Piper PA-32R Lance

The Piper Lance (PA-32R-300) represents the first generation of retractable gear aircraft in the PA-32 family. It is essentially a Cherokee Six with retractable landing gear, retaining the iconic constant-chord ‘Hershey Bar’ wing. In the GA market, it is often referred to by several aliases, including the Cherokee Lance, Lance II (for the T-tail variant), and simply the retractable Six.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Utility Champion: Features the legendary double rear doors, making it easy to load passengers, pets, or bulky gear like mountain bikes.
• Payload Specialist: Often offers a higher useful load than the later Saratoga models because it lacks the heavy interior refinements and complex tapered wing structures of the newer models.
• Robust Systems: The landing gear is based on the Piper Seneca twin-engine design, providing a level of ruggedness not found in lighter retractables.

Trade-offs

• Speed/Drag: The rectangular wing provides excellent lift but creates significant drag, limiting real-world cruise speeds to roughly 155-160 knots.
• The T-Tail Quirk: The Lance II (PA-32RT-300) variant features a T-tail which looks sleek but is known for high pitch forces at low speeds and longer takeoff ground rolls compared to the conventional tail model.
• Aspiration: Most standard Lances are naturally aspirated; for high-altitude or mountain performance, the ‘Turbo Lance’ is required to match the performance of later Saratoga TCs.