PA-28-140 Cherokee advice

Bob Noel wrote:
In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Having owned my 140 since 1994, I need to add some comments/responses to Jay's...

1. Don't try to carry 4 adults, unless the back seaters are double
amputees.

agree - sort of. Not a lot of room back there. And watch out for
the relatively low useful load, especially if the airplane has air
conditioning.

2. Don't expect it to be a great performer. It's adequate in cool
weather, sluggish in hot weather, very forgiving, and can be landed on
a dime with practice.

agree (but performs noticably better with 160hp engine and cruise prop)

3. Landing at night with that single GE 4509 shining out front is a
drag. Taxiing at a dark, unfamiliar airport is REALLY a drag.

huh? Landing at night with the single 4509 is just fine. And taxing
at night isn't hard at all.


4. The original stock panel lighting is, um, marginal, especially in
the early models.

Panel lights for the 140 didn't exist until late 1974. But the overhead
red light is ok - especially when combined with something like nulite
instrument lights.


5. It should have the auto-gas STC, which allows you to use regular
unleaded car gas in that Lycoming O-320. Use it -- you'll save over
$50 per tank-full, and the engine will thank you for not clogging it
with lead.

Note that my 140 didn't like 100LL, but a friend's 140 drank the 100LL
with nary a problem. In other words, not all 140's will have problems with
100LL.


Additional comments:

If the 140 is nose-heavy, you can run out of stabilator on landing.

Don't use the lapbelt-thru-the-bowtie-yokes to secure the controls.
The bowtie yokes are plastic and can develop cracks. And it can't
be a good thing for the universals.

I would flightplan for 105 KTAS when my 140 had the 150hp engine.

Stalls are benign.

The 140's hersheybar wings are lighter in roll than other cherokees (tapered
wings or the longer wings on the 180).

Starting the airplane is easy - once you get the hang of "bumping" the starter.

Enjoy the airplane.

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate


O, what about the countless recorded news footage [ censored and only
shown once but documented now on websites and videos] of reporters and
bystanders and firefighters stating they hear and feel secondary blasts
coming from both buildings. PS air does not smell like thermite.