May 2005-
Let’s get the top-line item out of the way first: The Archer III is a very expensive airplane. New Piper Aircraft, Inc., doesn’t list a standard price on the company web site, but I priced an Archer III four years ago at just under a quarter-million (with air conditioning). Adding the latest glass-panel option, which costs over $55,000, will easily push the price over $300,000. And that’s a lot of money for a four-place piston single.
You can find nice used Archers from the 1970s and ‘80s for $50,000-$80,000. Heck, for $300,000 you can find some pretty nice twins! Why would anyone pay that price for a piston single? Read on!
It’s hard to tell an Archer-III from an earlier Archer from a distance. The basic fuselage, wing, and fixed landing gear haven’t changed since the model was introduced in 1973. In that year, Piper decided to apply the successful “Warrior Wing” from the PA-28-161 to the 180 hp model, and the Archer was born.
The wing, which has less induced drag than the “Hershey Bar” wing on older PA-28-180s, works with large wheel pants and the 180 hp engine to provide a 128 knot cruise speed; which is pretty fast for a fixed-gear airplane. And the engine offers enough power to carry four good-sized people and full fuel… or at least, it used to.
In a new Archer III, with air conditioning, you’ll find the useful load cut to about 750 pounds. Air conditioning accounts for some of that, and the rest is lost in soundproofing and a really nice leather interior.
Unlike earlier Archers, in the III you have to watch how many people, and how much baggage, you put in the airplane with full fuel (50 gallons, 48 usable). As with earlier models, you have the option to fill “to the tabs” which gives you 18 gallons per side.
Look more closely, though, and you’ll see some changes. The stodgy cowl inherited from earlier Cherokees has been replaced by a racy-looking LoPresti design. Wingtips have integrated landing lights, and the overall fit and finish is a big step up from older Archers.
The interior, though—and especially the panel—are where you’ll see the changes. The cheap-looking plastic covers that all the older Cherokees, Warriors and Archers shared has been replaced by a clean all-metal panel, and in the latest Archer-IIIs (since 2004) some have an optional glass panel. This replaces the typical primary flight instruments (attitude indicator, directional gyro, airspeed indicator, turn coordinator and altimeter) and engine instruments with two huge (10.4 inch) electronic displays.
On the left is a Primary Flight Display that replaces all the primary flight instruments. In effect, it gives you an 8-inch-wide attitude indicator, an electronic horizontal situation indicator, digital altimeter, and other functions. On the right is a Multi-Function Display that can function as a 10.4” GPS moving-map and digital engine monitor. With an optional ($4,365) datalink package, it can give you live weather information, including NEXRAD radar and lightning strikes. Backing up the cool panel is some very nice IFR avionics, including dual Garmin GNS-430 GPS/NAV/COM units, and an S-Tec 55 autopilot.
In a nutshell, this is a state-of-the-art avionics suite that’s nicer than what you’ll find in most twins (and even older jets). It makes the Archer III a far more capable IFR airplane than older models.
What if the alternator fails, you ask? The Archer III has a 24-volt electrical system and a 10 amp-hour battery, so if you shed electrical load (the displays use 6 amps) you should have at least an hour to find a place to land. If you lose all electrical power, you’ll have backup mechanical instruments including a vacuum-driven attitude indicator, altimeter, airspeed indicator and of course a magnetic compass. That’s not elegant, but it’s better than partial panel in most “steam gauge” airplanes.
When you can tear your eyes away from the displays (and eventually you have to—“see and avoid” still applies!) you may have trouble finding a few switches. The auto-style starter key has been replaced by a momentary-contact rocker switch, and it’s on an overhead panel that will make you think you’ve gotten into a jet.
Other switches on that panel control the lights, battery, alternator and both magnetos. The switches are big, friendly, easy to hit (and up out of the way where they won’t be hit by accident) and internally lighted—in fact, that’s something else worth noting: In contrast to practically all older PA-28s, the Archer III’s panel lighting is excellent. It’s a much nicer airplane for night flying.
There’s also an annunciator panel to tell you if any systems are misbehaving. Even the yokes are different—they’re canted inward purposefully, and look more like the wheel from a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane than older Cherokee yokes. The one on the pilot’s side has enough buttons on it to compete with the stick on a modern jet fighter: in addition to the usual microphone button and electric pitch trim switch, it also has electric rudder trim and an autopilot cut-out.
The heavy (and expensive) air conditioning works extremely well—and as someone who lives in a place with three-digit summer temperatures I can tell you that’s awfully nice. Most PA-28s taxi with the passenger door open, and a very uncomfortable crew and passengers. Not an air conditioned Archer III: Instead, you close the door, turn on the air, and in just a couple of minutes it’s 70 degrees.
And unlike the air conditioning in earlier PA-28s, the new system doesn’t lower a scoop into the airstream, and has no impact on climb or cruise performance. You’re still supposed to turn it off on takeoff (to reduce electrical load, I guess). A switch automatically does that at full throttle in case you forget.
In a nutshell, then, an Archer III is an ideal commuter airplane. It’s comfortable, and capable of IFR operations in anything short of icing conditions. While it’s expensive to buy, it’s cheap to operate—with a nearly bulletproof Lycoming O-360 engine (with a carburetor ice detector as standard equipment), fixed gear, and a fixed pitch prop.
Piper provides a one year warranty that covers everything except gas, oil and insurance. Moreover, the Archer III is an entry point to Piper’s step-up program, which enables pilots to trade up towards a Meridian or Seneca. With all that said, I’m in no hurry to run out and buy one—but I sure wish I could afford to!
For More Information: https://www.newpiper.com/fleet/archerIII/index.asp?Model=Archer
John D. Ruley is an instrument-rated private pilot, and a freelance writer specializing in science and technology. He’s also a volunteer pilot for LIGA International (www.ligainternational.org), and past president of the Modesto Airport Pilot’s Association. You can write to John at jruley@ainet.com.
