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Is this normal for the Cherokee??

Following the early stages of Aussie Andy's trip to Australia in a Cherokee. Saw this vid on their facebook page:



Is that stall warner operating normally?? That would drive me nuts.

EGTK Oxford

No, not okay. My Warrior has the same stallwarning device, it doesn't do that - only if you overrotate on take-off, but this is not the case here. It is definitely broken

I fly a PA28-181 Archer II, so slightly more modern than this Cherokee type judging by the shape of the instrument panel. But the only time the stall warner should go off on take off is when on a grass runway, with the stick right back and for a few moments as the aircraft tries to get airborne and build up enough momentum to climb. But for takeoff on a hard runway where one typically would rotate at 70kts, with flaps up, you are some 30kts above the stall speed and it shouldn't make any noise at all. Sounds like the stall warner mechanism is not quite calibrated

The conditions are very gusty. Notice the airspeed fluctuations after takeoff and the bouncing around. I would guess it is just the stall vane bouncing around due to gusts.

KUZA, United States

My PA-28-151 NEVER did that, gusty conditions or not. I am pretty sure that the stall warning mechanism is worn out.

The ascent rate seems very low, perhaps at mtow+ and gusty? But it does seem a bit touchy. I fly a PA28 Archer (180) and at mtow and high temperatures the stall warner can be heard the first hundred feet, not like this though

From what I can see, the IAS was somewhere between 70-80 kts for the larger part of the takeoff, so I still think dodgy stall warning mechanism.

For the stall speed to increase to 70-80kt, the aircraft would have to be almost twice its normal MTOW (2 x weight --> stall speed increases by factor 1.41), so unless he has loaded (literally) a ton of lead or refuelled with Mercury, this is unlikely.

Also, the first time the stall warner goes off pitch is barely 3 degrees nose up, and during the climb pitch never appeared to be higher than 10 degrees - in level flight, you would need well above 10 degrees nose up to get the stall warner going, in the climb a couple of degrees higher.

Biggin Hill

Gusts will set off a stall warning on many aircraft even though it is not even close to the stall. IMHO, the gusts were the culprits, the speed and pitch angle were fine. This was a very gusty day.

KUZA, United States

I would find this alarming, but possible, if a number of factors combined to be non optimum. If the aircraft was very heavy and forward C of G, the engine weak (flat cylinder or two), and high density altitude/tailwind, you could get yourself there. The pilot seems appropriately cautious with a very poor performing plane. The stall warning switch could be out of rig too - they are vulnerable to getting bent. The takeoff acceleration did seem poor.

Pilots should be aware that every now and then, takeoff performance could be disappointing, and if you're going to continue it, you'd better be very gentle...

Home runway, in central Ontario, Canada, Canada
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