PA-32 POH (Flight manual, -10, etc..) differences

k9medic

k9medic

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While reading some documents related to fuel management in the PA-32 I just happened to come across different processes related to fuel burn and tank selection.

In my POH, circa 1967, for serial numbers 32-1 through 1075, it states to burn the main tanks first and then the wing tip tanks.

The 1968 POH does not list a serial number range but it states to burn the tip tanks first then the main tanks. This is also listed as the Cherokee 6 "B."

The 1975 POH say to use the main tanks first and I have a copy of a letter which indicates why Piper wants you to do that.

My question is, what changed in the philosophy?
 
It references wing bending loads and keeping weight in the tip tanks to spread the load across the entire wing.

I'm mostly curious why between 67 and 75 there was a change to have fuel come out of the mains first.
 
Would it have anything to do with where the fuel return line goes?
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Would it have anything to do with where the fuel return line goes?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, none of the Cherokee 6 airplanes have a return line.

As pointed out above, the reasoning has to do with how the wing is loaded. My guess is that the flight manual suggesting to burn the tips first is in error, as that is not the way I’ve ever heard it recommended. But I don’t have any expertise on these airplanes to know of a reason Piper would have switched then switched back to the original recommendation.

OP, you should also note the rest of the manual. Not only are there fuel consumption procedures but fueling procedures as well. That process is essentially the opposite of the fuel burning procedure.
 
Fill tips first then use mains. There was a guy on one of these forums that took off on a tip and had the fuel unpost and he crashed in a parking lot but survived. He was trying to get them to change a POH or something to specify for his model year to always take off on a main tank like som eo the POHs suggest. Seems counter to the fill order they want but thats the way it is. I fill tips first, then mains all the way (to tabs if I'm trying to save for weight). Then burn 15 out of each main, then tips, then the remaining 10 in mains for landing/go around. works for me and complies with the POH.
 
Was that when they changed from straight hershey bar wing to the tapered wing?
 
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