Piper PA-28 Cherokee/Archer
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee, first flown in January 1960, introduced an all-metal, low-wing, bonded constant-chord wing that was simpler and cheaper to build than Piper's earlier fabric-covered designs. The Archer variant, powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360, added the fully tapered wing introduced in 1976, distinguishing it from the straight-wing early Cherokees and improving low-speed handling. With well over 30,000 PA-28-family aircraft sold, it ranks among the most-produced light aircraft in history and remains a mainstay of flight training fleets worldwide.
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Did you know?
Early Cherokees wear a flat constant-chord wing, while the Archer and later models replaced it with a fully tapered wing.
Specifications
| Length | 7.2 m (24 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.8 m (35 ft) |
| Height | 2.5 m (8 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 3 |
| Persons on board | 4 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1 t |
| Range | 700 NM (1,296 km) |
| Maximum speed | 128 kt (237 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 14,100 ft (4,298 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Rate of climb | 750 ft/min (3.8 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
| Landing distance | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 120 l |
| Engines | Lycoming O-360-A4M |
| Units built | 145 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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