Piper Tomahawks

[johnl2]

Hello,
I am a student pilot, and I'm looking to buy my own airplane. I have found a Piper Tomahawk that can be purchased VERY reasonably, the down side is that the engine was stolen from it's hanger while a broken engine mount was being replaced.
I need to know the make, model and HP for the engine. I am told that it was around 100 HP from the factory. Is it possible to put an engine with a higher HP rating in this aircraft, without a ton of modifications to the airplane? Is this an advisable task. Any and all commemnts/observations are welcome.......John

[n3ly]

I to am a student pilot and looked at the piper and the word I got was trammahalk
I ended up with a Grumman aa-1b and love it!
the aircraft is diffrent and faster than brand c -p-a- ? It is a little harder to fly in that it is very responsive and it will sink like rock
It to needed a few things of t.l.c.
the big one is the oilcooler that is being installed this week!
the hardest thing I have run in to is finding a cfi that has grumman time

If the piper need a bunch of 337 or stc I would keep looking because for the money that you are talking you can find a ready to go airplane that will get you through the licens and still have plane to trade up

just my thoughts and where I have been!
good luck and keep us posted
grumman N3LY

[dan birrell]

About the Tommahawk, Read up on the stall characteristics of this plane. I too considered buying one but had read some horror stories about the test plane used for certification having a few more wing ribs than the production model. Could that really be true? Anyway the under surface of the wing tended to "oil can" during a stall changing the airfoil shape and making stall/spin recovery difficult. Again just rumor. The Lycoming O235 is considered a good engine with a high TBO. I settled on a C150G with the no longer produced Cont. O200.
Good luck!

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[Sappie]

Even in OZ they are refered to as The Trauma-Hawk, I have never flown one yet. but i want to.

[BOHIXON]

I have owned 3 different airplanes now and have learned a few valuable lessons. First and foremost, you get what you pay for and if it seems really cheap, it probably is. No matter what you do, hire someone who is familiar with the line of aircraft you are looking at, someone who can answer all of your questions. This could be a broker or someone who just has a lot of knowledge. By all means have a pre-purchase inspection done by a mechanic you know and trust. This will cost some $$ but it could save you some big bucks down the road.
Either way, I agree with the nnickname "trauma-hawk" I have never flown one but they look a little flimsy. I am a big cessna fan, don't count out a 172 or something along that line. Remember in order to make it worthwhile, you will have to fly it.
It does cost, but owning a plane is fun and fullfilling. Email me if you want to chat or need a contact for looking for a plane, I'll hook you up with the guy I have used in the past.
n6294x@aol.com

[tomahawk_flyer]

What is with the prejudice towards Tomahawks, I have flown Cessna 150 and Tomahawks and found our tomahawk is mach faster, quieter, more range, more manageable, better rate of climb, safer, and easier to land. My dad looked at many 150’s and decided that I we were going to treat it with respect and not abuse it, or spin it would be a far more practical plane to take us through of commercial than a mid sixties 150. Yes, many Tomahawks have been in spin accidents, with the majority being un-intentional, at low level with the pilot being at fault no the plane.
If people are too scared about being killed in spin accidents, don’t spin it. It is as simple as that, keep an eye on all you’re speeds in the circuit and you can’t go wrong. Even though the Tomahawk is less forgivable than the 150 it is far more advanced and more capable, also pilots flying the tomahawk find it easier to transition to a higher performance aircraft like the arrow. If you stay ahead of the Tomahawk you can’t go wrong

In summary the Tomahawk is far better than the Skipper and the 150/2 and despite what everyone says I think people are just stupid and prejudice to think otherwise


Matt
mmillsom@yahoo.com

[NatefromRI]

I'm actually about to start training in a Piper Tomahawk at Lincoln Flight Center, in Rhode Island. I did a lot of checking/research into this plane before I decided on it. No doubt about it, the Tomahawk is not a docile plane. You need to fly it and keep an eye on everything. The major concern with this airplane is that from what I understand, the stall characteristics of this plane are not predictable as they are in a Cessna. The plane could potentially roll left OR right from 15% to as much as 90%. Like I said, whether or not you start to roll left or right is not predictable prior to the stall, nor is the degree of your roll. Is this a bad thing? I don't think so, as long as you have enough altitude to recover.

Another thing about the Tomahawk is that the fuel selector switch does not have a "BOTH" position, only a left/right/ position. Some take issue with this because they think it reduces the safety of the plane if a pilot forgets to switch tanks and runs out of fuel in one of the tanks. The Tomahawk was designed by Piper to be strictly a trainer aircraft after soliciting suggestions from 10,000 flight instructors.

I think that by learning on this plane, transitioning to a Cessna downrange will be much easier.

Besides, the cockpit is more comfortable since it is larger, and visibility around and above you is great since the wings are below you.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to starting!

--NatefromRI

[Denny of Oakland]

The aircraft is a great for training, if maintained right. The control cables should to be checked at every 100 hour inspection or the flight controls get sloppy. I can't tell you how many I have rigged over the years.

There are STC engine kits, but it not worth the money. Go to the FAA web site any search for the Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) look under small aircraft. The TCDS is (A19SO) for your Tomahawk make model is a PA-38-122. I took some information the TCDS for you as follows:

The Engine is either:
Lycoming O-235-L2C (Slick Magnetos) with carburetor setting 10-5199 orLycoming O-235-L2A (Bendix Magnetos) with carburetor setting 10-5199.

Propeller and Propeller Limits:

Sensenich 72CK-0-56

Static r.p.m. at maximum permissible throttle setting not over 2350 r.p.m., not under 2200 r.p.m. No additional tolerance permitted. Diameter: Not over 72 inches, not under 70 inches.

Airspeed Limits (CAS):
Never exceed 143 knots
Maximum structural cruising 108 knots
Maneuvering 101 knots
Flaps Extended 87 knots

Good luck with the aircraft.

[Denny of Oakland]

Sorry, I made a mistake on the TCDS it is (A18S0) and model is PA-32-112.

[bassic]

I fly Tomahawk, I find it to be a great little plane, however, watch out! If you see a "great deal" on a Thawk and it has something like 9675 hours on it, BE FOREWARNED!!! You MUST REPLACE the WINGS at 10,000 hours! No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Other than that, they're a blast to fly! Yes, they aren't that stable in stalls, but if you go into the stall coordinated, it isn't too much of a problem. If you don't, you'll spin! And they will NOT stop rotating until you use the correct control inputs. That's what got a few of the early ones. They have an undeserved bad name because of it.

[dplane]

Greetings:

I have 248.7 hours in the Tomahawk (PA-38-125 tall pistons, do it @ overhaul)and consider it to be one of the finest trainers, bar none. I flew my Private, Commercial and Instrument check rides in it as well as the required CFI spin training.

It's value as a trainer is a result of its tempermental nature and I can assure you, if you can fly this trainer, you can fly anything.

I'm not going to go into the wing rib thing, been there, done that, bought the T shirt. Suffice to say that to my knowledge it's the only airplane out there that's been through certification twice, and passed 'em both.

Yes, the spin is a real ride! Don't look back, it'll scare the h*ll out of you.

[larry001964]

Originally Posted by dplane

Greetings:

I have 248.7 hours in the Tomahawk (PA-38-125 tall pistons, do it @ overhaul)and consider it to be one of the finest trainers, bar none. I flew my Private, Commercial and Instrument check rides in it as well as the required CFI spin training.

It's value as a trainer is a result of its tempermental nature and I can assure you, if you can fly this trainer, you can fly anything.

I'm not going to go into the wing rib thing, been there, done that, bought the T shirt. Suffice to say that to my knowledge it's the only airplane out there that's been through certification twice, and passed 'em both.

Yes, the spin is a real ride! Don't look back, it'll scare the h*ll out of you.

Iv'e seen it the tail wobbles a little LOL yea that got me at first too.. But i truly love that plane.