A Family History
After the Cessna 172, the Piper Cherokee is one of the most popular aircraft for the owner/pilot.
This book describes the heritage and development of the entire Piper Cherokee family; its safety and ownership characteristics; internal and external details; and a range of special variants from STOL modifications and new engines to seaplanes and tailwheel conversions. The hugely successful Piper PA-28 was produced and sold as a direct competitor to the Cessna 172. Initially produced with a rectangular wing planform and fixed undercarriage, it was available with installed powers ranging from 140 to 235 hp. A retractable undercarriage resulted in the Arrow series. The closely related PA-32 Cherokee Six, Saratoga and Six X are larger high performance aircraft. Versions of the PA-32 fitted with retractable undercarriages are the Lance and the sophisticated Saratoga II series.