Aircraft model
PIPER PA-28R-201
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Arrow III, introduced in 1977 with the longer tapered wing and 72 usable gallons in place of the earlier constant-chord wing and 48 gallons. That combination gives it about 850 nautical miles of range, which is a great deal for a four-seat retractable, and a gentler stall than the Hershey-bar Arrows. It is used heavily as a commercial-licence complex trainer and as a private touring aeroplane.
It is competent rather than thrilling: 137 knots on about ten gallons an hour, faster than an Archer and slower than a Mooney, with the maintenance of retractable gear for a gain of roughly thirteen knots. The gear system is reliable when maintained but rigging, the emergency extension procedure and the automatic extension system — where still fitted and active — all need to be understood. Insurance costs noticeably more than a fixed-gear Cherokee. At exactly 200 hp no high-performance endorsement applies. The wing spar airworthiness directive is especially relevant here because so many Arrows spent their lives in commercial training.
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Put PIPER PA-28R-201 side by side with up to two other models.
- PIPER PA-28R-201
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 |
| Horsepower | 200 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1977 |
| Production end | 1982 |
| Endorsements required | complex |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 137 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 850 nm |
| Service ceiling | 16,200 ft |
| Climb rate | 831 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 52 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,600 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,525 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,113 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 681 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,750 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,637 lb |
| Usable fuel | 72 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 11.2 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $95,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $330,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $34,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $48,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 645 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 336 |
| Median year built | 1978.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 22 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 65.481 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 44.642 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 85 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 25.33 |
| Airworthiness directives | 8 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 1 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 336 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 336 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 336 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 3 of 101 |
| Severity | 4.2 of 102 |
| Access | 7.8 of 103 |
| Support | 6.6 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 8.4 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 30 out of 506 |
These record scores treat PIPER PA-28R-201 as one design with the same aircraft registered under other names: it includes 16 aircraft registered under PIPER AIRCRAFT INC; includes the record of aircraft once registered under NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT INC. Prices are not combined.
- Accident record: class median 32.28 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 775.
- Support: class median 147.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.9.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.