WebRuss
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I was asked to share my experiences as I have owned both a Cherokee 180 D and a Comanche 180. So I thought I might compare the two on some common categories.
Maintenance Costs
Annual inspection on a Cherokee 180 was less expensive as it is simpler. The Comanche is a complex aircraft and requires more attention. Overall the Cherokee wins here as it has far fewer moving parts. One plus for the Comanche is corrosion prevention as it came from the factory fully coated with Zinc Chromate.
Takeoff Performance
The Cherokee beats the Comanche by a small margin here. The Cherokee gets off the ground sooner, but is slower in the climb. The Comanche will roll further and then climb faster.
Landing Performance
Almost exactly the same. If and this is a big one - you come in to land at exactly the right numbers in the Comanche - come in too fast and you will float forever. The Cherokee is much more forgiving on landing speeds.
Flight Characteristics
Slow flight and stall speed is almost identical in these planes both stall just about 50kts which is amazing.
The Cherokee is much more docile and can be "ham-fisted". Those big fat hershey bar wings make for very stable flight even at very low speeds. The stall is more like a mush than a snap. In turbulence you will get tossed about some but the wing design helps to right you easily. My average airspeed was just over 100kts
The wings of the Comanche are long and thin and have a laminar flow design. The Comanche is roll stable, but very pitch sensitive. Keeping at constant altitude requires a very soft and precise touch, the controls cannot be "ham-fisted" or you will soon be in a predicament. Turbulence is painful as those long wings will flex and snap you about. The average airspeed is about 125kts
Fuel Capacity and Consumption
Cherokee is 50 Gallons
Comanche is 60 gallons
At 70% power they are almost the same 10gph.
The Comanche will go much further, faster on that 10 gallons.
Useful Load
The Cherokee wins here by about 140 lbs. My Cherokee D had an 1100lb useful load, the Comanche has a 960lb useful load.
Interior
The Comanche is wider by about 6 inches and has much nicer seats. I guess that is where my useful load went.
Maintenance Costs
Annual inspection on a Cherokee 180 was less expensive as it is simpler. The Comanche is a complex aircraft and requires more attention. Overall the Cherokee wins here as it has far fewer moving parts. One plus for the Comanche is corrosion prevention as it came from the factory fully coated with Zinc Chromate.
Takeoff Performance
The Cherokee beats the Comanche by a small margin here. The Cherokee gets off the ground sooner, but is slower in the climb. The Comanche will roll further and then climb faster.
Landing Performance
Almost exactly the same. If and this is a big one - you come in to land at exactly the right numbers in the Comanche - come in too fast and you will float forever. The Cherokee is much more forgiving on landing speeds.
Flight Characteristics
Slow flight and stall speed is almost identical in these planes both stall just about 50kts which is amazing.
The Cherokee is much more docile and can be "ham-fisted". Those big fat hershey bar wings make for very stable flight even at very low speeds. The stall is more like a mush than a snap. In turbulence you will get tossed about some but the wing design helps to right you easily. My average airspeed was just over 100kts
The wings of the Comanche are long and thin and have a laminar flow design. The Comanche is roll stable, but very pitch sensitive. Keeping at constant altitude requires a very soft and precise touch, the controls cannot be "ham-fisted" or you will soon be in a predicament. Turbulence is painful as those long wings will flex and snap you about. The average airspeed is about 125kts
Fuel Capacity and Consumption
Cherokee is 50 Gallons
Comanche is 60 gallons
At 70% power they are almost the same 10gph.
The Comanche will go much further, faster on that 10 gallons.
Useful Load
The Cherokee wins here by about 140 lbs. My Cherokee D had an 1100lb useful load, the Comanche has a 960lb useful load.
Interior
The Comanche is wider by about 6 inches and has much nicer seats. I guess that is where my useful load went.
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