Cherokee 140 - LASAR vs. Powerflow vs. Laminar Speed Kit

In article .com,
"EridanMan" wrote:

did you re-pitch the prop? When I modified my 140, I re-pitched
to the 60" prop, gained cruise speed and climb rate.

You gained climb with a longer pitch? that sounds odd.

I'm sorry. I wasn't clear. I upgraded my 140 to 160hp and also
re-pitched the prop. It definitely goes faster (if you use warrior
power settings - after all, it has the warrior engine/prop combo),
and also climbs faster than my 140 prior to the upgrade.

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

In rec.aviation.owning EridanMan wrote:
What is your impression of the prop tip + repitching mod (especially
with the 160hp stc, which I already have).

My prop is pitched to about 60" (Art claimed it was just shy of 60). As a result,
the static RPM stayed near the low end, but climb still improved as well as cruise.
I'm not really sure if the prop tip mod did anything.

Out of curiousity, what type of real-world numbers are you seeing from
your bird?

About 130-135 mph (113-117 knots) at 2500RPM and 2000'. All the mods together
showed a definite cumulitive effect, but in reality, it's hard to attribute
specific numbers to one particular item.

--- Jay


--

Jay Masino "Home is where the critters are"
http://www.JayMasino.com
http://www.OceanCityAirport.com
http://www.oc-Adolfos.com

Local fella put the Lasar system on his Warrior 3 years back... Says he
can't really tell the difference... He flys 300 hours a year... Says
he doesn't feel it was necessarily a waste of money but if/when he gets
another plane he won't install it a second time... Keep your mags
overhauled every 500 hours and you will be fine...

Forget the powerflow muffler unless the current exhaust is shot... To
make more power requires more fuel flow, period! Given that a few %
increase in power means almost no change in cruise speed you are
wasting fuel...

Gap seals and fairings can be worthwhile and if you are determined to
spend, this is where I would spend it......

denny - and Fat Albert the Apache...

Yeah, I'm definitely starting to get the sense that waiting to replace
with upgrades, rather than spend new up front is probably my best bet.

Which means I'll probably do the Laminar Flow stuff first, because
Julie is definitely going to need a paintjob sooner rather than later.

I've actually been considering spending the spare cash on the interior.
I'm already redoing the panel (putting in a standard T)... I was
planning on replacing the carpets with airtex stuff... maybe I should
go ahead and do the seats/sidepanels while I'm at it.

Or... anyone know a good upolstry shop in the Bay area that can do
aircraft interiors if you give them the old ones as templates?

-Scott

Denny wrote:
Local fella put the Lasar system on his Warrior 3 years back... Says he
can't really tell the difference... He flys 300 hours a year... Says
he doesn't feel it was necessarily a waste of money but if/when he gets
another plane he won't install it a second time... Keep your mags
overhauled every 500 hours and you will be fine...

Forget the powerflow muffler unless the current exhaust is shot... To
make more power requires more fuel flow, period! Given that a few %
increase in power means almost no change in cruise speed you are
wasting fuel...

Gap seals and fairings can be worthwhile and if you are determined to
spend, this is where I would spend it......

denny - and Fat Albert the Apache...

I'd go with airframe speed mods: Hoerner-style wingtips, gap seals,
hinge fairings and wing root fairings, and better wheel pants. That
would just about eat up your $4k and make a noticeable improvement in
the way the plane handles plus give you some more top cruise speed too.

On 22 Jun 2006 19:30:32 -0700, "EridanMan"
wrote:


I've actually been considering spending the spare cash on the interior.
I'm already redoing the panel (putting in a standard T)... I was
planning on replacing the carpets with airtex stuff... maybe I should
go ahead and do the seats/sidepanels while I'm at it.

Or... anyone know a good upolstry shop in the Bay area that can do
aircraft interiors if you give them the old ones as templates?

Find someone that does a LOT of auto interior re-work.

Talk to a furniture re-upholster (sp?) shop that does institutional
(nursing home, hospital, etc.) work. The "burn" requirements for
institutional fabrics meet or exceed the requirements for your
Cherokee.

Have the auto shop do the work, using the institutional materials, and
play really really stupid if the FAA (one chance in a million) asks
who redid your interior.

Or save the certs from the fabrics and tell them to stick in their
ass.

Or pay three to ten times as much for an "approved" interior.

TC

Yea... That seems like a not very good plan of action. I would pay the
extra $$$ to have the work done properly so I would not have to worry
about the FAA asking questions. Telling them to "stick it" when you
didn't follow the regs is not something the FAA will ignore.

Chris G., PP-ASEL
Salem, Oregon


wrote:

play really really stupid if the FAA (one chance in a million) asks
who redid your interior.

Or save the certs from the fabrics and tell them to stick in their
ass.

It wouldn't be the FAA that asks. It would be ANY AI worth his salt. Why
would the stupid owner want to risk his life and the livelihood of his
mechanic by pulling off some illegal upholstery job?

I'm with you, do it right or sell the piece of junk!

Karl
"Curator" N185KG


"Chris G." wrote in message
reenews.net...
Yea... That seems like a not very good plan of action. I would pay the
extra $$$ to have the work done properly so I would not have to worry
about the FAA asking questions. Telling them to "stick it" when you
didn't follow the regs is not something the FAA will ignore.

Chris G., PP-ASEL
Salem, Oregon


wrote:

play really really stupid if the FAA (one chance in a million) asks
who redid your interior.

Or save the certs from the fabrics and tell them to stick in their
ass.

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 09:46:21 -0700, "Chris G."
wrote:

Yea... That seems like a not very good plan of action. I would pay the
extra $$$ to have the work done properly so I would not have to worry
about the FAA asking questions. Telling them to "stick it" when you
didn't follow the regs is not something the FAA will ignore.


It's a case of get educated or get out.

"pay the extra $$$ to have the work done properly" is a sad joke in
GA, expecially when it comes to aircraft interior rework.

Find me a CAR3 or for that matter a CFR14/PT91 or 43 reference to
interior re-furb materials & workmanship applicable to a 60's vintage
PA28.

I'll give you a hint, there isn't one.

If there isn't a specific reference, the FAA can stick it. If there
isn't a reg, it's pretty tough for them to say that you didn't follow
it.

BTW, how much personal contact/interaction have you had with FAA GA
maintenance ASI's?

TC

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 11:34:56 -0700, "karl gruber"
wrote:

It wouldn't be the FAA that asks. It would be ANY AI worth his salt. Why
would the stupid owner want to risk his life and the livelihood of his
mechanic by pulling off some illegal upholstery job?

ROTFLMAO.

So tell me, just how would said AI determine that A) the work was
"illegal", and B) what would this alleged "illegality" be based on?

TC