Installing a 180hp in a warrior?

Thanks for all the input folks! I've run the numbers and it's pretty much a wash so it looks like I'll keep scouring the tiger ads until I can get one for the price I want. In the meantime I'll keep flying the warrior. The winter should give me a performance pad climb-wise until I get sick of it again in the summer.

I still hold my claim archer IIs are 125KTAS machines but to be honest the time difference under 300NM is immaterial versus the warrior. So is the Tiger for that matter, though it would be nice having the extra airspeed for the few 400NM+ trips. I don't think my mission requires the six cylinder climb rates at all to justify the spring to a 235. I think 180HP is the sweet spot.

You might note that being lighter allows the airplane to climb faster. I know, I'm stating the obvious. A number of years ago I did some time-to-climb "tests" with my Cherokee 140 (150hp) prior to getting some speed mods which also reportedly help climb rate. My conclusion was that the extra weight of the speed mods would offset any improvement in climb. I would be better off losing 20pounds (me, not the airplane) than adding 10 or so pounds of speed mods.
 
I have a1978 PA 161. I have about 400 hrs to TBO. What do ya'll think about installing a 180 Lycoming in it. Do you think it would hurt the resale value, or saleability of it. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

John
Hi John,
We have a 1979 Warrior II. We bought the "Warcher" with both the O-360-A4M 180 hp engine and it did have a gross weight increase STC to 2,440 lbs.
 
They're not otherwise aerodynamically identical.

The maximum possible performance from increased horsepower, with *every* other factor being equal, is:

New speed = Old speed * (New horsepower/old horsepower)^(1/3)

Now, where there is horsepower in the equation, it should actually be thrust. So, if you go from an inefficient prop to a more efficient prop you could beat the cube root rule. But you're not going to make a Warrior go 10-12 knots faster with an engine upgrade.

The other thing to look at is total trip speed and efficiency. The higher horsepower *will* greatly improve your climb rate, and if you cruise at a higher altitude where the actual power being developed is the same, you'll be able to get there faster and spend more time there, but it's still going to be a very marginal increase overall.

But, like Dr. Bruce says: There's no substitute for horsepower.



I could agree with you there. The one time I flew a Tiger, at 2400 RPM and 3000 feet it got about 115 KTAS. I wasn't too impressed. I was told by the Grumman aficionados here, though, that 2400 was too low of a power setting. :dunno:
Well, yesterday in our Warcher we flew at 6000 MSL.
TAS was calculated at 131 TAS with GS at 152 KTS, 2400 rpm's.
Fuel was right at 11.9 gallons including start, taxi, climb, descent and landing with a taxi to our hangar.
(Warcher is a Warrior with a 180 HP engine).
 
Thanks for the input, I had no idea that my Warrior would be OK for such a trip. I've had it up to ten thousand, the controls felt kinda mushy, so I didn't try for anymore. Like I said, I lack the experience.

John
there are several you tube heros flying all over the mountains in 160HP cessna's
 
Put the engine in it and fly in it 'til you die in it.
Let someone else worry about "resale value".
 
I could agree with you there. The one time I flew a Tiger, at 2400 RPM and 3000 feet it got about 115 KTAS. I wasn't too impressed. I was told by the Grumman aficionados here, though, that 2400 was too low of a power setting. :dunno:

Lol old thread, wonder if John ever got his ticket.
I currently own a tiger and at 2400rpm you “should” be able to do better than 115ktas depending on prop, alt, temp etc. Red line is 2700 though:)
 
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