Where Did Harry Potter Live After The War, Miami Marlins Minority Owners, Berrien County Jail Inmate Search, Livingston Parish Felony Arrests 2020, Articles P

((navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") && I flight plan for 13.5 GPH, but flying from 9500 to 11,500 feet will reduce the fuel flow to around 12 GPH. EVOLUTION MFD, some garmin and avidyne displays. My engine is carbureted. Ive found that landing gear bungees generally need replacement at every annual inspection. Our current best selling and most popular mods. The airplane carried 60 gallons, and could be modified to hold 90 gallons. As with a car stereo or home theater setup, you can get help with the wiring harnesses, and Piehl, who didnt farm out very much in this restoration, did use one of those services. 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. There could be major panel work involved, and it might not work fully with your autopilot. Piper Comanche. We dont sell anything unless it is GUARANTEED to give you increased cruise, climb & fuel economy performance. I would prove that time and again in my Comanche 250. Never created a website login before? More Piper Comanche questions! | Pilots of America As we reported in the July 2019 Aviation Consumer, this new companys AV-series primary EFIS is capable and smartly engineered, with a price that caters to low budgets and an installation that doesnt require shredding the instrument panel. Two interesting facts related to this section of the overhaul: Just about the only things that survived to todays version of this Comanche are the seat frames, and just about the only thing that Piehl or his friends didnt do on this plane comes in this installment the leather upholstery work. The basic airframe proved successful and wasnt changed much during its production run. 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. (Aircraft Sales/General Info), [email protected] The 250/260 is the right amount of horses so the airplane does everything well, carry 4 fat guys to Utah, takeoff and land relatively short, roomy and flys nice. Piehl said Zephyr did a triple-angle valve job in rebuilding this Comanche engine, blueprinting the pistons and cylinders, and stuffed the pistons in the cylinders, ready for him to assemble onto the rods and the crankcase. The Electronics International MVP-50 is another. In other words, our equipment had to talk with anything else installed in theairframe. The fifth and sixth seats, when available, are suitable only for children or the smallest of adults. I seem to remember reading something about carb heat being dangerous at cold temperatures, because it can warm intake air enough to get it into the icing temperature range. In fact, the IFD100 app essentially adds a second IFD550 display/control set on the tablet. Dual turbochargers allow operation at altitudes up to 25,000 feet. Some of the engine parts were sent around the country, reconditioned, and sent back to Florida, where Piehl worked on it. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry product pricing from the time of the original review. I remember seeing something regarding an upgrade STC for various 4 and 6 cylinder engines (172/182, etc). Works with a Wi-Fi module for display on tablet computers and select panel displays. 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. by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 9, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Maintenance, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. ). Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. These two models remained in production until 1964. Upon shutdown, this allows the oil to drain from the hot turbos instead of remaining inside them and cooking. Other than the obvious boost in confidence and reliability, getting rid of all that hardware sheds sizable weight and clutter behind the instrument panel. And an airplane thats been all over the hangar floor for a month or longer-now with unfamiliar avionics-is a poor match for the nonproficient pilot. Four of those involved inflight breakups-the clean Comanche airframe will smoke through Vne in short order once the nose is down or in a diving spiral. Check a copy of the Comanche Flyer magazine or the ICS website www.comancheflyers.com for examples. Why would I want to reduce engine power output by effectively increasing the engine's density altitude? MSFPhover = This is a great airspeed for 160 hp and roughly 10 gph of 100LL. The big engine gives these airplanes excellent climb performance, as much as 1500 FPM. The Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche was designed as a twin-engined variant of the Piper PA-24 Comanche. The trim is generally in very poor condition, with various cracks in the trim and deformation around the screw holes. Shop labor effort and rates are at an all-time high and good shops are busy. 24RS $399.40 Add to Cart sku: 24WR Wing Root Fairing Kit. Also, the inspector must have experience using this equipment.. You might hear some say the Comanche is tough to land smoothly, and that it floats when in the flare, and then drops on. WITH HARTZELL 24RS, Wing Root Fairing Kit. Piper Comanche Guide and Specs - Aviator Insider Sure, the Piper PA-24 series is old-one of Pipers first metal, non-tailwheel cruisers-and ultimately a competitor to the Beech Bonanza and Cessna 210. I know that I could save fuel instead of the extra speed, but I really enjoy the speed. The plane is ADS-B Out compliant with a Stratus transponder installed in 2016. Beautiful . How to Save Money When You Get Your Piper Repainted (Comanche The 1965 Comanches are transitionairplanes in that they have the earlier fuselage mated to the later 260-HP engine, albeit with a carburetor. Expect overruns and long downtimes. Ask someone about the Piper Comanche series and youre likely to get a comment along the lines of with that laminar-flow wing and low ground clearance, its a mutha to land-you float and float in ground effect, then it pays off and wham! There was a little bit more than that (headset jacks/wiring/soldering), but their work is of the highest quality., One other thing that Piehl stressed about this part of the project you need to coordinate the field approval before you start this process. youre down.. The Comanche panel has limited space, vertically, Piehl said. First, weve worked on enough Comanches to say that the airplane is perhaps one of the best built all-metal singles of its time. My performance improvements are way beyond anything I expected. facilities and look us over. Models: 210G, 210H, 210J, T210G, T210H, T210J. Connecting the G5 directional instrument to third-party autopilots and earlier GPS navigators requires the $699 GAD29B nav interface module. Theres also Knots2U (www.knots2u.net, 262-763-5100) that has, in addition to the wing fillet mod, a dorsal fin kit, speedbrakes and a variety of other mods for Comanches. Theres good reason to consider going vac-less. Which of the reductions is smaller is too hard to say, but the difference isn't going to be significant. On takeoff there might be a tendency for the Comanche to wheelbarrow in crosswinds when holding the nose down to prevent the airplane from coming off the ground. of our High Performance Propellers, Knots Thats working out to the benefit of avionics buyers, especially ones with lower budgets. They build and 100% test the harness for installation. Youll need them for support, including software and hardware upgrades as the systems mature. Most of us have heard horror stories about the person who built a dock or deck next to the lake without calling the Department of Natural Resources. Well start by saying that primary monitors (ones that are approved to replace all of the OEM gauges-including fuel quantity) require a sizable installation. Initially the airplane was equipped with hand brakes, but after 1960 most Comanches were delivered with optional toe brakes. Number 3 was ease of use. [home] All rights reserved. If not, the selling price should be adjusted to reflect a cost of $1500 per bladder. O.E.M. Buying (an airplane) is not as hard as dealing with it in the first few years. 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. History of the Piper Comanche. 24LOB, Hub Cap W/Access Door. New aircraft models approved for the GFC 600 autopilot include: Cessna 421. We like that it keeps grime and dirt away from wheel assembly. Ive taken the course twice. And it's fun to recall some Piper engineers, back when it was introduced, boasting that the fat, new, stubby wing was actually every bit as good as the sexier-looking tapered Comanche wing, aerodynamically. There were eight LOC events in IMC or dark night conditions. 30RS $399.40 Add to Cart sku: 24RS Rudder Gap Seal Kit. Still, there were some notable improvements over early models. The trick-as it is with any older aircraft-is finding a shop or technician experienced in the type. I basically just had to make the power connections to each component/circuit breaker. In 1972, there were two single-engine Comanche models still in production-the 260 and turbo 260. Top Avionics Upgrades: Choices For All Budgets, Shopping For A Seaplane: Pick A Price Point, Sun n Fun 2023: Superior Custom Instrument Panels. Very clean west cost Comanche. Here that sucking sound? Piper / Comanche - Barnstormers There are so many mods available for the Comanche line that probably no two aircraft are alike today. What kind of paint do you use to repaint a Piper engine? http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/lasarignsys.php, From out of the clear blue of the Western sky, (You must log in or sign up to reply here. Piper Comanche. AXP322 is remote version. Prices vary with engine size, but start at around $5000 plus installation. Products (www.aviationperformanceproducts.com), which claims that its Eagle XP cowling increases speed, economy and improves maintenance access. That number is high, and we dont have a hypothesis to explain it, although we saw that three were at night and one of those hit power lines more than two miles short of the runway. The ICS also offers a technical support service when you and your mechanic need someone to talk to. aircraft sales] [engines] After flying the new MAX system in a Cirrus (splashed with bright Florida sun), we think the new display technology is impressive-perhaps one of the most sunlight-readable PFDs on the market. With a gross weight significantly lower than later Comanches, cabin payload with full standard fuel (60 gallons) is about 660 pounds-think three-person airplane. Piper did the turbo 260 installation the right way by providing check valves and a turbo oil sump. Last edited: Oct 6, 2013. The Rajay system essentially had a second throttle wastegate control the pilot used to manually set boost at altitude. 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. 6" Wheel (Set of Two) LSM-200-701-1, Windshield Cowler Kit. How can you improve the oil-change interval from 25 hours to 50 hours on a legacy Piper. [service, repairs] [emco FAA Approved IO-540-K1G5 Engine Upgrade - Aeronautix According to my Warrior II Information Manual you can reach a true airspeed of about 122 knots at 75% power between 6,000 and 8,000 feet. Production of both the 180 and 250 ended after the 1964 model year. Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche - Wikipedia 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. 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. The 550 is a follow-on product to the IFD540 (and smaller IFD440) and these are drop-in replacements for Garmin GNS530W navigators. Standalone ADS-B Out and In, wireless Bluetooth connectivity with Flight Stream 110/210. The good news is that lots of shops can work on them (although as the accident reports show, pick one that knows the model well), parts are available and market prices are steady, yet reasonable. However, the empty weight is also higher, by 337 pounds. There were a number of different models built during that . That didnt mean he went cheap. Theres roughly a $6000 greater price delta between the 10-inch G500TXi ($15,995) and the 10-inch G3X Touch. Mon-Fri:9:00am 5:30pm It was introduced in 1964 and discontinued only a year and 146 airplanes later. Cessna's owners manual has for decades had pilots run lop. We kept that in mind as we reviewed the 100 most recent Comanche accidents. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Electronic Aircraft Ignition Electroair Review, How to Replace Your Piper Door Lock: Medeco Lock Review, Piper PA-24-250 Comanche Review: Restored Plane Flies for the First Time in 34 Years (Series Part 7, Finale), Reassembling a Restored Piper (Comanche Restoration Series Part 6), Rebuilding a Piper Engine in a Comanche (Comanche Restoration Series Part 5), Upgrading a Comanche Panel (Comanche Restoration Series Part 4), Restoring a Piper Interior (Comanche Restoration Series Part 3), How to Save Money When You Get Your Piper Repainted (Comanche Restoration Series Part 2), https://www.facebook.com/PiperOwnerSociety?fref=ts. This adds big to the installation effort and bottom line. When deciding on either system, ask your shop what makes the most sense from a compatibility standpoint. Theres also an AD on the vertical fin attachment (AD 75-12-06). Theres also a good supply of aftermarket and PMAd parts for commonly needed items. Requires WAAS GPS input, tablet interface requires Flight Stream wireless Bluetooth module, Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight app. Piper PA-46. TSO certified, STC for installation pending. That may or may not even out the distribution, and you don't get much fuel flow reduction, either. (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) >= 4 ))); If you want to coax Comanche 260 speeds from a 250 model, try using the 260s power settings. And I purchased six new Superior Millennium cylinders and pistons for the overhaul; I didnt want to use the originals, in fact I sold those off to an airboat shop in central Florida. New prop 50 hours. Rebuilding a Piper Engine | Piper Owner Society Piper's most significant upgrade to the Warrior came in 1977 when a slightly different O-320 engine-the -D3G-was bolted on, offering a . Piper Comanche - Johnston Aircraft What makes this system our top pick for a high-end EFIS is the number of display options and the 500-plus approved model STC. 1963 PIPER COMANCHE 250 . You don't have to go wide open with it, typically in my Travelair I would lose 2-3kts and save 3gph while still running smooth. CHOOSE YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD: CHEROKEE GUIDE OR DIGITAL ISSUE, How to Disassemble and Transport a Legacy Piper, How and Why to Strip Your Plane Yourself Before it Gets Repainted, Restoring the Interior of a Legacy Piper: How You Can Save Money, Comanche Engine and Mounts: What Happens During an Upgrade, Comanche Reassembly: What a Legacy Piper Looks Like When Its Taken Apart. There would have been a happy ending, but he stalled the airplane on short final, over the runway, and stuck a wingtip into the ground. 24WR, Wing Fillet Kit. Dont make that mistake with your plane. LJ Warren, owner of Zephyr Aircraft Engines, is a friend of Piehls. Do you need a field approval to start or finish a panel upgrade? Bold Warrior 180-hp Engine STC | Piper Owner Society On the higher end, Garmin has a widespread STC for the once experimental G3X Touch. Rocky Landsverk is the Editor and Publisher of the Piper Owner Society and PIPERS magazine. Market Scan With more than 2000 built, there are usually plenty of Twin Comanches to pick from in various stages of repair, restoration and upgrade. Then Tropical Storm Agnes drove the Susquehanna River out of its banks and wiped out Pipers Lock Haven factory. A complete overhaul must also include inspection and measurements on all engine components. The Comanche is gentle when it comes to stalls and is stable for flying instruments. Piehl said, he gave me a lot of advice like where to find parts, and I subbed a lot of work to him, such as magnafluxing connecting rods and checking all the gears, and that inspection is required for a complete overhaul. The Comanche hit the market running in 1958 and in its first production year, Piper offered the 180-HP PA-24-180 (Lycoming O-360) and the 250-HP PA-24-250 (Lycoming O-540). Most of the avionics manufacturers have established communication protocols that will work with other equipment. Those first few years are even more challenging. -Scott Sherer, In the last three years of aircraft ownership, a lot of people stop maintaining their aircraft. The installation was straight-forward with no surprises. He headed back to home plate and ran the airplane dry on downwind. While Comanche engines are generally dependable, beware of top-end overhauls that were accomplished without replacing the cylinders with new ones. I used the company Approach Fast Stack to build the wiring harness for the entire panel, he said. WE LIKE, OWN, HAS WAAS GPS, touchscreen, displays traffic and weather on some aspen, avidyne and garmin displays. Cowlings are also offered by Aviation Performance. Ive found that many aircraft are compliant. Its worth mentioning Garmins G500/600TXi PFD/MFD, which came out before the G3X Touch was certified. Also note that this engine has some really cool colors. The Ultimate Twin Comanche - AOPA What differentiates the IFD550 from the IFD540 is the IFD550s ARS, or attitude reference system. Laminar Flow Systems, Inc. has been manufacturing and selling these modifications since 1984 and we have thousands of satisfied customers worldwide. If you pull carb heat and lean the mixture from that condition, you have less power and go slower. I get approximately 200 feet per minute in climb increase and 15 knots in cruise. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. 24DF, Vortex Generator Kit, Piper PA-24 Models, Challenger Air Filter, High Performance (CP-3110). PA23-250 Aztec. While we were pleased to find that the old wives tales regarding Comanche landings were untrue, we were concerned by the number of landing gear-related incidents. Whelen Aerospace technologies (formerly LoPresti Aviation) is now at www.flywat.com and offers the $499 Slipper Fairing mod. Theres plenty of instrument panel real estate to pretty much do whatever you can afford. Contrast that with the G3X Touch, which essentially requires a Garmin navigator for its digital data bus interface. What the 180-HP Comanche lacks for cruise speed it certainly makes up for with endurance. For instance, its possible to retrofit (via STC) the Lycoming O-540 engine into a Comanche 180 of 1960 or later vintage; theres at least one published report of this being done on an FAA Form 337, although we dont know of any shops offering the mod without doing the full-up STC. If a stock Twin Comanche catches your eye, then get a . There could be major panel work involved, and it might not work fully with your autopilot. These days, major avionics upgrades include sourcing a new instrument panel to accommodate large flight displays. Higher, and Further as well as Repair It, Annual It, Overhaul the Engine(s), Piper Lance Restoration Continues With Dual Electronic Ignition Upgrade This is the second of two by Scott Sherer | Sep 15, 2022 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Even heeding all of my advice, expect to spend money to acquire and keep an aging Comanche. Have a website login already? For training info, try www.comanchetraining.com. At first glance the Avidyne IFD navigator product line may seem confusing, but it doesnt have to be. The list price of the IFD550 is $21,999, but if you have a clean and fully functional Garmin GNS530W, you can cut that cost substantially. The airframe dimensions are identical, but the internal fuselage structure was changed to accommodate the additional window. Those familiar with the Comanche maintain major causes of gear-system problems are poor maintenance or rigging by mechanics unfamiliar with it. Intercooler Products From Turboplus Aircraft Systems Inc. To hold more fuel needed to feed it, there were optional 130-gallon tanks. Based on our time in Comanches, we say fly it like its meant to be flown, really, and youll wonder what the barroom chatter was all about. Call or Write for our Comanche Catalog 180-250-260-400- TWIN COMANCHES WE LIKE ALL OF THEM COMPLETE AIRCRAFT SERVICE FACILITIES WE LIKE ALL OF THEM, ENGINE OVERHAUL But it's a nice theory. Speaking of logs, before buying, examine the logbooks for entries that indicate the airframe has a history of good landing gear system maintenance and repair. Internal WAAS $5795, GTX345-R LRU priced the same and works on G1000 NXi, G2000, G3000, G5000. He's very difficult to contact but one CPA member reports successfully purchasing the STC in 2006. If youre in the market for a new autopilot, there have never been so many choices at the $10,000 price point. Its a small panel; its wide but not tall. In 1961, the gross weight of the 250 was boosted by 100 pounds. I believe the payoff was at about 400 hours on a 172 with the reduced fuel burn, and not having to maintain a carb. -Scott Sherer. Not many vintage singles in its class can match that. 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. This assumes that you have wheelpants on the airplane; if you don't, subtract 2 knots. So to help sort it out, in this article well offer an around-the-bases look at the most popular new avionics configurations-from entry-level (for basic aircraft) to higher-budget (for go-places higher-end machines). 30RS, Rudder Gap Seal Kit. WORK Comanche Panel Upgrades; Comanche Engine and Mounts: What Happens During an Upgrade; Comanche Reassembly: What a Legacy Piper Looks Like When It's Taken Apart; 1959 Comanche Fully Restored; . Yes, you can usually run fine with one or two a shade LOP, and the rest at or rich of peak, but not all of them. by Piper Owner Society | Feb 13, 2023 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Rocky Landsverk is the Editor and Publisher of the Piper Owner Society and PIPERS magazine. Consider that you can buy a cream puff in the $125,000 to $150,000 range, and an airplane that needs serious work for $19,000. The ICS is extremely resourceful, with a list of qualified instructors and shops familiar with the airplane. Everything Laminar Flow Systems makes has integrity, a design philosophy which puts the pilot 1st! Many carb engines will happily run LOP too. This website contains many older reviews. Youve heard it all before but well tell it to you again: If you fly above 18,000 feet, youll need an ADS-B transponder. Piper Cherokee Modifications & SpeedImprovements, :uninterrupted flow in which the direction of flow. Even if youre not qualified to paint your plane yourself, you can still do most of the work. General Tiger with fixed gear goes just as fast and another contemporary retractable, the Mooney M20C or M20E, will outrun the 180. YOU NEED!!!! 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). Insurance will vary with a pilots experience. // -->