<< Back to page 1

With the photo shoot over we broke away from the Basset and set the Archer up for the cruise. A very handy feature is that the recommended power settings for various flight levels are printed on the back of the pilot's sun visor. Due to a variety of rather tedious reasons it was decided that I would fly the Archer directly back to Conington, which was where the car was - Today's Pilot photographer Steve Fletcher and myself having flown down to Cranfield from Conington in the Basset earlier that morning. My accomplice for the afternoon, Neil Plumb, would then return the aircraft back to its Cranfield base.
As we cruised back towards Conington I must say that the Archer was beginning to grow on me. As already observed, the aircraft is aimed at the same corner of the market as the Cessna 172, and in many ways displays similar handling traits and performance figures. Handling, while not sparkling, is stolid and safe, while respectable cruise speeds and fuel flows are achieved without the complexity and additional expense of a constant-speed propeller or a retractable undercarriage. As with any flying machine, the Archer is best evaluated when being flown as it was intended to be flown. The less-than-ideal handling characteristics it displayed when flying formation would probably never even become apparent to most pilots. It's essentially a light tourer, good for carrying up to three people and their baggage over a reasonable distance, or four people and bags but over a reduced range. So, taken in this context, how do I rate it? Actually, for doing the job that it was designed to do, quite highly.
Owing to time constraints it was not possible to explore the slow speed side of the envelope. However, I see from the notes that I made the last time I flew an Archer, that I found its stall behaviour - either flaps up or flaps down - perfectly benign, with plenty of buffet before the wing finally quits flying, and no tendency to drop a wing. In common with many other American-designed light aircraft of the 1960s, the Cherokee Archer has been designed with the average pilot in mind. It has no peculiar traits or unpleasant vices.
As we slipped into the circuit at Conington I began to reduce power while holding a steady altitude and waited for the airspeed to slip back into the white arc. Three flap settings are available; 10, 25 and 40 degrees. Speed control all round the circuit was easy, and with absolutely no fuss the Archer slid down the approach and rolled its tyres onto the tarmac just past the numbers.
There are probably around 1,000 of the various types of PA28 on the UK register, and it was interesting to note that while taxiing out at Cranfield and back in at Conington I didn't need to look very hard before I could spot at least a couple of Cherokees. Perhaps that simple fact says more about how successful the series has been than I ever could.

HIstory
First flown more than 40 years ago, I doubt that Piper really expected back then that production of its venerable PA28 series would continue into the 21st century. The prototype four-seat Piper PA28-150 Cherokee made its maiden flight on January 14, 1960, and although it has undergone a considerable number of changes, the basic aircraft still bears a strong family resemblance to the prototype. Starting out as an all-metal cantilever low-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear and power provided by a 150hp Avco Lycoming O-320, it offered four-seat accommodation in an enclosed cabin.

The first production Cherokee flew just over a year after the prototype, on February 10, 1961. Available from the beginning in a number of different models, the level of equipment fitted determined whether it was a Standard, Custom, Super Custom or AutoFlite model. In 1962 Piper introduced the PA-28-180 Cherokee, which was fitted with a more powerful 180hp O-320-A2A engine - the PA-28-235 followed on the year after. This machine featured a 235hp Avco Lycoming O-540-B2B5 flat-six engine for operation at a higher gross weight. The airframe was also strengthened to accommodate the bigger engine and increased weight.
In 1964, having made the PA28 larger and more powerful the previous year, Piper chose to develop the aircraft in the other direction. The company therefore introduced the two-seat PA-28-140 Cherokee, which was powered by the 140hp O-320-A2B flat-four engine. The next major design change came in 1967, with the introduction of the PA-28-180R Cherokee Arrow. This aircraft was significantly different from its predecessors, as it featured a fuel-injected engine, constant-speed propeller and retractable tricycle landing gear as standard. Concurrent with the introduction of the Arrow, Piper also decided to cease production of the PA-28-150 and PA-28-160. Two years later in 1969, Piper began production of a more powerful Arrow, the 200hp PA-28-200R, which was powered by a 200hp IO-360-C1C engine. The company also continued to develop and refine the more basic PA28 variants, and in 1971 two new models of the PA-28-140 appeared. These were the Cherokee Flite Liner, a two-seat trainer for use by Piper-sponsored training schools, and the Cherokee Cruiser 2 Plus 2, which was a deluxe two/four seat version. In the following year this variant became the standard production model. In 1973 the PA-28-180 was renamed the Cherokee Challenger and featured slight increases in both wing span and fuselage length, along with an improved interior and higher levels of equipment. Similar changes were also introduced on the PA-28-235, which was renamed as the Cherokee Charger.  A number of changes were introduced to the Cherokee line in 1974, with the Cherokee 2 Plus 2 being renamed the Cherokee Cruiser, the Cherokee Challenger being renamed the Cherokee Archer, and the powerful PA-28-235 the Cherokee Pathfinder. Also during 1974, Piper decided to introduce the PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior. Powered by a 150-hp O-320-E3D engine, the fuselage was basically similar to the Archer, although the wing was substantially redesigned. The new wing was slightly larger in span and also featured tapered outer panels for better aerodynamics and reduced drag. Three years later in 1977, Piper ended production of the Cherokee Cruiser and Cherokee Pathfinder, but introduced at the same time the PA-28-236 Dakota. This machine, which was essentially similar to the Archer, featured the new wing of increased span and was powered by a 235hp O-540-J3A5D flat-six engine. The following year Piper began production of a version of this aircraft powered by a 200hp Continental TS10-360-FB turbocharged engine and known as the PA-28-201T Turbo Dakota. However, this particular PA28 variant never really found favour with the aeroplane-buying public, and poor sales saw production discontinued barely two years after its introduction into service.

The same year Piper began work on a tandem two-seat trainer for the Chilean air force. Loosely based on the Cherokee Arrow and designated the PA-28R-300 Pillan (devil), it featured a retractable tricycle landing gear and was powered by the 300hp Avco Lycoming AE10-540-H1K5 flat-six engine.

Production of the Cherokee family continued into the 1980s with the company introducing the PA-28-161 Warrior II, powered by a 160hp Avco Lycoming O-320-D3G engine, alongside the PA-28-181 Archer II, which was powered by a 180hp Avco Lycoming O-360-A4M. At the other end of the market the PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IV incorporated the same engine as used in the Turbo Dakota. Production of the PA28 still continues, with New Piper Aircraft, Inc currently manufacturing Arrows, Archers and Warriors.

Contact Webmaster | Back to home page | Back to Flight Test page
© Key Publishing Ltd.