Development
Original design
The original Cherokees were the Cherokee (PA-28-150 and PA-28-160), which started production in 1961 (unless otherwise mentioned, the model number always refers to horsepower). In 1962, Piper added the Cherokee 180 (PA-28-180) powered by a Lycoming O-360 engine. The extra power made it practical to fly with all four seats filled (depending on passenger weight and fuel loading) and the model remains popular on the used-airplane market. In 1968, the cockpit was modified to replace the "push-pull"-style engine throttle controls with quadrant levers. In addition, a third window was added to each side, giving the fuselage the more modern look seen in most recent production. Piper continued to expand the line rapidly. In 1963, the company introduced the even more powerful Cherokee 235 (PA-28-235), which competed favorably with the Cessna 182 Skylane for load-carrying capability. The Cherokee 235 featured a Lycoming O-540 engine de-rated to and a longer wing which would eventually be used for the Cherokee Six. It included tip tanks of capacity each, bringing the total fuel capacity of the Cherokee 235 to . The aircraft had its fuselage stretched in 1973, giving more leg room in the rear. The stabilator area was also increased. In 1973, the marketing name was changed from "235" to "Charger". In 1974, it was changed again to "Pathfinder". Production of the Pathfinder continued until 1977. No 1978 models were built. In 1979, the aircraft was given the Piper tapered wing and the name was changed again, this time to Dakota. In 1964, the company filled in the bottom end of the line with the Cherokee (PA-28-140), which was designed for training and initially shipped with only two seats. The PA-28-140 engine was slightly modified shortly after its introduction to produce , but kept the -140 name. In 1967, Piper introduced the PA-28R-180 Cherokee Arrow. This aircraft featured a constant-speed propeller and retractable landing gear and was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-B1E engine. A version powered by a Lycoming IO-360-C1C was offered as an option beginning in 1969 and designated the PA-28R-200; the model was dropped after 1971.Twombly, Mark: "Piper Arrow," ''AOPA Pilot,'' June 1986. At the time the Arrow was introduced, Piper removed the Cherokee 150 and Cherokee 160 from production.PA-32
In 1965, Piper developed the Piper Cherokee Six, designated the PA-32, by stretching the PA-28 design. It features a lengthened fuselage and seating for one pilot and five passengers.Brazilian, Argentinian and Chilean production
PA-28s were built under license in Brazil as the Embraer EMB-711A and EMB-711C Corisco (PA-28R-200), EMB-711B (PA-28R-201), EMB-711T (PA-28RT-201) and EMB-711ST Corisco Turbo (PA-28RT-201T) and the EMB-712 Tupi (PA-28-181). Argentinian production was carried out by Chincul SACAIFI of San Juan, Argentina. Chincul S. A. built 960 airplanes between 1972 and 1995, including the Cherokee Archer, Dakota, Arrow and Turbo Arrow.Pereira de Andrade, Roberto.: ''Enciclopédia de Aviões Brasileiros'', Editora Globo, 1997. The PA-28-236 Dakota was also assembled under license by the Maintenance Wing of theNew Piper Aircraft
The original Piper Aircraft company declared bankruptcy in 1991. In 1995, the New Piper Aircraft company was created. It was renamed Piper Aircraft once again in 2006. The company originally produced one variant, the 180-horsepower (134 kW) Archer LX (PA-28-181), and began testing two diesel versions, with 135 and 155 hp. As of 2022, five variants of the PA-28 are in production: * Archer TX and LX with a Lycoming IO-360-A4M engine, a TAS maximum cruise speed, range and a Garmin G1000 avionics suite * Archer DX and DLX with a Continental CD-155 engine, a TAS maximum cruise speed, range and a Garmin G1000 avionics suite * Pilot 100i with a Lycoming IO-360-B4A engine, a TAS maximum cruise speed, range and Garmin G3X avionics.Design
Wing
Originally, all Cherokees had a constant-chord, rectangular planform wing, popularly called the " Hershey Bar" wing because of its resemblance to the convex, rectangular chocolate bar. Beginning with the Warrior in 1974, Piper switched to a semi-tapered wing with the NACA 652-415 profile and a wingspan. The constant chord is maintained from the root to mid-wing, at which point a tapered section sweeping backwards on the leading edge continues until the tip. Both Cherokee wing variants have an angled wing root; i.e., the wing chord is greater at the root, with the leading edge swept back as it leaves the fuselage body, rather than the wing meeting the body at a perpendicular angle. Debate is ongoing about the relative benefits of the two wing shapes. According to the Cherokee's lead designer, Fred Weick, the semi-tapered wing was introduced to "improve stall characteristics and increase wingspan," and side-by-side testing of the two shapes found that with the semitapered wing, "the plane had better climb and flatter flight characteristics" The original 1974 version of the wing had a structural weakness that caused a structural failure during an aerobatic maneuver, but that was fixed for all later wings.''The Cherokee Tribe'', p.45. According to Terry Lee Rogers (summarizing interviews with Weick), "the outboard wing sections had a different taper than the wing root, which permitted them to retain control even when the inboard sections were stalled." However, designer John Thorp, who collaborated with Weick in the late 1950s on an early 180 hp version of the PA-28 (with Hershey-bar wings) and was not involved in the later semi-tapered design, publicly disagreed: "Tapered wings tend to stall outboard, reducing aileron effectiveness and increasing the likelihood of a rolloff into a spin." Aviation journalist Peter Garrison is also in the Hershey-bar wing camp, claiming that the semitapered shape has a neutral effect on drag: "to prevent tip stall, designers have resorted to providing the outboard portions of tapered wings with more cambered airfoil sections, drooped or enlarged leading edges, fixed or automatic leading edge slots or slats and most commonly, wing twist or "washout". The trouble with these fixes is that they all increase the drag, cancelling whatever benefit the tapered wing was supposed to deliver in the first place."Flight controls
For the Cherokee family, Piper used their traditional flight-control configuration. The horizontal tail is a stabilator with an antiservo tab (sometimes termed an antibalance tab). The antiservo tab moves in the same direction of the stabilator movement, making pitch control "heavier" as the stabilator moves out of the trimmed position. Flaps can extend up to 40° and 25° flaps are normally used for a short- or soft-field takeoff. The ailerons, flaps, stabilator and stabilator trim are all controlled using cables and pulleys.Piper Aircraft: ''Cherokee 140 PA-28-140 Owner's Handbook''. Piper Aircraft Corporation publication 753 584, February 1964, Revised May 27, 1977 In the cockpit, all Cherokees use control yokes rather than sticks, together with rudder pedals. The pilot operates the flaps manually using a Johnson bar located between the front seats: for zero degrees, the lever is flat against the floor and is pulled up to select the detent positions of 10, 25, and 40°. Older Cherokees use an overhead crank for stabilator trim (correctly called an antiservo tab), while later ones use a trim wheel on the floor between the front seats, immediately behind the flap bar. All Cherokees have a brake lever under the pilot side of the instrument panel. Differential toe brakes on the rudder pedals were an optional add-on for earlier Cherokees and became standard with later models. Some earlier Cherokees used control knobs for the throttle, mixture, and propeller advance (where applicable), while later Cherokees use a collection of two or three control levers in a throttle quadrant. Cherokees normally include a rudder trim knob, which actually controls a set of springs acting on the rudder pedals rather than an external trim tab on the rudder—in other words, the surface is trimmed by control tension rather than aerodynamically.Variants
Cherokee family
; :Unbuilt design study similar to the Thorp Sky Scooter. Was to have been powered by a engine. Developed into the PA-28. ; :Two-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-E2A or -E3D engine of , gross weight . First certified on February 14, 1964. Approved as a gross weight four place aircraft on June 17, 1965. Built in the following variants: :*PA-26-140 Cherokee, initial version. :*PA-28-140-4 Cherokee, four-seat version of the PA-28-140. Introduced in 1965. :*PA-28-140B Cherokee B, as PA-28-140 with new engine mount and instrument panel as well as minor detail changes. Introduced in 1969. :*PA-28-140C Cherokee C, as PA-28-140B with minor cosmetic changes. Introduced in 1970. :*PA-28-140D Cherokee D, as PA-28-140C with new cabin heat system and minor changes. Introduced in 1971. :*PA-28-140E Cherokee E, as PA-28-140D with minor cosmetic changes. Introduced in 1972. :*PA-28-140F Cherokee F, as PA-28-140E with tail fillet, new instrument panel and front seats, and minor cosmetic changes. Air conditioning was added as an option on this variant. Introduced in 1973. :*PA-28-140 Cruiser 2+2, PA-28-140B/C/D/E/F with four-seat interior and baggage area. Renamed to Cruiser in 1974. :*PA-28-140 Flite Liner (alternatively Fliteliner), two-seat trainer variant of the PA-28-140E/F with full instrumentation. Introduced in 1971. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-A2B or -E2A engine of , gross weight . First certified on June 2, 1961. Built in the following variants: :*PA-28-150 Cherokee, initial version. :*PA-28-150B Cherokee B, as PA-28-150 with minor detail changes. Introduced in 1963. :*PA-28-150C Cherokee C, as PA-28-150B with minor detail changes. Introduced in 1965. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-B2B or -D2A engine of , gross weight . First certified on October 31, 1960. Built in the following variants: :*PA-28-160 Cherokee, initial version. :*PA-28-160B Cherokee B, as PA-28-160 with minor detail changes. Introduced in 1963. :*PA-28-160C Cherokee C, as PA-28-160B with minor detail changes. Introduced in 1965. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear seaplane, Lycoming O-320-D2A engine of , gross weight . First certified on February 25, 1963. Built in the following variants: :*PA-28S-160B Cherokee B, PA-28-160B with EDO 2000 floats. :*PA-28S-160C Cherokee C, PA-28-160C with EDO 2000 floats. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-360-A3A or -A4A engine of , gross weight . First certified on August 3, 1962. Built in the following variants: :*PA-28-180B Cherokee B, initial version based on the PA-28-160B. Introduced in 1963. :*PA-28-180C Cherokee C, as PA-28-180B with streamlined engine cowling, new spinner, and minor detail changes. Introduced in 1965. :*PA-28-180D Cherokee D, as PA-28-180C with a third window on each side and a new instrument panel, engine control console, and control column. Introduced in 1968. :*PA-28-180E Cherokee E, as PA-28-180D with an improved engine mount and new instrument lighting. Introduced in 1970. :*PA-28-180F Cherokee F, as PA-28-180E with rear bench seat replaced by separate seats, new fuel selector system, and minor detail changes. Air conditioning was added as an option on this variant. Introduced in 1971. :*PA-28-180G Cherokee G, as PA-28-180F with improved instrument panel. Introduced in 1972. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear seaplane, Lycoming O-360-A3A or -A4A engine of , gross weight . First certified on May 10, 1963. Built in the following variants: :*PA-28S-180B Cherokee B, PA-28-180B with EDO 2000 floats. :*PA-28S-180C Cherokee C, PA-28-180C with EDO 2000 floats. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-540-B1B5, -B2B5, or -B4B5 engine of , gross weight . First certified on July 15, 1963, and introduced in 1964. Built in the following variants: :*PA-28-235 Cherokee 235, initial version. :*PA-28-235B Cherokee B, as PA-28-235 with minor detail changes. Introduced in 1966. :*PA-28-235C Cherokee C, as PA-28-235B with a third window on each side and a new engine control console. Introduced in 1968. :*PA-28-235D Cherokee D, as PA-28-235C with minor cosmetic changes. Introduced in 1970. :*PA-28-235E Cherokee E, as PA-28-235D with rear bench seat replaced by separate seats and improved soundproofing. Air conditioning was added as an option on this variant. Introduced in 1971. :*PA-28-235F Cherokee F, as PA-28-235E with tail fillet, a new instrument panel, and minor changes. Introduced in 1972. :*PA-28-235 Cherokee Charger, four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-540-B4B5 engine of , gross weight . First certified on June 9, 1972, and introduced in 1973. Changes from the 1963 certified PA-28-235 Cherokee 235 include a five inch fuselage extension, wing span increase, larger horizontal tail, gross weight increase and other minor changes. :*PA-28-235 Cherokee Pathfinder, four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, as Cherokee Charger but with noise reduction changes including redesigned windows. Introduced in 1974. ; :PA-28-235 built by Neiva (a subsidiary of Embraer) in Brazil from kits supplied by Piper. ; :PA-28-180 built by Neiva in Brazil from kits supplied by Piper. Also known as the Carioquinha.Warrior family
; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-E3D engine of , gross weight . First certified on August 9, 1973. Changes from the PA-28-150 include a tapered wing. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-D2A or -D3G engine of , gross weight . First certified on November 2, 1976. Changes from the PA-28-160 include a tapered wing. Certified on July 1, 1982, for gross weight of . ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-D3G engine of , gross weight . First certified on July 1, 1994. ; :Two-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-D2A or -D3G engine of , gross weight . Replaced the PA-38 Tomahawk trainer in the late 1980s. Features the older Cherokee "2 side window" fuselage with the later tapered wing. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, turbocharged Continental TSIO-360-FB, engine of , gross weight . First certified on December 14, 1978. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-540-J3A5D engine of , gross weight . First certified on June 1, 1978. Changes from the 1972 certified PA-28-235 Cherokee Pathfinder include tapered wing. ; :PA-28-236 built by Neiva in Brazil from kits supplied by Piper.Archer family
; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-360-A4A or -A4M engine of , gross weight . First certified on May 22, 1972. Changes from the PA-28-180 Cherokee include a five inch fuselage extension, wing span increase, larger horizontal tail, gross weight increase and other minor changes. Renamed to Archer after minor detail changes. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-360-A4A or -A4M engine of , gross weight . First certified on July 8, 1975. Changes from the PA-28-180 Archer include a tapered wing. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-360-A4M engine of , gross weight . First certified on August 30, 1994. ; :Four-place, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-360-B4A engine of , maximum takeoff weight . Produced in Archer TX trainer and Archer LX personal aircraft variants, both with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.Arrow family
Operators
The Cherokee series has been popular with private owners and flying clubs, with over 32,000 delivered.Military operators
; * FAPA/DAA ; * Argentine Coast Guard ; *Retired
; * Colombian Navy – Retired. ; * Finnish Air Force – 14 x Cherokee Arrow 200. Retired 2005.Notable accidents and incidents
*September 9, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, a Douglas DC-9-31, collided with a Piper PA-28R-180 Cruiser over Fairland, Indiana, killing all aboard both planes. *August 28, 1972, Prince William of Gloucester was killed along with the copilot of his Piper Cherokee Arrow after crashing shortly after takeoff from Halfpenny Green in Staffordshire, England, in an air race. *March 23, 1976, Mitsuyasu Maeno attempted to assassinate right-wing nationalist Yoshio Kodama by flying a Piper PA-28 into Kodama's house. Maeno died in the crash, but Kodama was unharmed. *August 31, 1986, Aeroméxico Flight 498, a Douglas DC-9-32, collided with a Piper PA-28-181 Archer, owned by William Kramer, over Cerritos, California, killing all 67 people aboard both planes and 15 people on the ground. It was the worst air disaster in the history of Los Angeles, and resulted in regulatory changes requiring all airliners to be equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and all light aircraft operating in terminal control areas to be equipped with a mode C transponder. *On November 21, 1993, skydiver Alan Peters collided with the vertical stabilizer of a PA-28 while in freefall, after jumping from another aircraft. All four people aboard the PA-28 were killed after the plane lost control and crashed into a nearby forest. Peters was able to successfully open his parachute after the collision and survived, sustaining a fractured leg. *February 18, 2010, Andrew Joseph Stack III deliberately flew his Piper PA-28-236 Dakota into Building 1 of the Echelon office complex inSpecifications (1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140)
Notable appearances in media
See also
References
Sources
Bibliography
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