Piper PA-28 Cherokee
 Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee C. Photo: Mike Burdett, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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| Make | Piper |
|---|---|
| Model | Piper PA-28 Cherokee |
| Type | Civil utility aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | January 14, 1960 |
| Built | 1961–present |
| Number built | 32,778+ |
| Registered in the US | 18,213 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, three passengers |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 hp |
| Cruise speed | 108 kn (1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140) |
| Range | 465 nmi (1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140) |
| Service ceiling | 14,300 ft (1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140) |
| Max weight | 2,150 lb (1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140)
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The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of all-metal, low-wing, single-engine light airplanes with two or four seats, built by Piper Aircraft for flight training, air taxi and personal flying. It is the fourth most produced aircraft in history: the first PA-28 was certified by the FAA in 1960, and the series is still built today.[1] In the United States it is the most common airplane family of all, with 18,213 valid registrations.[2]
Over the years Piper sold it under many names: Cherokee, Warrior, Archer, Dakota, Arrow and more. Engines run from 140 to 300 hp, and some versions added turbocharging, retractable landing gear or constant-speed propellers. Every PA-28 has a single door on the right side, reached by stepping onto the wing.[1]
History
When the Cherokee arrived, Piper's all-metal single was the larger, faster and costlier PA-24 Comanche. Karl Bergey, Fred Weick and John Thorp designed the Cherokee as a cheaper airplane to build and maintain, aimed squarely at the Cessna 172. The two Piper lines were built side by side for more than a decade, until the Comanche ended in 1972.[1]
Production began in 1961 with the 150 and 160 hp Cherokees (the model number usually gives the horsepower). The PA-28-160 was certified first, on October 31, 1960. In 1962 came the 180 hp Cherokee 180 with a Lycoming O-360; the extra power made flying with four seats practical, and the model is still popular on the used market.[1] Later additions included the simpler PA-28-140 trainer and the six-cylinder PA-28-235.[1]
Piper stopped building the Archer in 2009, then put it back into production in 2010 under new ownership. As of 2026 five models were in production: the Archer TX and LX, the diesel Archer DX and DLX, and the Pilot 100i.[1]
Two wings: "Hershey Bar" and tapered
Early Cherokees have a straight, constant-chord wing that owners call the "Hershey Bar" wing for its likeness to the chocolate bar. Starting with the Warrior in 1974, Piper switched to a semi-tapered wing 2 feet longer in span. Lead designer Fred Weick said the change was made to improve stall behavior and add span, and side-by-side tests found better climb with the new wing. The first 1974 version of the tapered wing had a structural weakness, fixed on all later wings.[1]
The six-seat PA-32 Cherokee Six grew out of the PA-28.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 18,213 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| PA-28-140 | 4,157 |
| PA-28-180 | 3,451 |
| PA-28-181 | 3,429 |
| PA-28-161 | 1,501 |
| PA-28R-200 | 1,203 |
| PA-28-151 | 940 |
| PA-28-235 | 843 |
| PA-28R-180 | 528 |
| PA-28-236 | 476 |
| PA-28R-201T | 363 |
| PA-28R-201 | 346 |
| PA-28RT-201T | 254 |
| PA-28-160 | 247 |
| PA-28RT-201 | 178 |
| PA-28-150 | 120 |
| PA-28 | 114 |
| PA-28-201T | 62 |
| PA-28S-180 | 1 |
Specifications (1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140)
| Item | 1964 model PA-28-140 Cherokee 140 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | three passengers |
| Length | 23 ft 3.6 in |
| Wingspan | 30 ft |
| Height | 7 ft 3.6 in |
| Wing area | 160 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,201 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,150 lb |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 hp (4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine) |
| Propeller | Sensenich M74DM |
| Maximum speed | 123 kn |
| Cruise speed | 108 kn |
| Stall speed | 47 kn |
| Range | 465 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 14,300 ft |
| Rate of climb | 660 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Polly in flight riat2008 arp. Photo: Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone), Public domain -
Piper PA-28 on floats N7866W. Photo: TimothyMN (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Piper warrior. Photo: Bonchygeez at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Piper Chincul PA-28 Arrow. Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain -
Piper PA-28 Cherokee - nice piper on a nice day. Photo: Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Piper PA-28 Cherokee Rafael Luiz. Photo: Rafael Luiz Canossa, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Piper PA-28 Cherokee Rafael Luiz. Photo: Rafael Luiz Canossa, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Cockpit of Piper PA-28-151 (G-BOYH) at Bristol Airport, England 15May2016 arp. Photo: Myself (Adrian Pingstone)., Public domain
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Piper PA-28 Cherokee
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Wikipedia, "Piper PA-28 Cherokee", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.