Posted by Piper Owner Society | Feb 20, 2020 |
By Tim Stockhaus
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This project started with a choice I had to make — do I buya new Piper Arrow (non-Turbo) for more than $600,000 or possibly a new Cirrusfor about $900,000? About 20 years ago I owned a Piper Turbo Arrow IV thatallowed me to safely fly into virtually any airport on the West Coast includinghigh-altitude ones like beautiful Lake Tahoe. Since Piper doesn’t make a TurboArrow anymore, I figured there was a third choice: buy a good used Turbo ArrowIV and make it as close to what I call a new Turbo Arrow V as possible,including new avionics, interior, paint, and overhauled engine. I knew it wouldbe pricy but also knew it could be done for about half the price of a new onethat’s not even turbocharged. The goal was to find one that was close to TBOwith older instruments since they would be ripped out anyway. After looking fora few months, I found one in Austin, Texas, bought it, and flew it home.
The first step of the project was the panel. There are somepretty cool new gadgets out there today from Garmin and others that takeadvantage of the latest technology including ADS-B In and Out. Since I’m agadget guy who happens to be a pilot, I knew my budget would be blown right outof the gate. I did spend more than originally planned, but it was worth every penny.It started with a custom aluminum powder-coated instrument panel that houses a10.6-inch Garmin G500 TXi and a GTN 750. The avionics include a Flight Stream510 that interfaces to Garmin Pilot on my iPad as well as my iPhone with bothWi-Fi and Bluetooth. I decided not to order the additional panel-mounted Garmin7-inch TXi screen since the iPad and iPhone give me two extra screens that Ican use to view almost anything.
I am still experimenting with the different configurationsfor all the screens every time I fly, which gives me a lot of options andflexibility. The latest FAA FIS-B update for the GTN 750 and the G500 TXiallows me to view very useful weather data including METARs, cloud tops,turbulence, and icing as well as all the radar views needed for a safe flight.Before every flight, I use Garmin Pilot to create the flight plan, brief theweather, and file it. When I get in the plane, it uploads the flight plan tothe panel and I’m ready to go. The Safe Taxi map simplifies the navigation of thetaxiways at unfamiliar airports and highlights hot spots. The EIS enginemonitoring system has built-in thresholds that get your attention by flashingred on the screen and keeps a real time record of all the engine parameters forevery flight, which my mechanic and I can review on my laptop in the electronicflight log on my flyGarmin.com account if needed.
This article originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of PIPERS.
In hindsight, the EIS engine monitoring system was one ofthe best choices I made as Garmin did a great job integrating it into theentire system. The panel supported all devices behind it, which gave it asmuch, if not more, capability as any new light general aviation airplane outthere. It did take some mental adjustments to re-train myself transitioning tothe glass co*ckpit from the steam gauges, but it was easier than I expected. Theresult is a very efficient, clean, and simple-looking panel that gives me fullaccess to any and all information in the co*ckpit to make every flight thesafest and most fun possible.
The next step was the engine. I did my research and had todecide if I wanted to go with an overhaul or factory new. Then I called VictorAviation and made an appointment to visit its facility in Palo Alto,California, since it’s about 20 minutes from my home. I think I could write afull article exclusively on all the 21 unique processes they go through withthe XR Black Edition VII overhaul.
The overhauled engines go through a cryogenic liquidnitrogen stress relief process that super cools the metal to minus 300 degrees,which strengthens the components. Then everything is matched, volumetricefficiency balanced, and flow tested. I was very surprised to see my newfactory cylinders before and after their inertia supercharging air flowoptimization, which is another step in Victor Aviation’s process. The roughnessand inconsistencies of fit and finish of the factory new cylinders versus theVictor refined cylinders was absolutely incredible. The result is a noticeablysmoother running engine with little to no vibration thanks to the precisebalancing of the components. From a performance standpoint, I have experienceda noticeable increase in power and TAS. Everything is finished off with the XRMatte Black electrostatic powder coat, which adds an extra level of protectionnot to mention it looks really cool. A big factor in my decision to spend themoney was that according to the 2019 Aircraft Bluebook, the value added for theVictor engine is $83,235, which is about twice as much as factory new.
Another very significant addition was a Merlyn wastegate,which combined with the intercooler and GAMI injectors gives me greatperformance up to and beyond 20,000 feet resulting in cooler cylinder headtemps. Anyone flying an aircraft with a fixed waste gate like ContinentalTSIO-360 series engines should add these to their aircraft.
The next step was the paint, which technically happened atthe same time as the engine. This turned out to be excellent timing as thepaint shop was able to paint the firewall while the engine was out. Thisrequired both shops to be at the same field of course. I was also able to sendthe engine mount out to get it completely rebuilt, painted, and returned. Theengine installation included all new hoses, a new turbocharger, wiring,baffles, and control cables. The exhaust system was sent out for a completeoverhaul as well. The prop was so close to overhaul that I decided to get thatdone at the same time. Both the paint and the engine installation were done inSalinas, California, by T&P Aero Refinishers and Airplane Company,respectively. I could not recommend them more highly. I have been disappointedby other aviation shops before, but their attention to detail and delivery ontime as promised exceeded my expectations. Having them on the same field towork together throughout the process was amazing and necessary to get the jobdone right.
During the paint process, I had the supporting wing walkstructure below the wing skin repaired as it was cracked. I also replaced thefuel senders with new digital ones by CiES. Juan at T&P Aero Refinishersrepaired the fiberglass cowling adjusting the fit and finish to the airframe.He also aligned the nose gear doors and the intercooler vents to the cowling.The entire paint process resulted in an amazing shiny plane that gets complimentswherever I go and that’s the reason Juan is booked out for months.
New LP Aero windows were installed including a single piecewindshield, which gives me noticeably better visibility over the originalfactory two-piece wind screens.
The plane I purchased had factory built-in oxygen with portsover every seat. There is one more aftermarket add-on that a previous ownerinstalled that I use on almost every flight — speed brakes. I can’t tell fellowTurbo Arrow owners how effective they are when ATC dumps you into an airportthat requires a steep descent.
The last step was the interior. It had the original maroonvelour interior from 1980, which I think Piper thought was cool back then. Istarted out thinking I could do some of the interior myself since I had spentso much on the engine and panel. I purchased all the plastic pieces myself andpainted them with SEM Super White. I then sent all the seats, carpet, and sidepanels to be completely redone with fine Corinthian leather by Ron at AviationCreations in Scottsdale, Arizona. He shipped them back to me when they weredone for me to install. In the meantime, when the windows were out duringpaint, I had a local interior installer, Jeff Belardi of Belardi Interiors comeover from Watsonville to re-cover the glare shield and dash. After speakingwith him, he convinced me that the installation of the interior is a bigger jobthan I thought it would be, so I hired him to install all of it includingall-new FAA-approved fireproof insulation. Boy am I glad I did that as they dida fantastic job. He even had new thresholds custom made for the front door andthe baggage door. I think everything looks better than new.
Now that the project is done, at least as done as anyairplane ever is, all I have to do is fly it. This project resulted in a fast,high-performance, high-altitude, newly painted airplane with a perfectlybalanced smooth-running engine and an interior that smells and looks new forless than half the price of a new plane. Would I do this again? You bet.
This article originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of PIPERS.
