Piper COMANCHE User guide

NOTICE
THIS liANDB6oK IS NOT DESIGNED, NOR CAN ANY
HANDBOOK SERVE, AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ADEQUATI~ AND
COMPETENT FLIGHT INSTRUCTlON, OR KNOWLEDGE OF TI.11S
CURRENT AIRWORTI4INESS DIRECTlVES, THE APPLICABLE
FEDERAL AIR REGULATIONS, AND AbVlSORY CiRCULARS. IT
IS NOT lNTENDED TO BE A GUIDE OF BASIC FLIGHT
INSTRUCTION, NOR A TRAINING MANUAL.
'.
THE 13ANDBOOIC IS DESIGNED:
I. TO HELP YOU OPERATE YOUR COMANCHE WITH
SAFETY AND CONFIDHNC&.
2, TO MORE FULLY ACQUAINT YOU WITH THE BASIC
PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE AJRPLANE.
3. TO MORE FULLY EXPLAIN YOUR COMANCHE'S
OPERATION THAN IS PERMISSIBLE TO SET FORTH IN
THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL.
IF THERE IS 'ANY INCONSISTENCY. BETWEEN THIS
HANDBOOK AND THE AIRPLANE FWGHT MANUAL APPROVED
BY THE F.A.A., THE AIRPLAN& FLIGHT MANUAL SHALL
GOVERN.
Revised text and iIIustrations shall be indicated by a
black vertical line in the margin opposite rhc change.
Additional copjes of this manual, Part No. 753 529,
may be obtained fr&~ your Piper Dealer.
Published by
PUBLICATIONS DEPARTMENT
Piper Aircraft Corporation
. 753529
Issued; October 1960
Revised: April 1973

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The Piper Comanche SECTION 1
DESIGN FEATURES
1. Specifications:

1 SECTION Tire PIper Canrunehe
II. Engine and Propeller:
Tha Comanche Model 180 is quipped with a Lycoming 0-360-
A seriw engine rated ak 180 HP at 2700 RPM. The engine in the 250
is a Lycorning 0-54Q-A series, developing 250 HP at 2575 RPM. Both
engines have compression ratios of 8.5 to 1, and require 92/96
octane minimup fuel. They are iurniahed with n geared starter, 35
ampere 12-volt generator, voItage regulator, shielding, fuel pump,
propeller governer, vacuum pump drive, and carburetax air box and
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filter.
The exhaust system on the 180 is a stainless steel croas over type.
A large mumer and oversize heater shroud is provided an both the
180 and 250 installations, to supply heat for cabin and carburetor
heater systems.
Engine cooling is aocomplished
cowl flaps or exhaust augmentera, and
cowl Aanga.
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without the complication of
without drag producing fixed
,

Ihe PIpef CosuncAe SECTIoN 1
The 180 uses the Harkell, madel HC92ZK8D or the McCnuley,
model 2D36Clk
The 250 uses the Hartzell, model HC82XKID. AII propeilers
are constallt speed controllable.
111.. Fuselage and Wing Structures:
Structures are of d~eer aluminum construction, and are designed
to uitimate load factors well in excess of mormal wquiremnts. All
camponents are campktely zinc chron~aie primed, exterior surfaces
are enameled as well.
The main spars aE the wings are joined with high strength butt
fitting9 in the center of the fuselage, making in effect a c~ndnuous
~nain spar. Main spurs are nuached to the fuselage at the side 01
the fuaelage and in the cetkter of tlie structure; win5 are attached
also at the rear spar and at an auxiliary front spat.
The wing airfoil section is a laminar flow ty e, NACA642A215,
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with maximum thickness about 403, aft of the eading edge. This
permits the tnuin spar, located nt the point of maximum thich~ess,
lo pass through the cabin urrder the rear neat, pruvidiq ul)~h!iW~ctetl
cabin llour space ahead BE he reur acat.
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I SECTION The Pipcr Cnmunrhe
W. landing Gear:
r
The main wheds are Cleveland Aircra£t Products Model 3070,
600 x 6, witll single disc hydraulic brakes, Model 3000-250. The nose
wheel is Cleveland Model 38501; all wheels have 600 x 6 tires.
The nose gear is steerable through a 40 degree arc through use
of the rudder pedals. As the nose gear retracts, khe steering linkage
disengages to reduce rudder pedal loads in Righi. The nose wheel
is equipped with a hydraulic sl~irnmy damper.
Many af the parts of the three air-ail type landing gear units,
including die forks, st ruts, md lorque links, are interchangeable.
All three gears are inflated to approximately 2% inches of strut
exlension.
The landing gear is retracted or extended in 7 secanda by an
electric motor installed under the front center floorboards, actuating
push-pull controls to cach of the gears, Manual extension of the
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I
lhc Piper Comanche SECTl0t-l 1

1 SECTION Tic Piptvr ComuncLa
gear is accomplished with the Emergency Gear hver aft of the nose
gem wdl.
The brakes am actuatad by a hand lever and a master cylinder
located under tbs front left ff oorboarda along with the parking brake
unit., The brake fluid xesenroir ia installed on the front left side
of the firewell.
To prevent inadvertent retraction of gear on the ground, a switch
is iastaIled on the left main gear which GU~ 0fE current to the re-
traction motor until the gear is fully extcpded. This feature must
not be tested during ground operation,
A green light on the instrument panel below the landing gear
switch indicates all gears down and locked. An amber light above
the switch indicates gears up. Them lights are automatically dimmed
when the navigation lights are turned on.

The Plpsr Com~nchs SECTION f
V. Control System and Surfaces:
Dual wheel and rudder controls are puwided, with cables to
control surfaces. Tb horizonial lad is a dabilakor, with an anti-
servo tab which also acts as a longitudinal trim tab, actuated with
trim crank in the cabin ceiling. The stabilator provides extra EM-
bility and controlabifity with less size, drag end weight than with
conventional horizontal tail surfaces.
A rudder trim adjustment is mounted on tho right side of !ha
nose wheel dame to permit directional trim as needed in flight.
The flaps are manually operated, balanced for light opera~ing
forces and spring ioaded ta return to the up position. Loch on the
inboard ends of the Aapa hold them in the up position so that he
right flap can be stepped on for entry or exit. The £lap will not
support a step load except when in he full up position, ao muat be
.$ completely retracted when used aa a step.
The flaps haw three extmded positions, 9, 18 and 27 degrees,
Full flap is recommended for landing, zero or partial flap for take-offs.

I SECTTON Tha Piper Comanche
VI. Fuel System:
Two nylon and neoprene
fuel celle in the inboard leading
edga sections of the wings pro-
vide fuel capacity. The cells
should be kept full of fuel did
ing storage of the airplane to
prevent accumulation of mais*
ture and deterioration of the
cells. For long brm titorage
widlout fuel, he cells should be
coated with light engine oil to
keep the rulber from drying
out.
Each fuel cell holds a maximum of 30 gallons.
On the 180,
to obtain he standard fuel quantity of 50 gallong total, or 25 gallons
per tank, the cells are filled only to the bottom of (bc filler neck,
which extends into tho fuel cell about- om inch. To obtain the
standard plus reserve quan~ity, the cells are filled to the top of the
filler necks. This systemprovides a reserve fuel capacity willlout the
necessity for exba tanks, valves and lines.
On the 250 Comanche, 60 gallons is the standard fuel capacity,
and the tankg are normally filled to the tops of the filler necks.
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An electric auxiliary fuel pump is provided for use in the event

of failure of the standard engine driven puwp. The electric pump
is normally ~urned an for landings and take-offs.
The fuel strainer, equipped with a'quick drain, is mounted under
he right forwatd section of the fusdage, The strainer should be
draincd regularIy to check for water ox dirt accurnulatione.
The pr.ocedms for .drrining tbc right and left hnLs and lim ,
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is to open the gasculatcr quick drain fur a few seconds with the fuel
tank selector on one tank. Then change the fuel selector to the op-
posik tank and repeat the process, allowing enough fuel t~ flow
au~ LO clear the line as well as the gascdator.
VII. Electrical System:
A 12-volt 33 ampere hour battery is mounted behind he bag-
gage compartment in a sealed stainless sieel battery box.
The
standard generator has an oulput of 50 amperes.
Electrical switches and circuit breakera, located on the lower
leit instrument pad, control the navigation and inetrument lights,

1 SECTlON The Piper Comanche

The Piper Comanche SECTIO~ I
two landing lights, electric turn and bank, and other electrical com-
ponents. The circuit breakers automatically break the electrical
circuit i.f an overload is applied to he system, preventing damaga
to. eIwtricd wiring. 'ro reset the breakers, simply push itl he hutt~tts.
Maw appraximately two minutes far breakers to cool befoxe reset-
ting.
VIII. Cabin Features:
The instrument panel of the Comanche is designed to accom-
modate Ehe customary advanced blind fli& instruments an the left
eide in honk of the pilor, and d~e engine inshlrmenbi on the right
side.
Provision for exlrn iustru~nents is made in bo~h seotions, In-
struments are shock mounted, and are accessible for maintenance
by removing a portion of the fuselage cowl aver the instruments.
Front seah are adjustabIe hruugh a Ioug range for pilot com-
fort and to facilitate entry and exit. They are easii
the seats off their tracks,
L~~~'=~~~ by
taking out the stops at the etld of the mounting trac
and sliding
The rear seat buck is adjusred to various fore and aft positions
by use of r)le latch- at the outboard upper corners. The entire rear
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1 SECTlOH the Piper Comrncha
seat ia r~moved quickly by disengaging the aft seat haltom tube
from its attachment clamps, detaching ihe latcl,~as behind the top of
the seiit hack, removing ihe center safety belt bolt, then Wing bath
the sent and the back as ano unit from the cockpit.

The Piper Carnunche SE&N I