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Maybe it isnt the fastest 140 in the worldbut then again it might be
Piper Cherokee 140 owner James Rhoads uses a gauge to check the critical body area and smoothness of his Cherokee 140s LaminarFlow-modied wing.
An Enthusiastic Cherokee
52 PLANE & PILOT
he very nature of Cherokee 140s wouldnt seem to lend itself to speed. After all, the airplane made its reputation based on a docile stall and some of general aviations most benign ying qualities. The littlest Cherokees have always been regarded as among the gentlest of trainers, so universally respected for their predictable manners that some instructors actually criticize them for being too easy to y. Keep in mind, any performance increase in a Cherokee 140 would be
an improvement. Cherokees were their marquees entry-level 2+2 machines, and none were designed as highperformance airplanes. In fact, Piper hoped the original Cherokee 140 would compete as much with the Cessna 150 as the 172. The company even considered a Cherokee 115, a version with a 115-hp Lycoming O-235A engine to make the airplane more price-competitive with the 150. Performance didnt meet its expectations, however, that Piper abandoned the idea. Its more than coincidence that all the 150-hp, entry-level, xed-gear 2+2s
offer similar performance. Thats because the drag signatures of all the models is similar, despite esthetic differences in conguration. A Cherokee or Beech Sport dont have much physical resemblance to a Skyhawk; yet all three airplanes climb and cruise at similar velocities.... ...In stock conguration, that is. The Cherokee on these pages belongs to James Rhoads, a professional pilot out of Wabash, Ind., and as youve probably noticed, its not exactly stock. In fact, P&P ew the airplane three times for this report, twice on the west
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SPECIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCE**
CRUISE SPEED (kts.): ALTITUDE 75% power: 7800 65% power: 10,200 55% power: 12,000 MAX RANGE (w/reserve) (nm)*: 75% power: 470 65% power: 522 55% power: 583 FUEL CONSUMPTION (gph): 75% power: 8.4 65% power: 7.3 55% power: 6.2 Estimated endurance (65%) (hrs.): 5.5 Vs (kts.): 52 Vso (kts.): 48 Best rate of climb, SL (fpm): 660 Best rate of climb, 8000 ft. (fpm): 350 Service ceiling (ft.): 14,300 Takeoff ground roll (ft.): 800 Takeoff over 50-ft. obstacle (ft.): 1700 Landing ground roll (ft.): 535 Landing over 50-ft. obstacle (ft.): 1080
* unmodied stock aircraft ** as tested *** estimated Source: Aircraft Bluebook Price Digest, Winter 2003/2004
Used price: $28,000* Engine make/model: Lycoming 0320-E2A Horsepower@rpm: 150@2700* Horsepower for takeoff: 150 TBO hours: 2000 Fuel type: 100/100LL Propeller type/Diameter (in.): Sensenich Fixed/74 Landing gear type: Tri/Fixed Max ramp weight (lbs.): 2150 Gross weight (lbs.): 2150 Landing weight (lbs.): 2150 Std. empty weight (lbs.): 1353** Useful load - std. (lbs.): 797** Usable fuel - std. (gals.): 48 Payload - full std. fuel (lbs.): 509** Wingspan (ft.): 30 Overall length: 23 ft. 3 in. Height: 7 ft. 3 in. Wing area (sq. ft.): 160 Wing loading (lbs./sq. ft.): 13.4 Power loading (lbs./hp): 14.3 Wheel base: 6 ft. 2 in. Wheel track (ft.): 10 Wheel size (in.): 6.00 x 6 Seating capacity: 2+2 Cabin doors: 1 Cabin width (in.): 42 Baggage capacity (lbs./cu. ft.): 200
* unmodied stock aircraft ** as tested Source: Aircraft Bluebook Price Digest, Winter 2003/2004
150-hp models), but the name was to identify Pipers entry-level airplane until the advent of the Tomahawk in 1978. I rst ew Jim Rhoads airplane in Long Beach, Calif., in stock trim, then a day later, at the same temperature and weight after Toms Aircraft had tted the Cherokee with the Power Flow exhaust. The Power Flow system requires ve to seven hours for installation, costs $3,675 and modies the airplanes exhaust to significantly reduce back pressure, optimize induction airow and improve horsepower. Power Flows Robin Cook and Darren Tillman discovered long ago that many aircraft exhaust systems are relatively inefcient, often failing to evacuate burned gases in the exhaust cycle. The result is that a portion of the following power stroke is wasted, trying to burn already deoxygenated exhaust. The Power Flow unit is more efcient at scavenging exhaust gas from the cylinders, so the engine burns a more volatile mixture of fuel and air, rather than trying to reburn a portion of the previous combustion cycle. The bottom line is more
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PILOT REPORT
horsepower at all altitudes and a higher altitude for 75% cruise. That translates directly to more cruise speed, since thinner air offers less drag. Although the company hasnt directly measured the power improvement on the Cherokee, a similar mod on a Skyhawk (that uses the same engine) was tested on a dynamometer and scored 23 additional horsepower. Thats a 15% power increase. A little boost in climb and cruise goes a long way. Think three to ve knots better cruise from the exhaust system alone. That may not seem like much, but its a signicant performance margin for an airplane in the 115-knot cruise range. Specifically, I saw a 50-rpm power increase at the same density altitude, worth a fourknot speed improvement to 119 knots. This followed a 20% improvement in climb performance. All this was with the Power Flow system alone. Rhoads Cherokee is one of some 250 PA-28s ying with Power Flows tuned exhaust systems installed, and its a safe bet that most realize the same benets. But wait. Power Flow and Laminar Flow of Daytona Beach, Fla., are sister companies dedicated to the premise that speed
ENGINE HORSEPOWER
110
115
120
125
130
8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
142
144
146
148
150
30
35
40
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50
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isnt only for Mooneys and Bonanzas. The two companies have specialized in extracting uncommon performance from unlikely candidates, and Rhoads Cherokee is the poster airplane for their efforts in the PA28 line. I ew the Cherokee again at the annual Sun n Fun show, this time, tted with the gamut of Laminar Flow mods, and the performance improvement was even more dramatic. The Laminar Flow mods included ap and aileron gap seals, ap hinge fairings, main-gear speed pants, a nose fairing and fuel tank fairings. Collectively, all the mods, including the Power Flow system, cost about $8,000 plus installation. That might seem a sizeable investment, especially in an airplane typically worth less than $35,000, but consider what it buys you. Rhoads airplane turned in a max cruise effort of 127 knots, a solid 12 knots quicker than its original speed and eight knots ahead of the pure Power Flow mod. Perhaps equally important, more so if you live out West where the rocks meet the sky, climb improves by probably 200 fpm over the stock airplane, a combination of more power and less drag. In fairness, Rhoads reports that hes done some addi-
FACTORY COMPARISON
Used Price: Cruise Speed, 75% (kts.): Vso (kts.): Fuel Burn, 75% (gph): Climb Rate (fpm): Service Ceiling (ft.): Takeoff Distance (ft.): Landing Distance (ft.): Useful Load (lbs.): Power Loading (lbs./hp): Wing Loading (lbs./sq. ft.): Engine Horsepower: Propeller Type: Landing Gear Type: Fuel Capacity (gals.): Seat Capacity:
$28,000 127* 48* 8.4* 660* 14,300* 800* 535* 797* 14.3 13.4 150 Fixed Tri/Fixed 48 2+2
$33,500 115 43 8.3 645 13,100 865 520 985 15.9 13.2 145 Fixed Tri/Fixed 42 2+2
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