Knowledge of PA28-235 Needed

[robinpiper]

Have been offered a share in a PA28-235 Pathfinder (1965)
Can anybody give me any advice as to what this type is like and what questions to ask when I view it.
Also I would appreciate a view as to the amount you would expect to pay for a 1/8 share with a monthly cost & hourly rate of £85

Airframe 4600 / Engine 1000
Quite new bare metal respray

Any views or knowledge of type would be very much appreicated

[englishal]

I've only flown the Dakota (236) and that was a joy to fly.....Fixed gear, wobbly prop, tons of power.....

[jabberwok]

Fixed gear, wobbly prop, tons of power.....

... and much less vibration. Very, very smooth..

[BlueRobin]

Four fuel tanks on the PA28-235 I flew. Lots of endurance :cool:

[LysanderV8]

I have limited experience, having purchased one only 5 weeks ago. Mine is a 1967 model with a fixed pitch prop. I was surprised to find that there are only 7 of these machines on the UK register.

I did check all the logs, of course, but I was fortunate in that it was already based and hangared at my home airfield at Shoreham, with the maintenance having been meticulously carried out by a resident and highly reliable company.

My purpose in buying it was to enable me to have a greater payload than the Warrior I was hiring from my club. I also wanted good short field take off performance.

So far, after some 10 flying hours, I am very pleased indeed. It is a remarkably stable aircraft, even scudding along just below some CBs the other day.

One key thing to be aware of is inertia. You must get the speed right to land safely on short strips.

Fuel consumption is obviously higher than the Warrior at about 55l/hr compared with 35l/hr, but that is cruising at 125kt, and you can reduce that if you have more time. I do some regular trips that are 2 hours + each way, so I wanted the speed as well.

As far as costs are concerned, I do have my aircraft insured for commercial purposes, and I rent it out to suitably qualified pilots. Insurance limits are min 120 hours total time and 120 hours on type, but "type" is any SEP. I charge £120 + VAT per hour wheels off to wheels on, not chock to chock. The rates you quote are roughly equivalent if you do 30 hours a year. I would sugggest that a 1/8 share may be between £5k and £6k.

I hope this helps. I think it's a great aircraft.

Cheers

Lysander

[LysanderV8]

Yes indeed, Blue Robin, 4 tanks total 84 USG or 316 litres.

[pistongone]

Lysander are you are leaning your 235 correctly? I only ask as the PA32 i fly from time to time at Turweston burns 60ltrs/hr and thats at 135KN with room for six medium ppl. IO540 was talking 10.5 usg or 39.9ltrs/ hr in a TB20 in the cruise, Not being pedantic, but i make 84 usg 319 ltrs! At todays prices thats your breakfast paid for!!!

[LysanderV8]

I may well not be leaning correctly yet, as a lot of the flying I have done has been below 3000ft, and I would not lean below that level.

Being REALLY pedantic, 84USG = 317.974608 litres. I was relying on my memory, which is not sensible at my age. I guess we'll split the bacon butty between us. :)

[Johnm]

I may well not be leaning correctly yet, as a lot of the flying I have done has been below 3000ft, and I would not lean below that level.

I'd read up on this if I were you, you can lean at any altitude, the issue is power setting and I'd be amazed if you were above 65% in the cruise. I assume it's carburettor? I'm sure the handbook will encourage leaning in the cruise. It'll save you a good few bob on fuel AND it's better for the engine

[gcolyer]

Anyone got any ideas on the running cost compared to a PA32 300?

If it is payload you want then the PA32 can lift a fair amount. If you get the older version it is a 7 seater, the new versions are 6 seater.

I love them, guzzles about 70ltr an hour though.

[pistongone]

Well we will have to organize a fly in with a free bacon butty to anyone who lands with more than book figures in the tanks!!:ok: Could be another aspect of the precision flying clubs competition:8 OK Lysander i am going to take pedanticity to another level:} I just googled us gallons to litres and it gave me a conversion factor of 1 USG = 3.7854118ltres! So 84 multiplied by 3.7854118 = 317.9745912 litres:ok: But i have to admit your accuracy was closer than mine untill i got googled:ugh: :ugh: However, Turweston do a good Bacon Butty!! See you there onne day for the bacon butty challenge:D :D :D

[LysanderV8]

Johnm - Thank you. I shall do the reading. I have been relying on discussions with the previous owner thus far in this regard.

Pistongone - you're on.;) Never been to Turweston

Cheers

Lysander

[pistongone]

Lysander PPR is a good idea, as when using 09 you have to do a sort of mini old style Honk Kong approach:} :} Because of Silverstone and a few villages they have come up with a 30 dergree offset approach with a turn onto final at about 1/2 a mile out @ 150-200', no skyscrapers to worry about though:sad: . Actually i think there is a diagram in AFE flight guide, might be in pooleys too!

[BlueRobin]

R27 shirley whirly? :p

[LysanderV8]

Thanks Piston. A bit like Popham then with a turn on to final over the numbers to avoid petrol station one end and a house at t'other

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've flown a PA28-235c a few times, and enjoyed it. My general impressions:

- Handles (and looks!) much like any other PA28, apart from the trivial addition of a prop-pitch lever.

- Loads of fuel capacity, but easy to make mistakes when selecting and managing tanks.

- Good payloads (3 adults, bags, full fuel), but obviously check the figures for the aeroplane you're looking at.

- Cruised around 140kn burning about 40 litres per hour. (Or was it 50 /hr? it was a while ago).


£85/£85 sounds about right for a 1/8th share in such an aeroplane, guessing I'd say that a share like that is probably worth around £8k?

Basically it's a fixed gear Arrow equivalent, similar performance, a little thirstier, a little easier to operate, similarish payload.

G

N.B. I'm guessing that the aircraft you are looking at may be G-AWSM? That's the aircraft I'd flown - always struck me as a nice aeroplane, well looked after - although that was about 8 years ago.