Douglas Paterson wrote:
: OK, parts are not in common. However, if I'm an A&P, well-versed in working
: on Cherokees, would I really be out of my element on Comanches? No doubt
: there are sneaky problems that a Comanche specialist might catch (one of
: many arguments to get a specialist in your type, I think), but for
: run-of-the-mill inspections and repairs?

In most cases, airplanes are airplanes. P-brand vs. C-brand doesn't matter
too much, except that P-brand tends to just "bolt on" extra stuff and call it another
airplane. I've worked on both aircraft (Lots on my own Cherokee, some avionics and
engine-hanging wrenching on a Comanche). The main difference between the two is that
the Comanche has an internal sub-floor where all the control cables, plumbing, wiring,
etc go. The Cherokee has the cabin floor skin play double-duty as exterior skin as
well. All the control cables are routed through the center floor column. Kinda
disturbing to be sitting on a beer-can sometimes... Other goofy things are the
Comanche's control yokes. It's a menagerie of cables, pulleys, and bearings behind
the panel, whereas a Cherokee has a nice, simple chain/sprocket T-bar. The gear on
the Comanches (at least the older one I'm familiar with) is stone-cold simple, too.
Electro-mechanical worm gear and a "Johnson-bar" emergency gear extension. Just plain
simple. (There's a repetitive AD on landing gear bungee cord springs IIRC).


: I couldn't agree more about the importance of the climb issue. No doubt, on
: the hottest, most humid day of July, I *will* have to sacrifice load and/or
: runway flexibility, no mater what airplane I get--that's part of my
: reasoning of *not* compromising on "book" S/L numbers. A strong climber
: with large loads at S/L will, in general, outclimb an airplane that is a
: mediocre climber with medium loads at S/L, for any given altitude--no? My
: desire is 600 sm range in 4 hours or less, with fuel on board plus
: reserves--that's around 60 gallons at 75% in a Comanche, according to the
: numbers I'm finding. Leave 30 gallons on the ramp, that's one more person I
: can take, or keep as an additional performance benefit, as dictated by the
: day's mission. I know there will always be trade-offs--that's why I want to
: start with "extra" capability, so as not to lose the basics just because of
: my location.

Again... a turbo-normalizer would be good for this.

-Cory

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************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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