Overview

The Piper Cherokee 235 (PA-28-235) is a four-seat, fixed-gear, single-engine piston aircraft built from 1963 to 1977. It pairs the standard Cherokee fuselage with a longer wing borrowed from the six-seat Cherokee Six and a 235-horsepower Lycoming O-540, giving it a useful load that rivals aircraft a class above it. Piper sold it as the Cherokee 235, then restyled it as the Charger in 1973 and the Pathfinder from 1974, raising maximum takeoff weight from the original 2,900 pounds to 3,000 pounds along the way.

The 235’s defining trait is load-hauling. With optional tip tanks raising total fuel to 84 gallons and a useful load near 1,400 pounds, it can carry four adults, full fuel, and baggage simultaneously. Cruise sits around 136 knots on roughly 14 gallons per hour, slower than a retractable but delivered with fixed-gear simplicity and the docile Cherokee handling. It cross-shops most directly against the Cessna 182 Skylane, the other classic fixed-gear hauler of the period. Right for the buyer who needs to fill four seats and the tanks at the same time and values fixed-gear simplicity; wrong for anyone shopping on cruise speed, which the 136-knot 235 deliberately trades away for payload.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Full-fuel payload. A useful load near 1,400 pounds against 84 gallons of fuel leaves room for four occupants and bags with the tanks topped off.
• Lycoming O-540 simplicity. The 235-horsepower O-540-B2B5 is carbureted, naturally aspirated, and direct-drive, with a 2,000-hour recommended TBO. It is one of the most widely supported engines in general aviation, with parts and overhaul shops widely available.
• Fixed-gear economy. No retraction system, and in early aircraft a fixed-pitch propeller, keep maintenance and insurance lower than comparable retractable singles. The high-performance engine still requires the corresponding pilot endorsement.
• Tip-tank range option. The 17-gallon-per-side tip tanks extend endurance well beyond the standard wing tanks and serve as a useful-load and balance management tool on longer flights.

Trade-offs

• Nose-heavy at light loads. The heavy O-540 ahead of the firewall makes the 235 noticeably nose-heavy when flown light, calling for trim discipline in the flare. Loading aft within limits improves the handling.
• Speed. At about 136 knots the 235 trades cruise for payload. A retractable Comanche or Arrow of similar power is faster on the same fuel.
• Fuel management. The tip-tank system adds tanks to monitor and a fuel-management sequence the standard Cherokee does not have. Owners treat it as routine, but it is a step up in workload from a two-tank trainer.
• Vintage panel and parts. Most airframes are 1960s and 1970s vintage. Avionics upgrades, interior refurbishment, and corrosion inspection are part of the ownership budget.

See Also

• Cessna 182 Skylane – the arch-competitor: the other classic fixed-gear four-seat hauler, high-wing, similar power and payload mission. Compare
• Piper Cherokee Six – the six-seat sibling that donated the 235’s long wing; more cabin and payload, same Lycoming-six family. Compare
• Piper Archer II – the lighter 180-horsepower Cherokee: slower with less payload, lower operating cost and insurance. Compare
• Piper PA-24 Comanche – the retractable Piper alternative: faster cruise on similar power, more systems to maintain. Compare