Yet another PA-28 wingtip query...

We've got some Madra droop-tips on our straight-wing -180. Although we've
enjoyed their
performance (good slow-flight characteristics, unchanged cruise/top
speed), my partner on the plane can't
stand the looks. So, we're looking to put Hoerner-style ones on. As far
as I can tell, there are at
least 6 different manufacturers/varieties:


..stuff snipped

I flew our 74 140 for a couple of years and a couple of hundred hours before
I put on the Met-co's. If there was a difference, I could not tell. My main
reason for the switch was cosmetic. The old stock tips were pretty crazed up
and flimsy.

I believe the weights sticking out or not is determined by what year your
plane is and not the tip design. Mine don't stick out but some of the 60's
Cherokees on the ramp do - stock tips or Hoerner style. I have also seen
several with the landing lights. Every one of the lenses is in some state of
cloudiness. How much do you REALLY fly at night? What can't you do with the
stock landing light? Maybe spot the deer you will hit anyway 3 seconds
earlier? Our instructor had us land quite a few times at night without the
light to show us there was nothing magical about the light (and stress that
they DO go out pretty often).

These things come without mounting holes so you have to make them. I used
the "masking tape trick" and it worked pretty well. Took about 2 hours once
the old ones were off and any bunged up speed nuts were replaced. Getting
the old tips off can be a real pain if lots of the hardware is rusted
together. Since you already have replacement tips you may not have such a
hard time getting them off IF the installer did not go gorilla on the
screws.

I paid about $500 for the set back in '97. I installed them and my wrench
signed them off. At today's price with mechanic you are probably looking at
$1000 or so. YIKES!

Good Luck,
Mike