Compare
Beechcraft C23 Sundowner vs Piper PA-28-181 Archer
The two side by side, from the FAA registry, the FAA's Airworthiness Directives and Service Difficulty Reports, and the NTSB's accident database. Each has a full guide: Beechcraft C23 Sundowner, Piper PA-28-181 Archer.
Where they differ
- The Piper PA-28-181 fleet is younger: half of those registered were built by 1986, against 1977 for the Beechcraft C23.
- There are more Piper PA-28-181s to choose from: 3,425 registered against 445.
- The Piper PA-28-181 carries more airframe ADs with a repeat action, 3 against 0: inspections that come back for as long as the AD applies.
- Mechanics report the Beechcraft C23's magneto/distributor most, and the Piper PA-28-181's fuselage miscellaneous structure.
Side by side
| Beechcraft C23 Sundowner | Piper PA-28-181 Archer | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered in the US | 445 | 3,425 |
| Built | 1970 to 1983 | 1975 to 2026 |
| Half built by | 1977 | 1986 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 |
| Most common engine | Lycoming O-360 | Lycoming O-360 |
| Typical cruise fuel burn | Not set | 9.5 gal/hr |
| Engine overhaul intervalThe engine maker's published hours between overhauls. | 2,000 hr | 2,000 hr |
| Current airframe ADs | 19 | 59 |
| Airframe ADs with a repeat action | 0 | 3 |
| Current ADs on the main engine | 24 | 24 |
| Service Difficulty ReportsSince the year shown in each guide; per 1,000 registered today. | 6 (13.5 per 1,000) | 790 (230.7 per 1,000) |
| Most-reported system | Magneto/Distributor | Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure |
| Accidents since 2008Per 1,000 registered today, not per hour flown: a training fleet flies far more than a private one. | 55 (123.6 per 1,000) | 130 (38.0 per 1,000) |
| Fatal accidents since 2008 | 10 | 19 |
| Most common accident | Loss of engine power (partial) | Loss of control on ground |
Report and accident counts are not rates: nobody publishes the hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Fuel burn is a typical cruise figure; the engine interval is its maker's published figure for the usual engine.
The Beechcraft C23's repeat-action ADs
No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.
Every AD for the Beechcraft C23The Piper PA-28-181's repeat-action ADs
- 2017-14-04Engine oil
- 2013-02-13Requires inspections of the stabilator control system and replacement of parts as necessary
- 2010-26-04Requires installing a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) backup battery, replacing the supplement pilot's operating handbook and FAA approved airplane flight manual, and revising the limitations section of...
Questions
- Which has more Airworthiness Directives, the Beechcraft C23 or the Piper PA-28-181?
- 19 current ADs name the Beechcraft C23 airframe and 59 the Piper PA-28-181; 0 and 3 of them have a repeat action.
- Which is newer, the Beechcraft C23 or the Piper PA-28-181?
- Half of the Beechcraft C23s registered were built by 1977, half of the Piper PA-28-181s by 1986.
- How do the Beechcraft C23 and Piper PA-28-181 accident records compare?
- 55 accidents since 2008 for the Beechcraft C23 (10 fatal) against 130 for the Piper PA-28-181 (19 fatal), from fleets of 445 and 3,425. Counts, not rates per hour flown.