Piper doors, why the passenger side?

First off, this isn't a post to argue the merits of one-door vs.
two-doors, so if you want to do that, start your own thread...

Why does Piper put the door of the plane on the passenger side? I
cannot think of one good reason. Would like to hear the group's
opinions.

OTOH, I can think of several reasons it would be better to have the
single door on the pilots side:
1. Most flights are solo, so with the door on the pilots side, no
need to constantly climb across the passenger seat.
2. On that same point, I like to keep my charts and headsets on the
passenger seat. Again, I have to crawl over them each flight to get
to the pilots seat.
3. It would be nice to allow passengers to board before the pilot
enters.
4. Again most flights are solo, it seems that egress in the event of
an emergency would be easier with the door on the pilots side.

-Nathan

(Nathan Young) writes:

Why does Piper put the door of the plane on the passenger side? I
cannot think of one good reason. Would like to hear the group's
opinions.

I find the passenger-side door convenient because my passengers can
leave the plane right after shutdown while I'm refolding my charts,
copying the Hobbs time, etc.

I'd guess that the original reason was so that passengers could get in
and out of the plane while the engine was still running, back when
people were less worried about that sort of thing.


All the best,


David

It's not just Piper. EVERY certified low wing, single door 4 place model
since WWII has the same configuration. Presumably, designers give at least
SOME thought to the ergonomics of door location, so the fact that Beech,
Piper, Mooney Bellanca, and Cessna (300-series twins) all came up with the
same conclusion suggests that there is some rational basis, even if it's
only "tradition".

--
-Elliott Drucker

wrote in message ...
It's not just Piper. EVERY certified low wing, single door 4 place model
since WWII has the same configuration.

Navion Rangemasters have the door on the left side. I suspect this is
because the canopy model originally had the step/wing walk on the left wing, so it made
sense to just keep the boarding on that side. Oops, I guess you're still right, the
Rangemaster is technically a 5 place.

In article ,
wrote:

It's not just Piper. EVERY certified low wing, single door 4 place model
since WWII has the same configuration.

Not true!
North American put a door on each side of the Commander 112/114.

Beech Musketeer also has doors both sides.

EDR wrote:

In article ,
wrote:

It's not just Piper. EVERY certified low wing, single door 4 place model
since WWII has the same configuration.

Not true!
North American put a door on each side of the Commander 112/114.

--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759

Ray Andraka wrote:

Beech Musketeer also has doors both sides.

Oy.




EDR wrote:


In article ,
wrote:


It's not just Piper. EVERY certified low wing, single door 4 place model
since WWII has the same configuration.

Not true!
North American put a door on each side of the Commander 112/114.


--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759

"Ray Andraka" wrote in message
...

Beech Musketeer also has doors both sides.


Which means it's not a low-wing, single-door, four-place model.

EDR wrote:
In article ,
wrote:


It's not just Piper. EVERY certified low wing, single door 4 place model
since WWII has the same configuration.


Not true!
North American put a door on each side of the Commander 112/114.

Reading comprehension.

"EDR" wrote in message
...

Not true!
North American put a door on each side of the Commander 112/114.


Well, then they aren't single-door, four-place aircraft.