On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 18:56:18 GMT, "Cecil Chapman"
wrote:

I'm beginning the process of looking for my own plane and have heard lots of
advice. Most have advised against getting something like a Cherokee 140 and
opt instead for something like a Cessna 172 or a Cherokee 180. Now, most
172 N's that I've flown have a 160 HP engine. It is my understanding that
the Cherokee 140 has a 150 HP engine (about comparable to the engine size of
a 172M). Will I really miss out on the extra 10 hp difference between the
C172N and the Cherokee 140?

And adding still more confusion... :-))

My opinion and preference would be hands down for the Cherokee 180.
Having flown the 140 and 180 into and out of a relatively short field
on two consecutive flights about a half hour to hour apart, the 180
was off and climbing sooner and steeper than the 140. Yes, the old
Hershey bar wing has a *lot* of sink, but that makes it a relatively
good short field airplane and I could hit pattern altitude by the end
of the runway here at 3BS.

A note he Most Cessna 172 and Cherokee 140/180 pilots use at least
twice as much runway as they really need for landing. Fly them by the
numbers, use good technique and both will really open eyes at how
short they will really land.

The Cessna 172 with 180 or 190 HP (Hawk) has the ability to get out of
some really tight spots and it scoots right along, but one of those in
good shape might be a tad pricey.

Even pushing hard, the Cherokee 180 doesn't burn all that much more
fuel than the 140. I used to burn about 8 GPH at 75% and maybe 130 to
135 MPH (the speed is a bit hazy). Coming from Gainesville GA to
Cincinnati Lunken we hit some strong winds. I went up high, throttled
back, leaned it out and about 5 hours later landed with something on
the order of 22 gallons left.

Surprisingly, under normal conditions the 172 is more likely to float
than the Cherokee 180. Full flaps on the 180 add a lot of drag and
that wing has a lot of dihedral.

Maintenance should be about the same through the range of these planes
depending mostly on their history.

If you are just going to fly around looking at the scenery the 172
offers a much better view. The Cherokee will ride the bumps much
better. The heavier 180 a little bit better than the 140.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Confused....

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