Range Map
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Payload vs. Range
Fuel on board
Cargo
nm
Range
Trip Preview
Name a destination in the map header above and this becomes your trip: time en route, what you burn, what it costs, and whether you get there without stopping — at the load you have set.
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We do not have a cruise speed on file for this aircraft, so there is no honest time or cost to give you for this leg.
En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
- Complex
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Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Piper Cherokee Arrow
Type certificated 1976 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet
Overview
The Piper Cherokee Arrow III (PA-28R-201) is a four-seat, retractable-gear single that became one of general aviation’s most common complex trainers. Introduced for the 1977 model year, it paired the earlier Arrow’s fuselage with a new semi-tapered wing of greater span, trading a little of the older constant-chord wing’s character for improved slow-flight manners and cruise efficiency. Power comes from a fuel-injected 200-horsepower Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 turning a constant-speed propeller; the retractable gear and controllable-pitch prop together make the Arrow a textbook platform for the FAA complex endorsement and for commercial training.
As an owner’s aircraft the Arrow III is a comfortable, economical four-seat tourer: roughly 137 knots true on about 11 gallons per hour, with predictable Cherokee handling and one of the deepest parts-and-maintenance networks in light aviation. Its retractable gear costs more to maintain than a fixed-gear Archer and the useful load tightens with full fuel, but for a buyer who wants retractable speed and complex-endorsement currency at piston-single running costs, little else is as well supported. The Arrow III’s owner is usually one of two people: the pilot earning or keeping a complex and commercial rating, or the budget-minded traveller who flies retractable efficiency, about 137 knots on 11 gallons an hour, without a turbo’s cost or altitude ambitions. Flight schools and pilots stepping up from a fixed-gear Cherokee are where it lands.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Complex-endorsement platform. Retractable gear and a constant-speed propeller make the Arrow one of the standard aircraft for the FAA complex endorsement and commercial training, with a large fleet at flight schools.
- Fuel-injected 200 hp Lycoming IO-360-C1C6. A widely-supported, naturally-aspirated injected four-cylinder with a 2,000-hour recommended TBO; hot-start technique is the main quirk.
- Semi-tapered wing. The Arrow III’s longer-span tapered wing improves slow-flight behavior and cruise efficiency over the earlier constant-chord Arrow.
- Deep support network. Thousands were built; parts, type-familiar mechanics, and type-specific training are all easy to find.
Trade-offs
- Retractable-gear upkeep. The hydraulic gear system raises maintenance and insurance over a fixed-gear Cherokee, and gear rigging and emergency-extension checks are part of every annual.
- Useful load with full fuel. With 77 gallons aboard, cabin payload is limited; many missions trade fuel for people.
- Modest climb and altitude. At 200 normally-aspirated horsepower the Arrow III climbs and cruises modestly next to turbocharged or higher-output retractables.
- Aging airframes. Most are 1977-1980s aircraft; corrosion inspection, avionics, and interior refurbishment belong in the ownership budget.
See Also
- Piper Archer II – the fixed-gear sibling on the same airframe: simpler and cheaper to own, no complex endorsement, slower. Compare
- Cessna 172RG Cutlass RG – the Cessna complex trainer and the Arrow’s direct cross-shop for the complex and commercial endorsements. Compare
- Cessna 177 Cardinal RG – another 200-horsepower retractable single of the same era, high-wing with a roomier cabin. Compare
- Piper Turbo Arrow IV – the turbocharged, T-tail development of the same airframe: more altitude capability, more systems to maintain. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8 ft
- Length
- 24 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,342 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 2,750 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 2,650 lbs
- Useful Load
- 950 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 77 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: third-party reference 137 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 183 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 146 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 65 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 60 KIAS
- Range
- 550 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 16,200 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 800 fpm
- Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,600 ft
- Landing over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,400 ft
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Piper Cherokee Arrow specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
Similar to the Piper Cherokee Arrow
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