Airframe time on a Piper Warrior/cherokee, Archer??????

Question

What is considered high Airframe time on these planes and whats the max hours you should stretch the Airframe life?

Answer 1

i hear 5000 hrs. is getting up there in time, but if it's well maintained they can go well beyond that, but eventually stress cracks can form that can't be easily detected so I wouldn't push it too far.  Ever see the video of the C-130 rip apart fighting a fire in CA?  You don't want that to happen to you.

Answer 2

Look at the logs and see how and where it has spent its life. Hangar queen? or Trainer?  7 to 9000 hours I would do, they will go beyond that though. I fly 6200lb twin's with 10-13000 hours on them and they take allot of TLC but they work.

Answer 3

Supposedly, during testing, airframes are put through a sequence of rigorous testing that is supposed to duplicate 10000 hrs of airframe life.

The GA fleet appears to be holding up to the task, but many are or have already reached this milestone... The costs to keep them in flying order is going through the roof as a result.

Answer 4

These planes don't have an air time limitation.  If the plane is well maintained it could theoretically last forever.  The only limitations come from the pocket book for repairs.

Typically 10,000 hours is getting up there for a GA airframe.  But by the time 10,000 hours rolls around basically everything that is going to wear out or break has been replaced already.  All you have to watch out for is corrosion and cracks (can happen to low time aircraft too, especially ones that have been sitting a long time).  Thing like paint, interior, and even control cables wear out based on calender time, not air time.

For me, if I had a choice between a 1976 Archer with 1,500 hours on it and a 1976 Archer with 8,000 hours on it I would take the 8,000 hour plane.  I will pay less for it, it will have a newer engine, and everything will be well lubricated and used.

I have worked on aircraft with nearly 100,000 hours on them (Convair 580) and they are still in daily service.  It just takes TLC (and cash).

Answer 5

Since many of these little four-place single engined aircraft spent time as primary flight trainers, the nation-wide fleet does tend to average higher hours than other small singles.  

Single engined Pipers have no factory mandated life cycles or maximum airframe time, as there may be in larger pressurized aircraft.  As long as it will pass annual inspection, and all ADs are complied with it can keep flying,  but as with any mechanical device, parts wear out, and the more use it has seen, the faster it wears, until it gets to the point that it may cost more to maintain than the airplane is worth.  

I would be very cautious about any single engine Piper with more than 7500 hours on it.

Answer 6

Average flight school airplanes seems to have 4,000 to 8,000 hours on them when they come up for sale, so I'd say anything over 6,000 hours is considered "high time" on the airframe.What's maximum airframe expectancy? It depends on how it is flown, and where, and the age of the aircraft. I've seen as high as 22,000 hours on a tour operator airplane (and still going), but that's more the exception than the rule. Your best answer will come from calling an aircraft finance company. They'll tell you exactly what is considered "high time", given a year of manufacture. Your second best source of information would be a reputable used aircraft dealer.

Answer 7

5000 is not too bad  if well maintained  I have seen some with nearly 10.000  hours that are airworthy  . If you are useing it to build hours then sell it to upgrade  hi time is not such an issue  if you are buying a keeper  then under 4000 is what you want  and do not buy a plane yhat has been used for flight training they are always hammerd .