# Beautiful Piper PA-24 Comanche
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 10, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158 "2014-05-10T23:32:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/1 "2014-05-10T23:32:42Z")
Doing a bit of [del]self-torture[/del] looking at airplanes, I found [this beautiful 1959 Piper PA-24 Comanche](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-Piper-Comanche-250-/251527051472). What a stunning plane! And the panel is really nice.
Piper built the Comanche from 1957 to 1972. After the tooling was destroyed by a flood, Piper dropped it to concentrate on the twin-engine Seneca and the single-engine Arrow at their Florida factory. Too bad. I practically grew up around airports (mom was an aviation secretary at an FBO, and dad was FAA when he retired from the Navy), and I always liked the looks of the Comanche. Granted, airplane designs don’t change that much – give it a fresh coat of paint, and people will think it’s new – but the Comanche looks as fresh today as it did half a century ago.
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/2 "2014-05-11T05:00:35Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> Doing a bit of [del]self-torture[/del] looking at airplanes, I found [this beautiful 1959 Piper PA-24 Comanche](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-Piper-Comanche-250-/251527051472). What a stunning plane! And the panel is really nice.
>
> Piper built the Comanche from 1957 to 1972. After the tooling was destroyed by a flood, Piper dropped it to concentrate on the twin-engine Seneca and the single-engine Arrow at their Florida factory. Too bad. I practically grew up around airports (mom was an aviation secretary at an FBO, and dad was FAA when he retired from the Navy), and I always liked the looks of the Comanche. Granted, airplane designs don’t change that much – give it a fresh coat of paint, and people will think it’s new – but the Comanche looks as fresh today as it did half a century ago.
I agree completely.
My Dad had a 1965 Comanche B 260 (fuel injection) for many years. I got to fly it often.
No tip tanks but it had 90 gallons. Only a 2 bladed prop.
One of the most dangerous airplane engine combinations to hand prop. (start) Never had to do that on our plane but I have done it on a few 250 Comanche’s which have a carburetor.
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/3 "2014-05-11T09:55:15Z")
Nice. I plan to get my Pilot license this year. I hope you don’t mind PMs.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/4 "2014-05-11T15:28:11Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> One of the most dangerous airplane engine combinations to hand prop. (start) Never had to do that on our plane but I have done it on a few 250 Comanche’s which have a carburetor.
My mom flew my sister and me up to my dad’s in a Musketeer. Lost electrical on the way up. All it turned out to be was turned a circuit breaker; but unbeknownst to my mom, it ran down the battery. When the time came to go home, the plane wouldn’t start. Dad hand-propped it. Unfortunately, I had just seen [_Family Flight_](http://www.rodtaylorsite.com/familyflight.shtml)…
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#):
>
> Nice. I plan to get my Pilot license this year. I hope you don’t mind PMs.
I’ll always talk about flying. I don’t mind PMs, but I haven’t been flying in two years and I haven’t been active for much longer. (I think about it every day, though!) If you were to start a ‘Bear\_Nenno’s Amazing Pilot Training Adventure’ thread, I’ll post to it _and_ you’ll get input from the pretty good sized pool of Flying Dopers – a couple of which are CFIs.
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### Author:  [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/5 "2014-05-11T17:32:13Z")
PM’s or a thread. I have no problem with either.
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### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/6 "2014-05-11T18:31:10Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> PM’s or a thread. I have no problem with either.
Thread.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/7 "2014-05-11T19:37:27Z")
Pretty bird.
Wishing again I’d been able to get a pilot’s license back when. (Crappy eyesight, not fixed until I was in my 40s… too late.)
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/8 "2014-05-11T19:58:54Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Crappy eyesight, not fixed until I was in my 40s… too late.
As long as your vision is correctable to 20/40 or better, you can get a 3rd Class medical certificate.
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### Author:  [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/9 "2014-05-13T01:19:42Z")
My wife caught me looking at Trade A Plane a while back. :eek:
She starts in telling me I can’t have another plane, and why can’t I look at porn like a normal husband!
It is!
[Thinking about getting one of these…](http://wolbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/31.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/10 "2014-05-13T01:23:44Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> As long as your vision is correctable to 20/40 or better, you can get a 3rd Class medical certificate.
Yeah, I know, a hobby license. Wasn’t what I wanted… and my native vision was a hell of a long ways from 20/40 (8.5 and 7.5 diopter, plus notable astigmatism). Even though contacts gave me pretty good correction, I had two CFIs tell me my chances of getting approved were iffy.
Now, of course, after Navy-pilot-grade PRK, I have nearly 20/20 vision with a slight recurrence of the astig. Too late.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/11 "2014-05-13T02:21:19Z")
> [@ducati](#):
>
> [Thinking about getting one of these…](http://wolbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/31.jpg)
[Here you go](http://www.controller.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&setype=1&Manu=BOEING%2fSTEARMAN).
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### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/12 "2014-05-13T02:45:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> [Here you go](http://www.controller.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&setype=1&Manu=BOEING%2fSTEARMAN).
**Johnny** , you’ve been around long enough to know the rules; two clicks for porn! 😉
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/13 "2014-05-15T02:15:29Z")
Here’s something you don’t see every day. An actual [Cessna T-41 Mescalero](http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/CESSNA-172-SKYHAWK/1967-CESSNA-172-SKYHAWK/1323663.htm). It was originally a U.S. Army trainer, but now has a civilian interior and paint. The T-41 (Cessna R172E) had a 210 hp engine and a constant-speed prop, vs. the 145 hp engine, fixed-pitch prop of the civilian 172H.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/14 "2014-05-15T06:10:21Z")
> [@ducati](#):
>
> My wife caught me looking at Trade A Plane a while back. :eek:
>
> She starts in telling me I can’t have another plane, and why can’t I look at porn like a normal husband!
>
> It is!
>
> [Thinking about getting one of these…](http://wolbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/31.jpg)
“No more planes, mister. That’s it, you’re done.” -Mrs. **ducati**.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/15 "2014-05-15T06:27:40Z")
> [@ducati](#):
>
> My wife caught me looking at Trade A Plane a while back. :eek:
>
> She starts in telling me I can’t have another plane, and why can’t I look at porn like a normal husband!
>
> It is!
>
> [Thinking about getting one of these…](http://wolbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/31.jpg)
After looking at the link, :eek: I agree with the wife. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/16 "2014-05-15T13:35:46Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#):
>
> After looking at the link, :eek: I agree with the wife. 🙂
😕
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/17 "2014-05-15T14:10:41Z")
> [@ducati](#):
>
> My wife caught me looking at Trade A Plane a while back. :eek:
>
> She starts in telling me I can’t have another plane, and why can’t I look at porn like a normal husband!
>
> It is!
>
> [Thinking about getting one of these…](http://wolbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/31.jpg)
To be fair, airplane glue really smells up the place.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/18 "2014-05-16T15:38:52Z")
[Here’s another Comanche](http://www.ebay.com/itm/250-hp-Lycoming-O-540-/181410533218?). Not as pretty as the one in the OP, but half the price. Nice panel. (I like the glass on the other one though.) With Skyhawks, which is what I’m interested in, you can really see how much better the later panels are on the later ones. Comparing mid-'60s Pipers with mid-'60s Skyhawks, I’ve always thought the Pipers had a better layout. In any case, the new panel on the '58 Comanche is a nice upgrade. Here’s a pic of an [‘original’ panel](http://media.sandhills.com/img.axd?id=1003147781&wid=CNT&p=&ext=&w=0&h=0&t=SHP+&lp=CNT&c=True&wt=False&sz=Max&checksum=qEb3TG5xKuKnlgFalayUbb8OepKj8rvymoSOc4AfU90%2fLkgVbukkx17b%2fWLROgzxHJqbswMPDNciAM5Qp%2bDu%2bePHMgAcIrZKjyuvL3%2bnORbjc957aPyyESO8hDS4KhCK).
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/19 "2014-05-16T17:32:48Z")
And then there’s [this Piper Turbo Arrow III](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Piper-Turbo-Arrow-III-PA-28-201T-/151303320074).
> [@](#):
>
> Damage history.1977 - Hanger Rash - replaced both wing outboard leading edge; **1979 - Gear-up -** replaced all damaged parts; new engine since **2003 - Gear-up -** Conducted engine crank shaft inspection per overhaul manual and completed a crank shaft run out. Aircraft was repaired and returned to service.”
[Emphasis mine.] Am I reading that right? ‘Only crashed twice!’
:dubious: OK, I get that it’s a nice plane. But the price seems a little high for a plane with damage history.
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beautiful-piper-pa-24-comanche/688158/20 "2014-05-16T17:40:09Z")
Johnny, looks like the auction in your original post ends today! Turns out the plane is kept at the airport right by me (there’s a Burbank Airport stop on my train route going home). I’m happy to pick it up for you, should you purchase it, so long as you’re not picky about licensing legalities and any particular likelihood of me delivering it to you safely. You just let me know. 😃
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