Monday 11 January 2010

Piper PA-28 Cherokee is 50 !

On January 10th 1960 the first Piper PA-28 Cherokee N9315R c/n 28-01 had its first flight. This aircraft stemmed from the PA-10 which was a design study by John Thorpe based around his earlier Skyscooter. John as you all know went on to desighn the Fletcher 24.

The above pic shows Piper PA-28-160 ZK-BWT c/n 28-59 taken at Wellington on 27-11-1963. It was imported by the NZ agents Airwork (NZ) Ltd and registered on 01-12-1961, first flying here on the 20th and delivered to the Rotorua Aero Club on the 22nd. It was hired to the Auckland Aero Club briefly in 1962. On 23-12-1965 it was acquired by B B Cox and W J Blackwell for operation by the Manakau Flying School. A few days later (02-01-1966) it crashed in the Skippers Canyon. It was recovered by helicopter (ZK-HAQ) but its registration was cancelled on 02-03-1966.

Airwork rebuilt it in early 1967 and had it re-registered as ZK-CUB on 01-05-1967 after its first flight on 24-04-1967. Lombard (NZ) Ltd appear from 18-09-1967; hiring it back to the Manakau Flying School.

Above & below show ZK-CUB at Invercargill on 26-04-1969.

Above & below as at Palmerston North on 29-10-1970.

Below is ZK-CUB at Pukekohe on 08-01-1972; a different paint scheme and minus the Manukau Flying School markings.

After at least three woopsies it went to Eagle Aviation at Hamilton on 22-03-1972 and to General Finance Acceptance Ltd on 01-05-72 for hire to M S Arthur; then to Coyle & Griffin of Wanganui from 01-04-1973. In late September 1974 it was listed to A J G Scott & P L Withall of Christchurch.

A storm through Christchurch on 01-08-1975 damaged the aircraft and it was cancelled on 12-09-75.

This weekend at Ashburton there is to be a Cherokee fly in - I am guessing about 53 PA-28's will show up. Will we see you there ?

6 comments:

  1. The Ashburton Aviation Museum are hosting the PA28 50th Anniversary over the period 14 - 17 January 2010. They are quoting the 14th as the first date test flight for the first PA28 series aircraft, rather than the 10th as noted here. Any thoughts on this as to which date is correct?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Evening there Anonymous.
    Thanks for your response. Just what this blog is about.
    You had me scurrying for my reference materials on this f/f date.
    My initial info came from the Rod Simpson classic "General Aviation Handbook" which quotes 10-01-1960.
    A quick flick through the 1961-62 copy of "Janes AWA" mentions January 14th and the Piper historian Roger Peperell mentions in his tome "Piper Aircraft The development & history of Piper designs" that N9315R f/f on 10-01-1960.
    So there we go - Three respected reference books.

    Any other opinions please ?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Also, two other notes worth a read, quoting 14 January 1960 also

    Jan 14, 1960 - Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Model Airplane low wing with all metal construction. The first aircraft flew on January 14th, 1960 with a 160 Horse Power engine installed.
    From Pa28-180 - Related web pages
    modelplanes.factorydirectmodels.com/pa28 ...

    Jan 14, 1960 - Mr. P still had a product gap to fill. This product gap was filled on January 14, 1960 when the first Piper PA-28 Cherokee lifted off from Vero Beach, Florida. The Cherokee's designer was Fred Weick who designed the Ercoupe.
    From Sport Aviator - www.masportaviator.com - Related web pages
    www.masportaviator.com/ntp/pipercherokee.asp

    thanks, Anonymous

    ReplyDelete
  4. and one more . . .

    Jan 14, 1960 - It is unlikely that when Piper first flew the prototype of the four-seat Piper PA-28-150 Cherokee sporting/training monoplane on 14 January 1960 that the company could have anticipated the almost infinite variety of this basic design that was to result, or that ...It is unlikely that when Piper first flew the prototype of the four-seat Piper PA-28-150 Cherokee sporting/training monoplane on 14 January 1960 that the company could have anticipated the almost infinite variety of this basic design that was to result, or that its production would still be continuing in 1990s. The type started life as a cantilever low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction with fixed tricycle landing gear and four-seat accommodation in an enclosed cabin, and ...
    Show more
    Show less
    From Piper PA-28 Cherokee - lightplane - Related web pages
    www.aviastar.org/air/usa/piper_pa-28.php

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Canterbury Aero Club hope to have their entire PA28 fleet in attendance on the Saturday. I will down on Thursday in ZKLJF and on Saturday in ZKLJJ.

    it is going to be a great occasion.

    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  6. Interesting to see the photo of ZK-CUB at Invercargill, because I was the pilot of the aircraft on that occassion, which was the first of the annual Manukau Flying School's "South Island Safaris"

    I remember the trip very well, because the trip back to Christchurch, via Queenstown and Mt Cook, was conducted on a perfectly cloudless day and the Alps, seen for the first time, produced one of the most spectacular flights of my life

    ReplyDelete