C-150 or PA28-140?

[JDJ]

I am looking at buying either a C-150 or Cherokee 140. The C150 is '70 model and 140 is a '63 model. 150 has 50 hours on the engine, new paint an new interier. 140 has 500 hours on the engine with about a five year old paint and enterior. Both look to be in great shape. Avionics are basic on both except no VOR in the 140 (both have one comm. and loran). Airframe hours are close to the same. I have flown the 140 about 20 hours but not flown the 150. I guess my question is what are your opinions on which plane you would rather own and why. Buy the way, the 140 asking price is $3500 more.

Thanks in advance,
JDJ

 

[jergar999]

Having flown about 50 hours in each, I can honestly say I would rather be in the 150 any day. The 140 may cruise a little quicker and haul a little more weight but it has been my experience that loaded to gross on a hot day, the 150 will perform as expected -- the Cherokee I can't say the same. The 150 will also be cheaper for fuel and maintenance. Also, if you intend to train in the aircraft the 150 will handle things a lot better. On the other hand, I have only flown three 150's and one Cherokee, so the Cherokee I flew may have been the exception to an otherwise great airplane.

The 150 you are looking at is cheaper, lower engine hours and has a VOR? There are three big selling points.

 

[bigD]

I've flown both planes quite a bit, and in pretty hot weather. jergar is right in that the 150 is a pretty honest airplane, and you can generally know what to expect out of its performance. But the 140 can be the same if you treat it primarily as a 2 place plane, with the option of taking one or two more IF you're well aware of the limitations in doing so.

I'm not a particularly sizable guy (in spite of my screen name!), but I am 6'1", and the 150 can get pretty tight for me. If I could afford it - I'd push for the 140 for this reason alone. I also love the manual flaps and although I don't know the age of the 140 you're looking at, the elevator trim on the ceiling (although I always seemed to be turning the crank the wrong way!).

 

[tarp]

JDJ,

I guess the money is just burning a hole in your pocket. Did you decide to just buy the plane for yourself or are you still thinking of instructing in it?

You've basically flown both airplanes. The C-150 is about as close to the C-152 as you can make two planes. The only major difference I can recall is the extra 10 degrees of flaps in the C-150. You can put the "barn doors" down to 40 degrees instead of just to 30 - a BIG difference when you are attempting a go-around with full flaps - just note that. Most of the airspeeds are 5 kts slower and I seem to remember that the C-150 is 1600 and the C-152 is 1670lbs gross.

As an older guy, I'm just tired of squeezing my frame into a C-150/152 cabin. It's like putting on a tight pair of gloves. Both are great little trainer planes. The others have a point that it is tempting to use all that room in the back of the Cherokee to put stuff or people, but if you follow the W&B for the airplane it handles as it should. The C-150 has no such temptation - you are always just figuring how much fuel you should put in the thing and hoping that your next student weighs less than you do.

As a Cherokee (180hp) owner, the only thing to watch out for these days are some of the AD's for older aircraft. Just got a scary one the other day about two aircraft (10,000 airframe hours and 12,000 airframe hours) that developed cracks in the Vertical Stab and the FAA's normal mumbo-jumbo about inspections in that area. That joins the Flap handle AD and the wing spar AD for things that are getting stressed on older aircraft.

Just make sure you get a good pre-buy inspection from an A&P who knows Piper or Cessna aircraft. Good luck. You would do well to search this forum for other buyer info - some good words have been passed to others who looked to buy.

The good thing about ownership is having a known entity out there on the ramp waiting for me to fly her. The problems are of course all money and time - insurance, tiedowns, maintenance, fuel & oil, taxes, maintenance, washing and waxing, maintenance, inspections, registrations and did I mention maintenance. You get the idea.

 

[greg20]

C-150

I would choose the C-150 over the PA-28-140 any day, especially since this 150 is newer, has a newer (or more recently rebuilt) engine, new paint/interior, has the VOR, and is cheaper (asking price). I have flown both; and while neither is a speed demon by any means, the 150 is good enough for the $, I think. I have more time in the Cherokee than the 150 though.

My opinion may be biased, as I was flying a PA-28-140 one time in FL for some sightseeing on a typical hot, humid day with 3 other low-to-average weight adults. Althought we were within weight and balance limits and had sufficient runway, etc; the takeoff was pretty squirrely and not something I would want to repeat! I think in a practical use sense it's more of a two-place airplane, like others have said. That's why I wouldn't be able to justify the extra cost for roughly similar capabilities as a 150.

 

[JJJ]

$3500 will buy alot of gas

 

[jetdriven]

not to mention the TCM O-200 in the C-150 loves autogas.

All these sweet comments about the 150 are right on. Aside from the option of having more than 2 seats, the 150 beats the pa-28-140 every time.

plus the 150 will burn 4.5-5 GPH and the 140 is around eight.

there are less AD's on a 150 and the airframes are less prone to cracking with lots of hours. Your annual should be something like 400$.

I flew a 18,000 hour 1969 150J a few times, it was a great little airplane.

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

C-150

Newer, cheaper, fresher engine.

Cooler in the summer: better ventilation, high wing provides shade, two windows and the air vent with the OAT gauge is nice.

High wings are good for training, but the Pipers are nice, too.

 

[JDJ]

Thanks for all the info. Just a correction to the original post; the 140 is a '65 model. Not that is matters much. I have flown several 140's and I agree, on a hot day most are dogs. This one has the 160 hp conversion and performs better than the other 140's I have flown. I have not flown this 150, but hope to soon. Thanks again for the information.

JDJ

 

[n101cs]

The C150 and PA28-140 issue

Hi there,

I am also a CFII with about 1300 hours now. Worked both in the warm south in Florida and in the cold north, in c150s as well as pa140s. Now, why would you want to buy one of those old planes. The price is an issue, I agree, but you have flown a lot, and surely know that you don't want to fly around the country at 90 kts... I have had the chance to try one of those new composite airplanes. Ok it is still on an experimental airplane certificate, and I have heard of pilots being scared by that word. It is certified in Peru in the normal category, and the US certification is under way. But anyway, it has changed the way I see flying now. Not too expensive either, about 4c a mile!!!, and very (if not extremely) cheap to maintain. The only thing you need to do to have it approved for flight over populated areas or IFR flight is just a ride with a DE, who will make sure the plane is safe. Anyway, the plane I flew was a Lafayette Sportser, and you can see the specs for yourself on their website: www.aircraftkit.com .

Good luck to you on your quest for your personnal ride in the skies,

Catalina rules!

 

[JDJ]

Sportster

Is this a kit that has to be built or is it purchased as a plane? What is the cost? Looks like an interesting plane. How was your ride in the plane?

Thanks for the info,
JDJ

 

[jetdriven]

I got maybe 100 hours in a Glasair II. It was fixed gear and 200 HP IO-360 and a C/s prop.
It would also do 175 KTAS on 10 GPH, and with 55 usable he could go from tulsa to houston and back on one tank.

it also had 800# useful load after the tanks were topped.

god that airplane was sweet. you didnt move the stick, you THOUGHT about moving it and the plane responds.

 

[n101cs]

About the Sportster part 1

Well, I'm not sure I can answer all of your questions about the plane, but contrary to the Glasair, it only burns 4 gallons per hour for the same speed. You can equip that baby with extended fuel tanks and reach a 4000 NM range !!! Unreal! My ride was fantastic, it really was like flying a fighter airplane. By the way, they have sold 40 of them to the egyptian airforce (with re-enforced T-tails) for their acrobatic and jet transition training. The plane has been tested for +11/-9 gs and didn't break. It's a stick obviously, no more yoke. The plane is extremely responsive, and stable as everything else I've flown both at high or low speeds. Visibility as good as a glider.

 

[n101cs]

Sportster Part 2

It was a pure joy ride. They have a ballistic parachute system on option, and tons of other gysmos. Just send them an e-mail or give them a call, they obviously know a lot more than I do. About the building thing, I know there are different ways of doing it. I am not sure about you being able to get a finished product. Again, just contact them.

This is the new generation airplane, and it's finally coming up. I have flown those cessnas and pipers for way too long. They served me right, but it's about time to fly aircraft that have not been designed with a 60 year old knowledge and technology.

Take care,

N101CS

 

[dmspilot00]

SPAM alert!! The only posts this guy has ever made have been about this amazing new airplane!

JDJ would not be looking at 30+ year old planes if he could afford a new one. And it's only a kit...

 

[JDJ]

Thanks

Your right about affording a new plane. I'm not really looking to build anything either.

JDJ

 

[n101cs]

Well, i'm sorry to see that I just can't share a piece of joy with anybody else without someone not believing in it... As a pilot, I'm always looking for new products out there, would they be avionics or airplanes, and if I do believe that there is something out there that is worth looking at, I will let fellow pilots know. Now, if you want to stay in the stone age, that is not my problem. I believe the aviation world is finally on its way towards something greater available to GA pilots instead of corporations only. Well I have tried what I consider beeing an amazing machine, so I talk about it. If I had tried one with a FADEC, I would have talked about the FADEC (and I really hope I will soon).

Good luck JDJ with your new airplane... and between the 150 and the 140, i'll go for the 150...

 

[n101cs]

No spam... just a good experience

JDJ... this was not directed to you, but to dmspilot00.


Take care,

N101CS

 

[dmspilot00]

Derrr, did I say I didn't believe it? Where did I say that?? I have no doubt that this new airplane is an amazing marvel of engineering and appreciate the heads up but it is getting excessive.

You already posted your own thread about it. JDJ asked for advice on whether to pick a particular C150 he was looking at or the particular Cherokee he was looking it. This is not an appropriate thread to be evangelizing and it gets obnoxious when people take advantage of threads to try to sell