Derived metrics
Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.
What size is it, really?
The Piper PA-28 Archer's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.
The numbers
| Length | 7.32 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.80 m |
| Height | 2.20 m |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,157 kg |
| Cruise (75% power) | 232 km/h |
| Range (55% power, 6,000 ft) | 924 km |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360, 180 hp |
| Service ceiling | 4,034 m |
| Seats | 4 |
Put the Piper PA-28 Archer next to something
Last verified: 2026-07-20 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi
What makes it different
If the Skyhawk is the archetypal high-wing trainer, the Archer is the low-wing alternative, and the two have divided flight training between them for sixty years. More than 32,000 PA-28s of all types have been built since the Cherokee first flew in 1960.
The low wing changes what a student learns. Ground effect is more pronounced on landing, so the flare has to be judged rather than simply allowed to happen. Visibility is better in a turn and worse straight down. Fuel feeds from tanks that sit below the cabin rather than above it, which means a fuel pump and a habit of checking it.
The Archer uses a stabilator — a single all-moving horizontal surface — instead of a fixed tailplane with a hinged elevator. It is lighter in pitch than a Cessna and rewards a gentler hand. Prospective buyers should know the wing-spar airworthiness directive that applies to high-hour examples used in training.