The subject aircraft for our air test was a very tidy 1980 180hp Archer II, which is owned and operated by International Aerospace Engineering at Cranfield. Although I have flown many different variants of the Cherokee tribe over the years, it had been a while since my last flight in one and so having removed the covers and tie-downs, I began to reacquaint myself with the type during the pre-flight inspection. An all-metal low-wing monoplane of relatively clean design, the Archer has a rather business-like, no-nonsense look about it. One of the peculiarities of the breed is that Piper has opted to use an all-flying tail (also commonly referred to as a stabilator) instead of the more usual fixed tailplane and elevator. I must confess that I have always found this decision rather curious. The origins of the stabilator can be found in the first transonic jet fighters. Due to the wide speed range that they operated at and also the influence of shock waves on the elevator hinge point at high mach numbers, these fighters required greater pitch authority than can be provided by a conventional fixed tailplane and separate elevator. Although some high-performance sailplanes also use an all-flying tail as a means of reducing drag, I've never fully understood why a machine such as the Cherokee really needs one. Another rather strange design choice is that, although earlier Cherokees used Frise ailerons, later versions changed to piano-wire hinged flat plate ailerons, a retrograde step if ever there was one! Anyway, be that as it may, a definite improvement over earlier Cherokees is that from 1974 onwards, Piper replaced the original constant-chord 'Hershey Bar' (a popular US chocolate confection) wing with one that featured tapered outer panels. It's quite amazing how much drag can be reduced by such measures, and it is interesting to note that Cherokees with tapered wings do cruise faster than their straight-winged brethren.

The rest of the pre-flight revealed nothing out of the ordinary and having satisfied myself that the fuel gauges weren't telling lies, it was time to get in and go flying. Access to the cockpit is only possible from the starboard side, as in common with many other Pipers, there is only the one door. I've often wondered if any sales have been lost through this, bearing in mind that its principal competitor, the Cessna 172, has a door on each side. Access to the generously-sized baggage area is via a reasonable-sized door, which is also on the starboard side. The baggage bay can accommodate up to 200lbs, although, as with most other four-seaters, if you then put an adult male on each seat you will definitely not be able to fill the fuel tanks to their maximum capacity.

Settling into the seat, which offers a respectable amount of adjustment, I tied myself down and began to familiarise myself with the control layout. The flight instruments are all directly in front of the pilot, with the engine gauges situated directly underneath. These are the small, oblong gauges as used in many other Piper aircraft and are adequate without being anything special. The avionics stack is centrally mounted, with the throttle and mixture quadrant directly beneath a small row of rocker switches that select the lights and fuel pump. Directly below the throttle quadrant we find the rudder trimmer, with the parking brake just to the left. The control for the carb heat is located just to the right of the mixture control. A centre console between the seats carries the elevator trim wheel and the large, mechanical flap lever. On the left side of the cockpit wall is the large rotary fuel selector. It features three positions, Left, Right and Off. A good safety feature is that a small safety catch has to be pressed before 'Off' can be selected.

The engine started easily and we were soon ready to commence the long taxi out to Cranfield's runway 22. Nosewheel steering is provided via springs that are linked to the rudder pedals, and these combined with toe-actuated hydraulic Cleveland disc brakes, make the Archer a very simple aircraft to taxi. The undercarriage runs on oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers which certainly provide a very pleasant ride. During the pre-flight I was pleased to see that all three wheels are the same size, as it does simplify the spares situation.

Having completed the run-up checks and changed tanks to ensure that both were feeding correctly, I rolled out onto the runway, aligned myself with the centreline and smoothly opened the throttle. I would estimate that we were probably around 400lbs below maximum take-off weight and acceleration was quite respectable. For short-field operations Piper recommends using 25 degrees of flap, but as we had more than 5,500 feet of runway in front of us, I considered that a normal 'flaps up' take-off was the way to go. There was absolutely no problem keeping straight and I gently eased the control yoke back at around 60kts and let the Archer fly itself off.

As we settled into the climb the VSI quickly indicated a climb rate of around 1,000ft/min and in only a few minutes we were above the inversion and scanning for the camera ship, Key Publishing's famous Basset G-FLYP. I've always maintained that circuit bashing and a little bit of formation work will usually reveal a great deal about an aircraft, and as I moved into position on the Basset I began to subconsciously note my opinions of the Archer's handling characteristics. As I remembered from the last time that I flew a PA-28, the ailerons are nothing special, although I would say that the Archer is not quite as loggy in roll as a 172. Pitch control is quite heavy, and I also felt that perhaps the Archer could also benefit from better pitch damping, although again it is perfectly adequate. The rudder is quite authoritative, albeit on the heavy side. Throttle response was good, and I must say that I did appreciate having a proper quadrant for the throttle to work through. I know that the plunger-type throttle does free up panel space, but personally, I prefer a quadrant. Visibility is fine, although not up to the standard of some of the more modern aircraft that I have flown recently.

Goto page 2 >>