Many Piper Cherokee owners buy their airplanes with the intention of moving up, and then just…don’t. Maybe it’s the range—five hours at best economy on 50 gallons of fuel, longer than most people like to fly. Or the fact that, as with the Cessna 172, parts are readily available and annual inspections reasonable, generally amounting to replacement of aging parts. Or maybe it’s just the fact that Cherokees are nice, comfortable flying machines.
Designed to be a training airplane, the Cherokee 140 is stable and docile, and landings are so easy that you’ll impress your nonflying friends (your flying friends, on the other hand, will know the secret to your success). If you’re not careful, you can get lazy feet on the rudder.
Shop for a 140 with an upgraded engine. Originally certified with a 140-horsepower Lycoming O-320, supplemental type certificates boost the horsepower to 160—providing extra performance and useful load. Cherokee owners love to trick out their airplanes with modifications in hopes of gaining an elusive extra few knots of airspeed or boost takeoff performance, so you could luck into speed pants, vortex generators, replacement wing tips, and flap and aileron gap seals.
SPEC SHEET
Piper Cherokee 140
Retail value: $20,400 for a 1964 model
www.aopa.org/vref
SPECIFICATIONS
Powerplant 140-horsepower Lycoming O-320-E2A
Length 23 ft 7 in
Height 7 ft 7 in
Wingspan 30 ft
Empty weight 1,180 lb
Useful load 770 lb
Max gross weight 1,950 lb
Fuel capacity 50 gal (48 gal usable) 300 lb (288 lb usable)
PERFORMANCE
Cruise speed 133 mph
Fuel burn 6.2 to 8.4 gallons per hour
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