Hi Ted; I have copied an answer from Comanche expert Zach Grant. I hope it provides a satisfactory explanation.
Steve,
There is a lot of mumbo jumbo that went into that. The original 100 production airplanes were short nose aircraft. The cowling was 2.75 inches shorter than the later models though there were short nosed 180s after the 102 mark as well. The battery was on the firewall on all of the early 180s as well. Structurally the baggage floor is pretty much the same, which is to say minimal but adequate. The original plan was that the aircraft was to be certified under the provisions of car3 that allowed an aircraft to have limitations that rendered it impossible to ever be out of CG. With the published limitations of 100lbs baggage and both front seats to be occupied before rear seats it worked out. Subsequently the FAA required the CG calculations be published and that became part of the certification with a published envelope, and a true weight and balance calculation, which allowed the limit weights to be much less restrictive and eliminated some of the loading limits. The PA-24 actually was an oddball certification as it was caught between the old CAR3, and the new CAR3, as well as the change from the Civil Aviation Authority to the FAA. That explains why many things are incorporated into the TCDS that should have been on equipment lists etc, had the certification actually happened under other than transition rule circumstances. Not sure if this totally answers your question, but hopefully it sheds some light on the why.
I couldn’t find any provision that allows owners of early Comanches to load more than 100 pounds in the baggage compartment.
Sorry,
Steve
