Piper Pathfinder Article

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 17:06:16 GMT, john smith wrote in
Message-Id: :


I don't think Jay is going to be flying over Pike's Peak (14,110 feet)
unless he gets a Cessna. :-)
Service Ceiling PA28-235 ... 13,550
Service Ceiling C182.........17,700


He should be glad he didn't purchase a Charger:
http://www.trade-a-plane.com/unprote...erf_1475B.html

Cessna doesn't reveal the Skylane's useful load:
http://skylane.cessna.com/spec_perf.chtml


Is the Piper or Cessna able to carry the most payload with full tanks?

keeping in mind that these are 1974 models...
Pathfinder 182
average equipped new list price $36,490 $30,475
current values $63,000 $79,000
price appreciation factor 172% 259%
gross weight (lbs) 3,000 2,950
empth weight (lbs) 1,550 1,645
useful load (lbs) 1,450 1,305
horsepower 235 230
power loading (lbs/hp) 12.8 12.8
wing loading (lbs/sqft) 17.6 16.9
total fuel capacity (gal) 82 79
payload, max fuel (lbs) 958 831
cruise speed, 75% (kts) 133 139
best rate of climb SL (fpm) 800 890
Vso 52 50
takeoff run (ft) 850 705
landing run (ft) 1,040 590

I don't think Jay is going to be flying over Pike's Peak (14,110 feet)
unless he gets a Cessna. :-)
Service Ceiling PA28-235 ... 13,550
Service Ceiling C182.........17,700

We've never had any reason to fly higher than 12,500 -- even when we flew to
the Grand Canyon. But we were still climbing pretty smartly when we leveled
off, so I wonder about that ceiling. (Doubt I'll be finding out anytime
soon, however. I don't have an oxygen system.)

current values $63,000 $79,000

Pfffft! What year are these prices from? I haven't seen a decent
Pathfinder go for less than $80K since we bought ours in 2002. There are
several for sale in T-A-P for $95K+.

useful load (lbs) 1,450 1,305

Yep, that's what makes the Pathfinder such an awesome plane. To be able to
haul four 200 pounders, full tanks, AND baggage is a wonderful thing.

best rate of climb SL (fpm) 800 890

Totally bogus. We routinely see 1000+ fpm. Although, to be fair, our
Pathfinder has every speed mod ever made for it, so I don't know what a
stock bird would do.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:25:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in Message-Id:
XIL3c.100119$PR3.1812564@attbi_s03:

I don't have an oxygen system.

You don't need one below 14,500'.

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 23:36:31 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:25:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in Message-Id:
XIL3c.100119$PR3.1812564@attbi_s03:

I don't have an oxygen system.

You don't need one below 14,500'.

.... for 30 minutes.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 23:36:31 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in Message-Id: :

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:25:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in Message-Id:
XIL3c.100119$PR3.1812564@attbi_s03:

I don't have an oxygen system.

You don't need one below 14,500'.

... for 30 minutes.

....on a day with low enough pressure to reduce the cabin altitude by 500'.

-- David Brooks

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 15:55:57 -0800, "David Brooks"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

You don't need one below 14,500'.

... for 30 minutes.

...on a day with low enough pressure to reduce the cabin altitude by 500'.


Thanks.


§ 91.211 Supplemental oxygen.
(a) General. No person may operate a civil aircraft of U.S.
registry—

(1) At cabin pressure altitudes above 12,500 feet (MSL) up to and
including 14,000 feet (MSL) unless the required minimum flight
crew is provided with and uses supplemental oxygen for that part
of the flight at those altitudes that is of more than 30 minutes
duration;

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 23:36:31 GMT, Larry Dighera

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:25:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"

I don't have an oxygen system.

You don't need one below 14,500'.

... for 30 minutes.

There's a really big difference between the FARs and your body's
requirements. Just because you are allowed doesn't mean you should.

On 10 Mar 2004 23:29:43 -0700, Blanche
wrote in Message-Id: :

There's a really big difference between the FARs and your body's
requirements. Just because you are allowed doesn't mean you should.

I'm sure you are correct about the difference between individual
tolerance to hypoxia. I recall reading that General Yeager was able
to withstand operating at 20,000' without oxygen.

Larry Dighera wrote:

I'm sure you are correct about the difference between individual
tolerance to hypoxia. I recall reading that General Yeager was able
to withstand operating at 20,000' without oxygen.

Nearly all of the pilots in the Great War could. Only some of the German aircraft
had oxygen systems, and I've not heard of any Allied aircraft that did. Ceiling
on the S.P.A.D. was 6,000 meters, according to Nordhoff and Hall.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 20:40:26 GMT, john smith wrote in
Message-Id: :

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 17:06:16 GMT, john smith wrote in
Message-Id: :


I don't think Jay is going to be flying over Pike's Peak (14,110 feet)
unless he gets a Cessna. :-)
Service Ceiling PA28-235 ... 13,550
Service Ceiling C182.........17,700


He should be glad he didn't purchase a Charger:
http://www.trade-a-plane.com/unprote...erf_1475B.html

Cessna doesn't reveal the Skylane's useful load:
http://skylane.cessna.com/spec_perf.chtml


Is the Piper or Cessna able to carry the most payload with full tanks?

keeping in mind that these are 1974 models...
Pathfinder 182
average equipped new list price $36,490 $30,475
current values $63,000 $79,000
price appreciation factor 172% 259%
gross weight (lbs) 3,000 2,950
empth weight (lbs) 1,550 1,645
useful load (lbs) 1,450 1,305
horsepower 235 230
power loading (lbs/hp) 12.8 12.8
wing loading (lbs/sqft) 17.6 16.9
Service Ceiling (ft) 13,550 17,700
total fuel capacity (gal) 82 79
payload, max fuel (lbs) 958 831
cruise speed, 75% (kts) 133 139
best rate of climb SL (fpm) 800 890
Vso 52 50
takeoff run (ft) 850 705
landing run (ft) 1,040 590

The Skylane carries about 150 pounds less, at 4-1/2% greater speed, to
a 3,150' higher altitude, with a substantially shorter landing run due
to the Pathfinder's more pronounced ground-effect, and it has two
doors. If the Pathfinder were loaded 150 pounds lighter, it would
reduce the difference between it and the Skylane. If the performance
numbers were the sole criteria in selecting between the two, who could
argue against the Skylane? It even has better sagebrush clearance and
a rain porch, and for photography and pipeline work, ...

Have you got any cabin dimensions?