piper comanche engine upgrade

In fact, the IFD100 app essentially adds a second IFD550 display/control set on the tablet. This beast had a normally aspirated, fuel-injected, eight-cylinder Lycoming IO-720-A1A fitted with a three-blade prop. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Restoring a Piper Interior (Comanche Restoration Series Part 3), Rebuilding a Piper Engine in a Comanche (Comanche Restoration Series Part 5), Piper Avionics: Digital Autopilots 5 Years Later, Evolution of the Piper Panel (and What It Means to You Today), https://www.facebook.com/PiperOwnerSociety?fref=ts. Our current best selling and most popular mods. This means in those applications there is limited rewiring required. Theres also the $289 Hubba Hubba wheel cap, with an access door for the tires air valve. It expensive enough buying a 40 or 50 year old airplane. Ask your shop what models are approved for your aircraft and price them all. If youre shopping the used four-place retrac market no doubt youll consider a Comanche. AVCON Conversions in Udall KS has an STC to upgrade a Cherokee with an O-320 to an O-360 180 HP. Pricing on the base GTX345 (without GPS) is $4995. That is because of a simple fact that anybody who has painted their house or restained their deck knows: Strip and prep are the most time-consuming part of the paint job, by Piper Owner Society | Jun 8, 2022 | Maintenance, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Theres also a good supply of aftermarket and PMAd parts for commonly needed items. Do you need a field approval to start or finish a panel upgrade? has WAAS GPS, touchscreen, displays traffic and weather on some aspen, avidyne and garmin displays. Speed gains are reported to be from 5-10 MPH. This rebuilding a Piper engine article is from Greg Piehl, who lives in St. by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 9, 2022 | Avionics, Comanche Restoration Series, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0, by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 9, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Pick one and work to maintain a good relationship. In this installment, from the May 2022 issue, we move to the panel, and again we see how Comanche plane owner Greg Piehl utilized his skills and his professional workshop to upgrade his plane in a way that teaches us how ingenuity can play a role and allow you to do some of this work yourself. Piper Comanche. Garmin's G500 retrofit avionics system ranks as one of the best values in aviation, offering a host of advanced capabilities for under $20,000. We think the effort and cost is worth it given the added utility, including minimum callouts when on an approach. According to my Warrior II Information Manual you can reach a true airspeed of about 122 knots at 75% power between 6,000 and 8,000 feet. The only major issues have been a nosegear door repair and re-rigging the trim cable. SA 97 SO Installation A, B, or C of . Discussion in 'Maintenance Bay' started by bjohnsonmn, Oct 6, . A worn-out fuel cap assembly has a compromised seal around the fuel inlet and could leak fuel in flight or allow water intrusion from a hefty rainstorm into the fuel tank. PROPELLER and TEXTRON LYCOMING. Single-box solution that works with Garmin GNS430W/530W navigators, works with a Wi-Fi module for connecting to tablets. Speeds are up around 155 to 160 knots at cruise, burning about 12 GPH. The TruTrak Vizion has a straightforward installation. Still, the respected International Comanche Society (ICS) reports the best way to learn to land-and fly-this machine is to get some dual from an expert in the type, not the local flight school unless they have a Comanche expert on hand-and some schools even have Comanches. All upgrades get a fresh two-year warranty. Now is a good time to invest, but dont let lower prices fool you into thinking even a basic upgrade will be inexpensive. Fortunately, there are a number of cost effective aerodynamic improvements that we developed that can easily add 3 to up to 15 MPH, while also improving rate of climb, slow speed handling (reduced stall speed, improved aileron control) and save you fuel. If the G5 attitude instrument fails, the directional instrument reverts to an attitude display. Some go as far as installing a smaller nosewheel tire and others simply pump up the main gear oleos to reduce the static angle of attack on takeoff. The fifth and sixth seats, when available, are suitable only for children or the smallest of adults. Finally, we felt the pain of the pilot who flew to a neighboring airport for fuel, only to find the tanks locked. The landing gear on the Comanche gets our attention. Can you rewire and move the circuit breakers on a Piper. The Piper PA-24 Comanche 180 first flew on May 24, 1956, the first of what would become one of Piper Aircraft's most successful single-engine series. Bolt-On Horsepower. In flight, the Comanche is smooth, stable and tight, with a climb rate that is impressive and difficult to prevent. I basically just had to make the power connections to each component/circuit breaker. And that creates a problem. Most of the avionics manufacturers have established communication protocols that will work with other equipment. Requires Garmin Pilot, ForeFlight tablet app. The mods that can offer the most speed include relocating the brakes to the inside of the gear forks, gap seals, wheel well slippers and wingroot fairings, both front and rear. Not many vintage singles in its class can match that. So I sent the crankcase off to DivCo in Oklahoma City (www.divcoinc.com), the crankshaft to Rick Romans Inc. (Tulsa, Oklahoma), and Im fortunate enough that at my home airport, we have one of the finest engine facilities in the country Zephyr Aircraft Engines (Zephyrhills, Florida, www.zephyrengines.com).. Parts 1 and 2 of this Piper Comanche restoration series are also free to read. Call The 100-pound rise in gross gave the airplane a hefty 1427-pound useful load. You aren't after the fuel flow reduction FROM the less dence air, but after the smoother air/fuel mix and the greater leaning allowed. EVOLUTION MFD, some garmin and avidyne displays. This is a great airspeed for 160 hp and roughly 10 gph of 100LL. By the time these models were introduced, the Comanches production run was about to end without warning, so this variant is comparatively rare. This time, he had an old Comanche panel to use as a framework for his new panel layout, along with a photo from a magazine ad. You need to go to somebody whos trained in that model of aircraft but has not seen it before. -Scott Sherer, Fuel is going to be biggest expense. Its so tolerant of any heat that its not going to hurt it, so I used the same paint., Piehl also wanted to stress that this article is very abbreviated. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. I didnt really want to paint the engine all Lycoming gray, Piehl said. Whelen Aerospace technologies (formerly LoPresti Aviation) is now at www.flywat.com and offers the $499 Slipper Fairing mod. Everything Laminar Flow Systems makes has integrity, a design philosophy which puts the pilot 1st! Tail mount version. New aircraft models approved for the GFC 600 autopilot include: Cessna 421. Your Garmin dealers most likely top recommendation for a lower-end EFIS upgrade might be Garmins $2249 G5 display, of which there are two. Tied with 12 events in which the pilot could not extend the gear due to maintenance issues, it is our opinion that a potential Comanche buyer put attention to the landing gear system high on his or her checklist for ownership. And it's fun to recall some Piper engineers, back when it was introduced, boasting that the fat, new, stubby wing was actually every bit as good as the sexier-looking tapered Comanche wing, aerodynamically. "COMANCHE". These two models remained in production until 1964. Meanwhile, the ultimate in wretched excess, or perfection, depending on your point of view, has to go to the Comanche 400. Power Flow Systems offers its exhaust mod for the Aviat Husky, Cessna 170, 172, 175, 177 and 177RG, Diamond Star, Beech 19 and 23 series, Grumman Americans and four-cylinder Maules, among others. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. Our journey has reached the engine of Greg Piehls Comanche. All rights reserved. Thats the 20 to 22 GPH at 75 percent power that engine is consuming. Diversity and the version made for helicopters. And if your existing transponder is an aging non-digital (has a cavity oscillator tube) model, our advice is to ditch it and put in an ADS-B transponder. . The list price of the IFD550 is $21,999, but if you have a clean and fully functional Garmin GNS530W, you can cut that cost substantially. It had never lifted off that easily beforeI am now climbing faster with a solid feel to the controls and the ride. 795 Fentress Blvd SKYTRONICS IGNITION HARNESSES, CHAMPION PRODUCTS, LP PLASTICS, WHELEN LIGHTING. Insurance runs about $1600 per year. 6" Wheel (Set of Two) LSM-200-701-1, Windshield Cowler Kit. Can you hide the transponders if a Piper panel is small? Piper Comanche. Like the first two installments of this series, were making this article free to all website visitors. assembly. Subscribe today to read the entire series, which chronicles: What You Will Learn in This Article: Rebuilding a Piper Engine in a Comanche. install a One-Piece Windshield, our High Performance good looking Wingtips, one AXP322 is remote version. Piper Cherokee Modifications & SpeedImprovements, :uninterrupted flow in which the direction of flow. There were eight runway loss of control incidents, low, we think-and one of them involved a student pilot. We are certified to install Continental TSIO-360KB engines in your Seneca II. by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 14, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. function MSFPpreload(img) While many Comanches sport three-blade propellers, some could have old clamp-style propellers. Daytona Beach, FL 32114. There are no downloads available of this content. PA24-260( ) Comanche. The Comanche line debuted in 1958, with the Comanche 180 and 250 models. Piper Comanche PA-24 Models. The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a single-engined, low wing, all-metal light aircraft, with retractable landing gear and either four or six seats. Which of the reductions is smaller is too hard to say, but the difference isn't going to be significant. Click here or above for a free download: Cherokee guide OR free digital issue. You don't have to go wide open with it, typically in my Travelair I would lose 2-3kts and save 3gph while still running smooth. The cabin itself is roomy and comfortable with good width, if a bit drafty and noisy, say some owners. Clockwise from the top: The digital Genesys S-TEC 3100 has a growing STC list and is a good value because it work with existing S-TEC autopilot servos, saving a sizable amount of installation time. The straight roofline giving theComanche its distinctive crewcut looks also reduces visibility upward, although its not as bad as some airplanes and does provide welcome shade in hot climates. That may or may not even out the distribution, and you don't get much fuel flow reduction, either. Piper Comanche PA-24-400, PA-30, PA-39 Models. Theres roughly a $6000 greater price delta between the 10-inch G500TXi ($15,995) and the 10-inch G3X Touch. The big engine gives these airplanes excellent climb performance, as much as 1500 FPM. If you wanted to start out with a cheaper airframe, buy a 180-HP model and do a 260-HP conversion with fuel injection. Read a Piper door lock review with photos of a Medeco door lock installation. First, weve worked on enough Comanches to say that the airplane is perhaps one of the best built all-metal singles of its time. With a gross weight significantly lower than later Comanches, cabin payload with full standard fuel (60 gallons) is about 660 pounds-think three-person airplane. facilities and look us over. LYCOMING, BENDIX IGNITION, Garmin GTN 750 Touchscreen GPS/Nav/Comm. Piper Aircraft has always offered some of the best aviation values in the sky. if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav1n=MSFPpreload("_derived/comprops.htm_cmp_jas110_hbtn.gif"); MSFPnav1h=MSFPpreload("_derived/comprops.htm_cmp_jas110_hbtn_a.gif"); } However, with care (and thats important), costs will be more than manageable and once a system or component is properly repaired, it can be expected to stay that way for a while. I see no one else other than Robin Thomas who makes a promise that if youre not satisfied, no questions asked, you get your money back. There could be major panel work involved, and it might not work fully with your autopilot. Tuned through the IFD-series navigators. Its a generous interface. SE 51 WE Installation of two Rotor-Master (Rajay) P/N 600573-00 or 600576-00 (or any combination thereof) Turbocharger on Avco Lycoming Model IO-720-A1A and IO-720-A1B engines. When deciding on either system, ask your shop what makes the most sense from a compatibility standpoint. Also, as with the fuel injection system, earlier airplanes can have a turbo added. Designed to work with and connects to the existing Mode A/C transponder. The basic airframe proved successful and wasnt changed much during its production run. Higher, and Further as well as Repair It, Annual It, Overhaul the Engine(s), (Set of Two) 2430WT, Gear Lobe Fairing Kit. Garmin GTX 345 ADS-B Transponder. So that was #1 on my list: The avionics I chose had to communicate with the other avionics., His next requirement was the ability to self-install the instruments, with the help of his A&P. Turboplus was granted multiple Supplemental Type Certificates to upgrade many Continental TSIO-360 and LTSIO-360 engines to the 220HP operating limits of the Continental TSIO-360KB engine. Products from Knots2U andWebco are respected. These mods are available for all Comanches except the 400. So to help sort it out, in this article well offer an around-the-bases look at the most popular new avionics configurations-from entry-level (for basic aircraft) to higher-budget (for go-places higher-end machines). (((navigator.appName == "Netscape") && Never created a website login before? In 1961, the gross weight of the 250 was boosted by 100 pounds. I've checked that leaning method with a lot of carbureted engines with full engine analyzers, and you end up right around peak, with one or two LOP and one or two ROP. 24LOB, Hub Cap W/Access Door. The extra 10 GPH the big-engined Comanche 400 burns yields only about 10 to 15 extra knots. The engines are identical, but with a different propeller redline. Its big on features, small on size and works with the Garmin flight displays. I would prove that time and again in my Comanche 250. Piper Comanche PA-24, PA-30, PA-39 Models. After flying the new MAX system in a Cirrus (splashed with bright Florida sun), we think the new display technology is impressive-perhaps one of the most sunlight-readable PFDs on the market. The ICS also offers a technical support service when you and your mechanic need someone to talk to. I guess that explains why I have had the same plane for 30 years! The airframe dimensions are identical, but the internal fuselage structure was changed to accommodate the additional window. If so, does the products STC include removing the vacuum system? Diversity model (requires top and bottom antenna installation), requires WAAS GPS input, tablet interface requires Flight Stream wireless Bluetooth module, ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot app. Requires WAAS GPS input, tablet interface requires Flight Stream wireless Bluetooth module, Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight app. by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 9, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Maintenance, Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Piper didnt distinguish between the 180 and 250 in its serial number records, but total production for 1958 was 336, comparing favorably to the 396 J35 Bonanzas Beech cranked out that same year. With a tapered laminar-flow wing, respectable speed (big-engine models make downright impressive numbers), solid handling and lots of available speed mods, the right Comanche could be one of the most desirable vintage piston singles. I gave them the info on the avionics I chose, and the layout of them in the panel. Twelve pilots simply forgot to extend the Firestones before ground contact. While we were pleased to find that the old wives tales regarding Comanche landings were untrue, we were concerned by the number of landing gear-related incidents. The basic, bare-bones G3X Touch with a 7-inch screen is $7995. A complete overhaul must also include inspection and measurements on all engine components. A turbonormalized version of the Comanche C was offered alongside the normally aspirated model in 1970. Learn how to repair plastic trim here. TEXAS SKYWAYS HAS THIS STC. He had just flown non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean from Casablanca on a record-setting 6,966-nm flight. For dual installations (maybe an IFD550 and IFD440), the connections are independent for redundancy, but have full synchronization. In other words, our equipment had to talk with anything else installed in theairframe. It was introduced in 1964 and discontinued only a year and 146 airplanes later. That didnt mean he went cheap. Garmin GNC 255A Nav/Comm. With the primitive indicating systems associated with many of the airplanes in the field, too often a pilot is faced with the dilemma, Now where did I put that fuel?. This website contains many older reviews. The 180 and 250 Comanche airframes are the same and theres an STC to upgrade the 180 to the larger engine-although the 250 boasted a significantly higher gross weight: 2800 pounds versus 2550 pounds for the 180. They gave me a guy to call at Lycoming, and he said, I cant tell you the color of it, its proprietary. A competent tech can generally rig a cabin door in an afternoon. [general aviation] The company also offers a stainless steel dual exhaust system. To many pilots, Piper's Twin Comanche represents an apex of light twin design. When temps drop to -40 or lower many carbs must use heat to raise temps up to where the fuel air ratio is rich enough, but that is still way to low for induction icing. (Aircraft Sales/General Info), parts@johnstonaircraft.com To hold more fuel needed to feed it, there were optional 130-gallon tanks. horn/torque tube/balance weight tube There was a little bit more than that (headset jacks/wiring/soldering), but their work is of the highest quality., One other thing that Piehl stressed about this part of the project you need to coordinate the field approval before you start this process. Theres also Knots2U (www.knots2u.net, 262-763-5100) that has, in addition to the wing fillet mod, a dorsal fin kit, speedbrakes and a variety of other mods for Comanches. Garmin Budget Glass Cockpits Remember when a basic. I hold commercial, instrument and multi-engine ratings, have 2300 hours total time with 500-plus hours of complex time, plus Ive logged about 200 hours in my Comanche. If a stock Twin Comanche catches your eye, then get a . Based on our time in Comanches, we say fly it like its meant to be flown, really, and youll wonder what the barroom chatter was all about. Ive owned my 1961 PA24-250 N7754P for six years, and the airframe has 2200 hours total and the engine has 980 hours since factory reman. Depending on the model and mods, it seems like a Comanche can have a never-ending supply of fuel tanks. Number 3 was ease of use. Engine Upgrades, What is possible. We pride ourselves that we can make your Comanche go Faster, L3 Avionics product sold by Aspen. What makes this system our top pick for a high-end EFIS is the number of display options and the 500-plus approved model STC. As one result, many have opted to replace their old Hartzells for new two- or three-blade Hartzell or McCauley propellers, which terminates the AD. We have been in the Aviation Support Business Most of my flight time is in single-engine Cessnas. In my opinion, there is no reason to own a 180 Comanche unless you are consumed with fuel range and can tolerate the vibration from the engine being so far out from the firewall. Heres how to replace your Piper seat covers, which was one step in my Arrows long by Piper Owner Society | Dec 8, 2022 | Upgrade & Refurbish | 0. Were putting the finishing touches on an engine monitor roundup for a future issue of Aviation Consumer, but well give you a brief primer here. Other than accepting a heading input from Aspens Evolution PFD, in addition to Garmins G500/600 PFD, the Avidyne ARS is self-contained. All rights reserved. I flight plan for 13.5 GPH, but flying from 9500 to 11,500 feet will reduce the fuel flow to around 12 GPH. We had requirements, in our MIL specs, that our avionics must communicate with the established protocols. Greg was flying during this flight, with his friend Joe Cumbey co-piloting, and (not seen) dog Beau is piloting from the back seat. Coming next month: Engine, prop, and motor mount. The Comanche C was rolled out in 1969, with further refinements, including another gross weight increase and a distinctive shark nose cowl starting with serial number 24-4804. If your instincts are telling you that formal training is in your future, limit your flying to decent weather. General Tiger with fixed gear goes just as fast and another contemporary retractable, the Mooney M20C or M20E, will outrun the 180. // -->