Roy N5804F wrote:


Matt,

All PA28 aircraft have the same cabin external width.
The big difference that occurred over the years was the increase in cabin
length.
There is very little leg room in the shorter cabin length.
Somewhere around 1973/1975 Piper increased the length of the cabin by
several inches, maybe at or about the same time as the Challenger model with
longer Hershey Bar wing was introduced.
The tapered wing PA28's appeared around 1976 and all tapered wing Archers,
Arrows and Dakotas have the longer cabin.
In my 1977 Archer, the rear seats are perfectly comfortable for long
distance travel and the leg room is more than adequate.
I am 6' 1" and recently did a 3 hour leg in the back with 6'0" tall pilot
and front seat passenger.

PA28's do not have the widest cabins but they certainly are good long
distance, go places, airplane.
We purchased our Archer II in California and flew it over or through all the
big stuff at full gross weight with Summer DA's to Ohio.

Probably depends on what size you are. I'm shorter than you (6' even),
but I weight 225 lbs and am not all that fat. I worked as a logger for
6 years during high school and college and have fairly broad shoulders.
I find the Arrow barely comfortable with another person anywhere near
my size in the right seat. The Skylane was plenty roomy. I don't know
the exact measurements, but the Arrow feels even narrower to me than a
Skyhawk, but it may be part illusion with the roof curving over my head.
I flew several 4.5 hour legs in my 182, but I find 1.5 hours in the
Arrow to be a long time.


Matt