Piper PA-38 Tomahawk

Origins

The first attempt at Piper to compete with C-150 is set up with the PA-28-140. But this one does not answer exactly waitings of a plane school with its vast cabin, its engine of 150 HP, of less conclusive qualities of flight, a higher consumption and a higher requirement in maintenance. The PA-38, is thus elaborate on the basis of investigation marketing near the instructors in order to define the points of the schedule of conditions defining the plane school of new generation.

Construction and Characteristics

Steel construction with low wings without evolutionary profile contains the structural fuel tanks, the control surfaces are ordered by cable. The principal train is with blades and offers a broad way, the nose gear wheel is combined and deadened. The brakes (with the bell-crank levers) are with differential order. The visibility on 360° returned by the canopy answers perfectly at the request of the instructors. It is to note that the wings are subjected to potential, which in fact an important point at the time of a purchase of occasion. This apparatus made the object of Navigability instructions (CN) and Bulletin Services (BS) until the end of the Nineties, mainly on the fasteners of train (principal and before), of direction, of back fixed plan, but also of reinforcement of the small spar of aerofoil. Its engine is O-235 Lycoming of 112 HP. This engine makes also the object of CN and BS of which the repetitive inspection of the base plates of cylinders and the crankshaft.

Of share the configuration of the empennage in T, the flow of the propeller makes the depth active only towards 35 to 40 Kt. This characteristic can bring the pilot to a situation of on control during the evolutions to low speeds and great angles. From the models delivered in 1980, improvements are carried on the level of the general handiness of the apparatus. In 1981 with the appearance of the model Tomahawk II, comfort is improved with a more effective sound-proofing, a re-examined heating cabin and a new throttle lever is installed.

Random links: