"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:HXlLe.264987$xm3.200298@attbi_s21...
Plane & Pilot just did a review on the Saratoga. Full fuel gave +500
pounds useful. If I remember right that included the deicing system. What
a waste of money on a 6 seat, 180 knot plane...

I just sat in a new Saratoga that Piper brought in for the Cherokee Pilots
Association fly-in (held annually at Tan-Tar-A resort), and marveled at
the incredible plushness of, well, everything. It's like sitting in a
Lincoln Continental or Mercedes limo, especially in the "way-back"... The
change from the cheap plastic interiors of bygone years is remarkable.

I then spoke with Karl Berge, one of the original designers of the
Cherokee (who was speaking at the convention), and he went off on a long
(albeit low-key) rant about how Piper (and, actually, ALL the other
manufacturers) have gotten so "fat", and lost so much useful load.

According to Karl, in the 1960s they had one iron-clad rule at Piper: In
order to add a pound you first had to find a pound to take away. This
rule kept everything light and (as many of us have since found) not very
durable in the long run.

But, of course, they were designing them to last five years, tops. We
weren't supposed to be flying them around for decades!

Anyway, that's why a Saratoga is left with a paltry 500 useful load, while
a 1960s vintage Cherokee Six has a 980 pound useful load. (Both weights
after fuel.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


Isn't the Saratoga a retractable? That is part of the difference. Was it
also a turbo with TKS? Airplanes are definatly heavier but some of that
weight is useful stuff.

Mike
MU-2