Comparing two of Piper’s most popular aircraft ever is hard to do without going into its lengthy history spanning nearly a century. Despite the early death of Gordon Taylor in 1928 and several bankruptcies, Piper still managed to be a top producer of American planes during World War II with the Piper Cub. 

The Cub aside, many still enjoy discussing the differences between Piper’s Cherokee and Warrior models, tracing both model developments from the early 1960s to today. Both the Cherokee and Warrior series represent a significant chapter in the history of general aviation. 

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Key Design Changes & Differences Between Piper’s Cherokee & Warrior Aircraft Series

Explore highlighted key differences between Piper’s Cherokee and Warrior models, produced from 1964 to 1977. Before diving into the nitty gritty, you must first understand how aviation and a Hershey’s chocolate bar go hand in hand. 

READ RELATED: The Rich History Behind Piper Aircraft’s Warrior Series

The Hershey Bar Wing, Explained

The most significant difference between the Cherokee and Warrior lies in their wing designs. Piper’s well-known “Hershey bar wing” is part of why its evolution over time is so interesting and iconic in aviation. This original wing design gives the aircraft a blocklike wing from taper to tip, looking similar to Hershey’s signature chocolate bar. 

Chosen for its simplicity and low manufacturing costs, engineers eventually changed its wing design to improve its performance, enhance its aerodynamics, and keep up with trending styles.

Tail Transformation

One of the most distinctive features of these aircraft is the stabilator or flying tail. This all-moving horizontal tail surface acts as both a stabilizer and elevator, providing excellent pitch control. While it offers performance benefits, the primary driver for this design was economic – it was simply cheaper to produce than a conventional stabilizer and elevator combination.

Introducing The Cherokee

The Cherokee line began production in 1961 and quickly gained popularity due to its affordability. By 1963, Piper had delivered its 1,000th Cherokee, improving its overall performance and design over the years. The Cherokee spans 26 different PA-28 models before ceasing production in 1977.

Brief Recognition For Piper Aircraft’s Dakota 235 & 236 

It’s simply impossible to talk about Piper Aircraft’s Cherokee model without briefly discussing its Dakota 235 and 236 designs. Immediately following the Cherokee is its Dakota series (PA-28-235 B-F models) featuring a 235-horsepower Lycoming TBO 2000 O-540-B4B5 engine with an Archer cowling, allowing the whole top to lift up and off. This aircraft is also made with fiberglass, whereas the Warrior is made with metal. In production from 1979 to 1994, the Dakota 236 features a 235-horsepower Lycoming O-540-J3A5D engine and can reach a maximum speed of up to 148 knots.

Although Piper’s 180 and 235 look extremely similar, the 235 has a constant speed 2-blade propeller and a clear boost in horsepower. According to our database, there are 957 registered 235s with a total of 2,104 produced. For 236s, there are 506 on the registry with 750 built. 

Piper Welcomes The Warrior

In 1974, Piper introduced the taper-winged Warrior due to declining Cherokee sales. Despite its new wing design, the Warrior kept its Hershey Bar shape for its inboard section. Its tapered wing resulted in a 2-foot increase in wingspan compared to the Cherokee line of aircraft. 

The Warrior series represented a significant evolution of the Cherokee design and marketing for it wasn’t always spot on. In fact, the initial Warrior models were branded as “Challengers.” But Piper quickly reverted to the “Warrior” to maintain consistency with their Native American-inspired aircraft names.

The Warrior line generally includes the following 3 variations. 

Warrior (PA-28-151)

The original Warrior remained in production from 1974 to 1977 with 1,898 units sold.

Warrior II (PA-28-161)

Introduced in 1977, the Warrior II became a bestseller with 3,374 units produced.

Warrior III (PA-28-161)

Piper Aircraft’s current production model continues its legacy through the Warrior, Arrow, Archer TX and LX, and the Pilot 100 and i100. Although the Archer was discontinued in 2009, with investment from new company ownership, the model was put back into production in 2010.

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Power Upgrades

The original Warrior (PA-28-151) offers a modest increase in performance over its Cherokee predecessors. However, the 1977 Warrior II (PA-28-161) made a significant leap in speed with a 160-horsepower Lycoming O-320-D3G engine. Combined with improved wheel fairing aerodynamics, this aircraft resulted in a substantial boost in cruise speed. While the original Warrior advertised a cruise speed of 109 knots at 75% power, the Warrior II claimed an impressive 127 knots under the same conditions.

Aerodynamics

Introducing the Warrior series brought power upgrades and 3 aerodynamic advantages.

1. Higher Aspect Ratio

The longer, narrower wing reduces induced drag, improving climb and cruise performance.

2. Washout

The tapered section incorporates a slight twist, decreasing the angle of incidence near the wingtip. This feature enhances stall characteristics by allowing the outer portion of the wing to continue generating lift even when the root area has stalled.

3. Controllability

The washout design helps maintain aileron effectiveness during a stall, enhancing overall aircraft control in critical situations.

Reflecting On The Differences Between Piper’s Cherokee & Warrior

Piper’s evolution of development, marketing, and redesigning two icons like the Cherokee and Warrior over the past century represents more than just a change in wing design or a boost in horsepower. It embodies Piper’s commitment to continual improvement while maintaining the core values of simplicity, safety, and affordability that have defined the PA-28 series from the beginning.

Check out the following facts about the Cherokee and Warrior series of aircraft:

Piper Cherokee Fast Facts

  1. The Cherokee’s aircraft design is the resulting work of Fred Weick and John Thorp. 
  2. Inspired by the Piper Tri-Pacer, Weick and Thorp developed the Cherokee series to be an affordable, all-metal alternative.
  3. If the Cherokee has a “Hershey bar wing”, it is likely an early Cherokee design.
  4. The Cherokee’s success led to numerous popular variants including the Arrow, Archer, and Dakota.
  5. The Cherokee series helped establish Piper’s new factory in Vero Beach, Florida.

Piper Warrior Quick Recap

  1. A Warrior variant from 1988 to 1990, the Cadet, was aimed at the trainer market for a short period.
  2. Piper Aircraft’s Warriors have a wider wingspan than its Cherokee series of aircraft.
  3. Piper Aircraft carried the Warrior III into 21st-century production.
  4. Warriors are widely used for flight training due to their stable handling characteristics. 
  5. As of 2021, new Warriors are equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.

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