Maybe I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but is my engine making too much power?
I have a '73 Challenger PA28-180 with an O360-A4A. It's not the cleanest Cherokee, but it does have laminar flow pants. The prop is standard.
Here's the thing. At 60F, sea level, and solo (1900lbs) I routinely see 1200 FPM on climbout at Vy. My POH shows a 730FPM climb under those conditions. If I correct that for weight, I get 2450 lbs/ 1900 lbs * 730 fpm = 941 fpm.
Does this sound normal to you other Cherokee 180 pilots? If not, where am I getting the extra 250fpm? This isn't just a one time thing. At all weights and altitudes, this bird outclimbs the charts. Should I be concerned about my engine? Is it possible that it's putting out too much power?
I have a '73 Challenger PA28-180 with an O360-A4A. It's not the cleanest Cherokee, but it does have laminar flow pants. The prop is standard.
Here's the thing. At 60F, sea level, and solo (1900lbs) I routinely see 1200 FPM on climbout at Vy. My POH shows a 730FPM climb under those conditions. If I correct that for weight, I get 2450 lbs/ 1900 lbs * 730 fpm = 941 fpm.
Does this sound normal to you other Cherokee 180 pilots? If not, where am I getting the extra 250fpm? This isn't just a one time thing. At all weights and altitudes, this bird outclimbs the charts. Should I be concerned about my engine? Is it possible that it's putting out too much power?
