a single cabin door on the right side.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
piper-pa-28
Class
General Aviation
Registry Count
18,628
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 type certificate in 1960 and entered production in 1961 as a less expensive alternative to the Piper Comanche. Piper expanded the line with different engines, fixed- and retractable-gear versions, and later tapered-wing models. More than 32,000 PA-28s have been built.

Design

Early Cherokees used a constant-chord rectangular wing commonly called the Hershey Bar wing. Beginning with later Warrior, Archer, and related versions, Piper adopted a semi-tapered wing. PA-28s use a stabilator, and configurations across the family include fixed or retractable landing gear, fixed-pitch or constant-speed propellers, and normally aspirated or turbocharged engines.

Variants

Important branches include the fixed-gear Cherokee 140, 150, 160, 180, and 235; the retractable-gear PA-28R Arrow; the Warrior and Archer lines; and the PA-28-236 Dakota. The six-seat PA-32 Cherokee Six is a related development, not a PA-28 model. Current PA-28 offerings described by the source include Archer and Pilot 100i versions.

Operations

The family remains common in flight training and private ownership. Its long production run, broad model range, and simple handling made the Cherokee a major competitor to light aircraft such as the Cessna 172, Beechcraft Musketeer, and Grumman American AA-5 series.

Notable Facts

  • The PA-28 received its type certificate in 1960.
  • The first PA-28-150 and PA-28-160 production aircraft appeared in 1961.
  • All PA-28s use a low wing and a single cabin door on the right side.
  • The PA-28R Arrow branch uses retractable landing gear.
  • The current specification table is for a 1964 PA-28-140 Cherokee 140.

Variants

  • PA-28-140- 4,260 registrations - Example N1003C
  • PA-28-181- 3,537 registrations - Example N100EU
  • PA-28-180- 3,508 registrations - Example N1000P
  • PA-28-161- 1,524 registrations - Example N101KW
  • PA-28R-200- 1,224 registrations - Example N100TC
  • PA-28-151- 961 registrations - Example N1004H
  • PA-28-235- 860 registrations - Example N101YT
  • PA-28R-180- 534 registrations - Example N1094T
  • PA-28-236- 480 registrations - Example N100LG
  • PA-28R-201T- 368 registrations - Example N1007L
  • PA-28R-201- 352 registrations - Example N102ER
  • PA-28RT-201T- 255 registrations - Example N100WQ
  • PA-28-160- 253 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