SKYTRONICS IGNITION HARNESSES, CHAMPION PRODUCTS, LP PLASTICS, WHELEN LIGHTING. Initially the airplane was equipped with hand brakes, but after 1960 most Comanches were delivered with optional toe brakes. Remote version of the AXP340. Not many vintage singles in its class can match that. The result is essentially a Comanche 250 with a low gross weight. Single-box solution that works with Garmin GNS430W/530W navigators, works with a Wi-Fi module for connecting to tablets. See what a new Top Prop performance propeller conversion can do to make it even better. Also, as with the fuel injection system, earlier airplanes can have a turbo added. Use the downtime to hit the pilots guides. There are so many mods available for the Comanche line that probably no two aircraft are alike today. [home] Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Upgrading a Comanche Panel (Comanche Restoration Series Part 4), Reassembling a Restored Piper (Comanche Restoration Series Part 6), Dream Come True: Ray Cooks Super Cub on floats, Arrow Door Restoration Project: Re-aligning the door improves cockpit environment, How to Replace or Repaint Your Piper Hub Caps, uAvionix Receives TSO Authorization from FAA for skyBeacon ADS-B Out, https://www.facebook.com/PiperOwnerSociety?fref=ts. Of course the dense market doesnt make an already difficult buying decision any easier. Click here. Budget Buys: The 'Baby' Comanche - AOPA Correct me if I am wrong: Carb icing is less possible with FI and Vapor Lock is more likely with FI so it is a trade off in that department. While many Comanches sport three-blade propellers, some could have old clamp-style propellers. Buying (an airplane) is not as hard as dealing with it in the first few years. by Rocky Landsverk | Nov 17, 2022 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Log in and start reading now. PA23, PA23-160 Apache. What differentiates the IFD550 from the IFD540 is the IFD550s ARS, or attitude reference system. Old models worth getting rid of include the King KT76/78 series and anything made by Narco or Collins. or Write for our Comanche Catalog 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. In flight, the Comanche is smooth, stable and tight, with a climb rate that is impressive and difficult to prevent. In 1966, the Comanche B, with a fuel-injected 260-HP Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, a boosted gross weight (now 3100 pounds) and two more seats, was added to the lineup, starting with serial number 24-4300. Just mows through turbulence, unlike my t-wagging Bonanza. All rights reserved. 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. How can you improve the oil-change interval from 25 hours to 50 hours on a legacy Piper. Subscribe today to read the entire series, which chronicles: What You Will Learn in This Article: Rebuilding a Piper Engine in a Comanche. Requires Garmin Pilot, ForeFlight tablet app. 24RS, Wing Root Fairing Kit. 180-250-260-400- TWIN COMANCHES Before even asking a shop for a price quote, bring them the aircraft. 795 Fentress Blvd 3-blade Scimitar (260, 260B) 3-blade Scimitar . The Piper PA-24 Comanche 180 first flew on May 24, 1956, the first of what would become one of Piper Aircraft's most successful single-engine series. The Comanche line debuted in 1958, with the Comanche 180 and 250 models. You can modify its engine, its look, its handling, its panel and its features. Throttle 1/8 mixture where you set for lean taxi, mags hot, hit the starter. 24GS $879.54 Choose Options sku: 30RS Rudder Gap Seal Kit. 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. Aftermarket gear warning systems are also a good investment to supplement the system originally installed. The full-featured GFC 500 and GFC 600 autopilots provide thousands of existing general aviation aircraft with a simple, light-weight, cost-effective autopilot upgrade path. Theres also an AD on the vertical fin attachment (AD 75-12-06). Read a Piper door lock review with photos of a Medeco door lock installation. 2 U Mods,Weight and Balance, - WHATEVER But I can send you a color chip to match., So I matched it, and when looking at it, I thought, Darn, thats pretty much the color that I used on the airplane, lets just use the same paint! So I didnt have to invest in any engine paint., What Piehl means is that he used the same paint as the exterior in places on the engine that dont get overly hot. 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. You might hear some say the Comanche is tough to land smoothly, and that it floats when in the flare, and then drops on. Legroom is good for both pilots and passengers, and the cabin is definitely more spacious than the Arrow that followed. Call your Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), he said. There were a number of different models built during that . PA24-260( ) Comanche. Rocky Landsverk is the Editor and Publisher of the Piper Owner Society and PIPERS magazine. The navigator also sends GPS nav and course data into the displays over an ARINC 429 data stream. INC. wants to extend to you an open invitation to stop in at our Prices vary with engine size, but start at around $5000 plus installation. Can you rewire and move the circuit breakers on a Piper. MSFPhover = 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. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. [general aviation] Piper did the turbo 260 installation the right way by providing check valves and a turbo oil sump. Upon shutdown, this allows the oil to drain from the hot turbos instead of remaining inside them and cooking. If so, does the products STC include removing the vacuum system? 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. The plane is ADS-B Out compliant with a Stratus transponder installed in 2016. if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav1n=MSFPpreload("_derived/comprops.htm_cmp_jas110_hbtn.gif"); MSFPnav1h=MSFPpreload("_derived/comprops.htm_cmp_jas110_hbtn_a.gif"); } The Piper Comanche: The First Modern Piper - Disciples of Flight Ive found that many aircraft are compliant. 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. assembly. It expensive enough buying a 40 or 50 year old airplane. This website contains many older reviews. Read about the 1959 Piper Comanche that was restored to pristine condition, and what you can learn from the process. Because of that, I had to choose some remote-mounted components such as the transponder, the ADS-B system, and a second communication radio.. I believe it indicated fuel injection or electric ignition. You need to go to somebody whos trained in that model of aircraft but has not seen it before. -Scott Sherer, Fuel is going to be biggest expense. 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. Many carb engines will happily run LOP too. 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. of our High Performance Propellers, Knots 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). Any thoughts or ideas? It was introduced in 1964 and discontinued only a year and 146 airplanes later. Posted by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 9, 2022 | Avionics, Comanche Restoration Series, Upgrade & Refurbish. In 1972, there were two single-engine Comanche models still in production-the 260 and turbo 260. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry product pricing from the time of the original review. Partial plug-and-play with KT76A/C, KT78A transponders, requires WAAS GPS input. Diversity Mode S transponder with ADS-B Out when connected with an appropriate WAAS GPS. I get approximately 200 feet per minute in climb increase and 15 knots in cruise. CHOOSE YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD: CHEROKEE GUIDE OR DIGITAL ISSUE, Sky Smith, Editorial Board, Aviation Insurance Expert, Bob Hart, Editorial Board & Avionics Guru. For dual installations (maybe an IFD550 and IFD440), the connections are independent for redundancy, but have full synchronization. Then Tropical Storm Agnes drove the Susquehanna River out of its banks and wiped out Pipers Lock Haven factory. Also featuring longtime pilot and electrical engineer Jim "Griff" Griffin, these advice videos feature tips from longtime pilot and CFI Mike Jones, avionics consultant Bob Hart, insurance and business expert Scott "Sky" Smith, and more. The Comanche 180 was introduced in 1957, and the PA-24-250, the 250 HP version, followed soon after in 1958. Laminar Flow Systems, Inc. - Piper Speed Modifications That Work! 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. HAS WAAS GPS, touchscreen, displays traffic and weather on some aspen, avidyne and garmin displays. The Ultimate Twin Comanche - AOPA That engine has an 1800-hour TBO and the current Aircraft Bluebook says the overhaul is around $65,000. ). Subsequent Comanche models both single- and twin-engine were built until 1972. In 1961, the gross weight of the 250 was boosted by 100 pounds. They all seem to run somewhat rough when you get all cylinders LOP. At long last, this 1959 Comanche that was disassembled and trailered . 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. Heres how to replace your Piper seat covers, which was one step in my Arrows long by Piper Owner Society | Dec 8, 2022 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. To gain a disproportionately greater benefit in economy. ((navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") && 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. 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 . I could not believe the difference. [ag aircraft] You cant go to a mechanic who you both know. These days, major avionics upgrades include sourcing a new instrument panel to accommodate large flight displays. Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche - Wikipedia Engine Upgrades, What is possible. AUSTRALIAN HORN COMPRISES, Please Other than the obvious boost in confidence and reliability, getting rid of all that hardware sheds sizable weight and clutter behind the instrument panel. Can you hide the transponders if a Piper panel is small? Piper Comanche - Johnston Aircraft by Scott Sherer | Jan 20, 2023 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. 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. 24GS, Rudder Gap Seal Kit. 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. And that creates a problem. Location: SF Bay area. Used Aircraft Guide: Twin Comanche - Aviation Consumer If theres any doubt about its health, have your shop evaluate it. Continentals are easy to hot start, full throttle, mixture rich, hi pump till you get flow, 1,2,3,4, off. The Piper Owner Society would like to thank the following contributors: A sampling of quotes from this first webinar. Mon-Fri:9:00am 5:30pm The engine case is running oil temperature, which is right around 180 degrees. Partial plug-and-play with some existing BendixKing transponders. (Set of Two) 2430WT, Gear Lobe Fairing Kit. By the time these models were introduced, the Comanches production run was about to end without warning, so this variant is comparatively rare. Twelve pilots simply forgot to extend the Firestones before ground contact. Speed gains are reported to be from 5-10 MPH. Garmin Budget Glass Cockpits Remember when a basic. Accept that youll be a test pilot for a few hours. New prop 50 hours. Email: darren@powerflowsystems.com, Address: Thats working out to the benefit of avionics buyers, especially ones with lower budgets. 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. Internal WAAS $5795, GTX345-R LRU priced the same and works on G1000 NXi, G2000, G3000, G5000. Turns out the claim was close enough to crown the skyBeacon a winner for a budget-based solution, the deal sweetened with a two-for LED lighting upgrade. There are mixed reviews from owners on maintaining a Comanche. If youre shopping the used four-place retrac market no doubt youll consider a Comanche. SE 57 WE Installation of two Roto-Master Turbochargers P/N 600572-00 on Continental TSIO-520-D engine. If you pull carb heat and lean the mixture from that condition, you have less power and go slower. Learn how to repair plastic trim here. These mods are available for all Comanches except the 400. The navigator also connects to a Bluetooth keyboard as yet another option for data entry. and they ran well doing the pull to rough, push to smooth method. As one result, many have opted to replace their old Hartzells for new two- or three-blade Hartzell or McCauley propellers, which terminates the AD. The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a single-engined, low wing, all-metal light aircraft, with retractable landing gear and either four or six seats. . Models: 210G, 210H, 210J, T210G, T210H, T210J. Belts: Replace / Upgrade; Piper; PA24/30/39 Comanche; PA24/30/39 Comanche FAA/TSO-C114 OEM quality AmSafe 3-point diagonal replacement restraints for PA24 & PA30 Comaches with existing factory installed shoulder harnesses, or a replacement for an STC installation. Cabin and cowling door repairs are often neglected, so be sure to inspect them for shoddy repairs and improper cabin door seals. Piper kept the Comanches electromechanical manual landing gear relatively simple, although it can be a source of woes when not maintained properly. 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. Shop labor effort and rates are at an all-time high and good shops are busy. The company also offers a stainless steel dual exhaust system. Turboplus was granted multiple Supplemental Type Certificates to upgrade many Continental TSIO-360 and LTSIO-360 engines to the 220HP operating limits of the Continental TSIO-360KB engine. Theres roughly a $6000 greater price delta between the 10-inch G500TXi ($15,995) and the 10-inch G3X Touch. L3 Avionics product sold by Aspen. Subscribe today to read the entire series, which chronicles: What you will learn in this installment, upgrading a Piper panel. All rights reserved. I didnt want any dealer-only installations; that was #2, Piehl said. Unlike the G3X Touch, the TXi displays have full TSO approval, plus the system is deeply compatible with analog third-party systems, including legacy autopilots. How do you test an engine after a rebuild without mounting it back onto the plane? The same goes for the interior, obviously, although weve seen some Comanches decked out with some pretty nice and modern custom leather seating and trim. 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. The 400 will, however, climb like a bat out of hell-every bit of 1600 FPM. The AD list is pretty long, but most of the items are one-time fixes, followed by future inspection. $795 software unlock required to interface traffic/weather with Aspen display. This adds big to the installation effort and bottom line. The plane is owned by Greg Piehl and his wife Deb. The only major issues have been a nosegear door repair and re-rigging the trim cable. 2-blade Scimitar. Now is a good time to invest, but dont let lower prices fool you into thinking even a basic upgrade will be inexpensive. I cannot remember what I read, and where I read it. The ICS is extremely resourceful, with a list of qualified instructors and shops familiar with the airplane. Remote control head/processor design, requires. Some of the engine parts were sent around the country, reconditioned, and sent back to Florida, where Piehl worked on it. 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. Very clean west cost Comanche. But if you want to connect the new displays audio output feature, your shop will need to wire it in to the audio panel. Requires Garmin Pilot, ForeFlight tablet app. (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) >= 4 ))); Weve see trade values as high as $8000. With the TXi, you can interface your analog KX155 nav radio, as one example. 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. Comanche is my favorite Piper single. History of the Piper Comanche. The airplane also gained cowl flaps and an aileron-rudder interconnect. A worn-out fuel cap assembly has a compromised seal around the fuel inlet and could leak fuel in flight or allow water intrusion from a hefty rainstorm into the fuel tank. There were 17 accidents involving pilots either running completely out of fuel or running a tank dry and not then selecting a tank containing fuel and getting a restart in the time remaining in flight. Here that sucking sound? Also, a different prop AD (AD 97- 18-02) can prove costly for 250/260 owners. Only engines for which that ends up with all cylinders well LOP are injected, with well-tuned injectors. by Piper Owner Society | Feb 13, 2023 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. Daytona Beach, FL 32114. 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. However, while the airplane isnt intrinsically difficult to service, understand and accept that this is an old aircraft-even the newest Comanche is nearly 50 years of age. The added seats are in the baggage compartment. It's a pricey and time-consuming effort that many Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Engine Upgrades. Posted by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 13, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Upgrade & Refurbish This "rebuilding a Piper engine" article is from Greg Piehl, who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his wife Debbie, spent three years restoring and upgrading their 1959 Piper Comanche 250. I believe the payoff was at about 400 hours on a 172 with the reduced fuel burn, and not having to maintain a carb. Recommended: Click on a photo for a popup photo gallery. for the AUSTRALIAN STABILATOR HORN This website contains many older reviews. Its worth mentioning Garmins G500/600TXi PFD/MFD, which came out before the G3X Touch was certified. Recurring ADs on any aircraft can run up the cost of operation, and Comanches are no different. Designed to work with and connects to the existing Mode A/C transponder. They need to see the wiring and the antennas, and if the upgrade includes an engine display, theyll want to eyeball the engine bay. By then, Piper was already established in Vero Beach, Florida, but neither the single nor the Twin Comanche variants made the transition to Vero. What the 180-HP Comanche lacks for cruise speed it certainly makes up for with endurance. 24WR $445.06 Add to Cart sku: 24WF Ya need to explore the "experimental" side of aviation Greetings fellow fliers and the A&P's that keep us flying.