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En route
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Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
- High-Performance
- Complex
Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Piper PA-24 Comanche
Type certificated 1964 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet
Overview
The Piper PA-24-260 Comanche is a four-place, single-engine high-performance retractable that Piper built at Lock Haven from 1965 to 1972. It is the 260 horsepower development of the original 1958 Comanche, powered by a 260 hp Lycoming six-cylinder (the fuel-injected IO-540 in injected models, the carbureted O-540-E4A5 in others) turning a constant-speed propeller. Piper positioned the Comanche directly against the Beechcraft Bonanza. The type is fast, fuel-efficient, and stable in cruise.
The airframe uses a laminar-flow low wing and electrically retracted tricycle gear with a manual emergency extension system. The final C models carried a 3,200 lb gross weight, cruised near 160 knots true on roughly 14 gallons per hour, and reached a 19,500 ft service ceiling. With the optional auxiliary fuel tanks, range stretches past 1,000 nautical miles.
Production ended in 1972 after a flood destroyed the Lock Haven tooling, so every Comanche flying today is a used aircraft, supported by an active type club and parts network. The Comanche fits the proficient owner who wants Bonanza-class cross-country speed, around 160 knots on 14 gallons an hour, and will stay current on a retractable that rewards a disciplined gear drill. It is a poor fit for a low-time or occasional pilot, or for anyone wanting a roomy cabin and fixed-gear simplicity: the snug four-place cabin and the gear’s standing upkeep are the price of the pace.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Cross-country speed. A 260 hp Comanche cruises around 160 knots true, rivaling early Bonanzas while burning roughly 14 gallons per hour.
- Long legs. Standard tankage plus the optional auxiliary tanks support published ranges beyond 1,000 nautical miles.
- Stable IFR platform. The laminar-flow wing and heavy-for-its-class airframe give the Comanche a solid, trimmed feel that owners value for instrument work.
- Type-club support. The International Comanche Society and specialist shops keep maintenance knowledge, service kits, and parts accessible despite the type being out of production.
Trade-offs
- Out of production since 1972. Some components require specialty suppliers or overhaul exchange, and avionics or interior upgrades demand a shop familiar with the type.
- Landing-gear discipline. The electric gear and its emergency extension procedure require diligent maintenance and a practiced emergency drill; a gear-related event is the classic Comanche insurance concern.
- Airworthiness directives. Recurring inspections, notably the stabilator and control-system items, are part of owning an older Piper and should be verified in the logs.
- Narrow cabin. The four-place cabin is snug by modern standards, and the optional fifth and sixth seats are small family seats limited to 235 pounds combined, not full adult positions.
- Endorsements and currency. With 260 hp plus retractable gear and a constant-speed propeller, the Comanche requires both high-performance and complex endorsements and demands a current, proficient pilot.
See Also
- Piper PA-30 Turbo Twin Comanche – Twin-engine development of the Comanche, sharing the laminar-flow airframe lineage. Compare
- Beechcraft Bonanza A36 – The high-performance retractable single the Comanche was built to challenge. Compare
- Cessna 210 Centurion – Comparable high-performance retractable single of the same era. Compare
- Piper Cherokee Arrow – Lighter, lower-powered Piper retractable single and a common step-down. Compare
- Piper PA-32R Lance – Larger six-seat Piper retractable single and a cabin step-up. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8 ft
- Length
- Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook / Aircraft Flight Manual 26 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,417 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 3,200 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 3,040 lbs
- Useful Load
- Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook / Aircraft Flight Manual 1,427 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 56 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- 160 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 177 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 156 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook / Aircraft Flight Manual 78 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook / Aircraft Flight Manual 67 KIAS
- Range
- 570 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 19,500 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 1320 fpm
- Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,800 ft
- Landing over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,540 ft
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Piper PA-24 Comanche specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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