By then, Piper was already established in Vero Beach, Florida, but neither the single nor the Twin Comanche variants made the transition to Vero. This is part four of seven parts. Still, these speeds trail contemporary designs of similar vintage and power, such as the P35 Bonanza. { Requires Garmin Pilot, ForeFlight tablet app. The Comanche 180 can climb at 700 to 900 FPM after using more than 2200 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. No, its not complicated but a review of service difficulty reports (and the NTSB accident reports) indicates its a top sore spot, along with general airframe corrosion and engine/ prop issues. Recommended: Click on a photo for a popup photo gallery. 2-blade Scimitar. The Comanche panel has limited space, vertically, Piehl said. You can modify its engine, its look, its handling, its panel and its features. Piper kept the Comanches electromechanical manual landing gear relatively simple, although it can be a source of woes when not maintained properly. The trim is generally in very poor condition, with various cracks in the trim and deformation around the screw holes. The original airplane had a 60-gallon fuel system. The added seats are in the baggage compartment. Connecting the G5 directional instrument to third-party autopilots and earlier GPS navigators requires the $699 GAD29B nav interface module. I would prove that time and again in my Comanche 250. ON AND UNDERSTAND 2-blade 2-blade Scimitar. We invite you to look around and come see why we have the best made, lowest priced and best warranty of any modifications available for your Piper. 2 U Mods,Weight and Balance, - WHATEVER TEXAS SKYWAYS HAS THIS STC. Lets begin with an ADS-B wrap-up. For more than five decades, active and dedicated aircraft owners and pilots have turned to AVIATION CONSUMER to answer their most important buying questions. by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 9, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Maintenance, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Piper didnt distinguish between the 180 and 250 in its serial number records, but total production for 1958 was 336, comparing favorably to the 396 J35 Bonanzas Beech cranked out that same year. Fortunately, there are a number of cost effective aerodynamic improvements that we developed that can easily add 3 to up to 15 MPH, while also improving rate of climb, slow speed handling (reduced stall speed, improved aileron control) and save you fuel. Last edited: Oct 6, 2013. I see no one else other than Robin Thomas who makes a promise that if youre not satisfied, no questions asked, you get your money back. Piper Warrior - Aviation Consumer Dual turbochargers allow operation at altitudes up to 25,000 feet. Aftermarket gear warning systems are also a good investment to supplement the system originally installed. Weve covered this system extensively, and most recently in the May 2019 Aviation Consumer where we installed one in a Piper Cherokee to see if it really was the worlds easiest ADS-B upgrade as the company claims. With practice and with the gear down, finals for a precision approach can be flown at 130 knots and, with the gear up, even faster. 3-blade Scimitar (260, 260B) 3-blade Scimitar . LJ Warren, owner of Zephyr Aircraft Engines, is a friend of Piehls. Power Flow Systems, Inc. - PA28-140-O320 Garmin GTN 750 Touchscreen GPS/Nav/Comm. The old boys that I learned to fly with would say that if you can shut the door on whatever you got into a Comanche, it would fly away without a problem. In 1972, there were two single-engine Comanche models still in production-the 260 and turbo 260. It offers an excellent blend of speed, fuel economy, control feel, and range. Daytona Beach, FL 32114. 30RS, Rudder Gap Seal Kit. Rebuilding a Piper Engine | Piper Owner Society As weve reported, the once-popular Xerion Auracle big-screen monitor has been orphaned. Throttle 1/8 mixture where you set for lean taxi, mags hot, hit the starter. Then Tropical Storm Agnes drove the Susquehanna River out of its banks and wiped out Pipers Lock Haven factory. Also, a different prop AD (AD 97- 18-02) can prove costly for 250/260 owners. Its pretty much plug and play. Parts 1 and 2 of this Piper Comanche restoration series are free to read. Once the dust settles, typical dual-screen G5 installations generally run around $7000. If you pull carb heat and lean the mixture from that condition, you have less power and go slower. In other words, our equipment had to talk with anything else installed in theairframe. The familiar Wholey Cowl (which is no longer available for Comanche singles) eliminates the Slipper mod and boosts the top speed by a whopping 15 MPH. As for price, realistically youll want to budget $10,000 or more for some installations, which makes integrated systems like Garmins EIS on the G3X Touch and TXi displays worth considering. Thats just what Aspen offers with the Evolution MAX displays. [general aviation] Click here or above for a free download: Cherokee guide OR free digital issue. It tends to be nose-heavy on landing so I use a lot of nose-up trim for an easier flare. Lets equip and move on because the real news in the avionics market is the serious surge in competition, combined with a shift from expensive TSO approvals to STCs. The panel is what one would expect from a circa-1960s airplane, with good space for instruments but early, unrestored models will look dated by modern standards. The Comanche 180 was introduced in 1957, and the PA-24-250, the 250 HP version, followed soon after in 1958. [home] Realistically, youll want to budget $2000 for an easy installation (including the strobe light), paperwork and flight testing, and a bit more if the light doesnt exactly bolt directly in place of the existing lamp assembly. We know of one flight school that had a Comanche on its flight line and it required renters to perform gear extensions and retractions with the airplane on jack stands. It mounts just aft of the nosewheel well and helps the existing cooling air turn parallel to the belly of the airplane in a more efficient pattern, yielding a 3-MPH speed gain. More Piper Comanche questions! | Pilots of America I have over 30 years experience owning, flying, maintaining and modifying aircraft, including Piper Comanches. The mods that can offer the most speed include relocating the brakes to the inside of the gear forks, gap seals, wheel well slippers and wingroot fairings, both front and rear. However, with care (and thats important), costs will be more than manageable and once a system or component is properly repaired, it can be expected to stay that way for a while. As for range, even an old 250 model with 60 gallons of fuel will generally go from Western Massachusetts to North Carolina in 3.5 hours with one hour of fuel remaining. Has internal WAAS GPS, interfaces with select Stratus portable ADS-B receivers. We pride ourselves that we can make your Comanche go Faster, Given their size, expect your shop to do substantial panel rework to make the big-screen display fit in a location thats within your scan and reach. There were a few companies involved in this stage. Their excellent build quality with total corrosion proofing before assembly and compound curve panels meant that the underlying cost structure was greater than emerging designs from either Piper or its competitors. Read about the 1959 Piper Comanche that was restored to pristine condition, and what you can learn from the process. Piper PA-24 Comanche Speed Mods by Knots 2U. If not, the selling price should be adjusted to reflect a cost of $1500 per bladder. Step one is to evaluate the existing flight instruments and look toward the future. All were zinc-chromated during assembly, for corrosion protection. Location: SF Bay area. Complete replacement of your exhaust system. You aren't after the fuel flow reduction FROM the less dence air, but after the smoother air/fuel mix and the greater leaning allowed. The Piper Comanche: The First Modern Piper - Disciples of Flight AUSTRALIAN HORN COMPRISES, Please If youve already invested in a modern transponder upgrade and dont fly above 18,000 feet, one top pick is the uAvionix skyBeacon wingtip unit with LED position and strobe lamps. Top Efis Upgrades Of all the avionics upgrades, planning a primary flight display retrofit is perhaps the most difficult. Its also intended as an easy replacement for the S-TEC 55-series autopilot with minimal rewiring. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. Has built-in WAAS GPS receiver, tablet interface requires Flight Stream wireless Bluetooth, Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight app. Oh, and it looks good, too. (((navigator.appName == "Netscape") && Of course the dense market doesnt make an already difficult buying decision any easier. If you already have a healthy and modern transponder and you dont plan to fly high, Garmins GDL82 UAT solution sells for $1795-the second cheapest. When compared to a Comanche B, the 400 has a gross weight 500 pounds higher. To ask questions and discuss these tips, visit our forum here. Tuned through the IFD-series navigators. The Comanche C was rolled out in 1969, with further refinements, including another gross weight increase and a distinctive shark nose cowl starting with serial number 24-4804. Its a true traveling airplane and I flight plan for 157 knots when at full throttle. Speed gains are reported to be from 5-10 MPH. That's why some 2,155 Twin Comanches were sold during the airplane's 10-year (1963 to 1972) production run. Internal WAAS $5795, GTX345-R LRU priced the same and works on G1000 NXi, G2000, G3000, G5000. The good news for owners left in the cold is that many of the probes and sensors for this system can work with a JP Instruments engine monitor, including the EDM930. PA24-260( ) Comanche. Which of the reductions is smaller is too hard to say, but the difference isn't going to be significant. What stands out in this section of our overhaul is the way that Piehl again constructs a template with which to practice and test his major work. If theres any doubt about its health, have your shop evaluate it. Upgrading a Comanche Panel (Comanche Restoration Series Part 4) | Piper The engine case is running oil temperature, which is right around 180 degrees. displays TIS-B, FIS-B ATAS (ADS-B Traffic Alerting System), includes Active Traffic (Interrogates Non-ADS-B Aircraft). My hardest transition in flying the Comanche was planning enough time to slow it up to the gear extension speed of 150 MPH and managing four fuel tanks (90 gallons total) and an electric fuel pump (on and off for landing and takeoffs). Piper Comanche. Theres also a good supply of aftermarket and PMAd parts for commonly needed items. Email: darren@powerflowsystems.com, Address: I can put 260 hp on a Cherokee Arrow and never fly as fast as a Comanche. We kept that in mind as we reviewed the 100 most recent Comanche accidents. We did not find evidence that the Comanche has peculiar landing characteristics-there were only six hard landing events, well below what we would expect for an airplane that is truly difficult to land. Upon shutdown, this allows the oil to drain from the hot turbos instead of remaining inside them and cooking. First, weve worked on enough Comanches to say that the airplane is perhaps one of the best built all-metal singles of its time. 24RS, Wing Root Fairing Kit. The 180 Comanches load-carrying capacity is ample but modest. Has built-in WAAS GPS receiver, diversity (requires top and bottom antenna installation), tablet interface requires Flight Stream wireless Bluetooth module, ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot app. We had requirements, in our MIL specs, that our avionics must communicate with the established protocols. They all seem to run somewhat rough when you get all cylinders LOP. If a stock Twin Comanche catches your eye, then get a . Most of my flight time is in single-engine Cessnas. CHOOSE YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD: CHEROKEE GUIDE OR DIGITAL ISSUE, Sky Smith, Editorial Board, Aviation Insurance Expert, Bob Hart, Editorial Board & Avionics Guru. Some years ago, there was some thought given to resurrecting the design at the hands of the legendary and brilliant Roy LoPresti, but like the Swift Fury, it came to nothing. But for the lucky 400 owners the cost of admission is worth it-most big-engined Comanche owners say that with speed mods, 200 knots is a way of life. That didnt mean he went cheap. The plane is ADS-B Out compliant with a Stratus transponder installed in 2016. To hold more fuel needed to feed it, there were optional 130-gallon tanks. The trick-as it is with any older aircraft-is finding a shop or technician experienced in the type. TSO certified, STC for installation pending. Piper Comanche PA-24-400, PA-30, PA-39 Models. PA23-250 Aztec. by Scott Sherer | Jan 20, 2023 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. However, the empty weight is also higher, by 337 pounds.
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