This book describes the heritage and development of the entire Piper
Cherokee family; its safety and ownership characteristics; internal and
external details; and a range of special variants from STOL
modifications and new engines to seaplanes and tailwheel conversions.
The hugely successful Piper PA-28 was produced and sold as a direct
competitor to the Cessna 172. Initially produced with a rectangular wing
planform and fixed undercarriage, it was available with installed powers
ranging from 140 to 235 hp. A retractable undercarriage resulted in the
Arrow series. The closely related PA-32 Cherokee Six, Saratoga and Six X
are larger high performance aircraft. Versions of the PA-32 fitted with
retractable undercarriages are the Lance and the sophisticated Saratoga
II series.