PA-38 vs C-150?

Holocene

Holocene

Well-Known Member
As far as cheap planes go, any thoughts on these models?

The Piper looks more fun, any notable issues with them?

I'd prefer a cherokee, but those are about $10K more for a decent one.
 
I grew up flying a 150, and instructed for a year or so in a Tomahawk. Personally I prefer the Tomahawk. It has slightly better than the 150, much better visibility, and a decent amount more room in the cockpit. As far as flight characteristics go, I think the Tomahawk is an easy to land. It didn't take me long at all until I could grease them on every time. They do have the stigma of having spin issues, but I never had any issues there. I was also the mechanic for the Tomahawk, and we didn't have any major issues with that. If you have any more specific questions let me know.
 
HOLLY CRAP Where have you been?

Never flwon the PA38, but I do know that they have a life limited spar. IIRC it's 13k hours. Maybe there isn't that many out there that are that high of time, but I don't want to buy something like that which has life limit, when I can go buy a C150 that doesn't.
 
mshunter said:
HOLLY CRAP Where have you been?

Never flwon the PA38, but I do know that they have a life limited spar. IIRC it's 13k hours. Maybe there isn't that many out there that are that high of time, but I don't want to buy something like that which has life limit, when I can go buy a C150 that doesn't.
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11,000 hours to recycle on the wing unless it has the STC from Sterling or equivalent upgrade.
 
For an airplane to use just for cruising around, I would not hesitate to use the Tomahawk. But for a trainer, the C150 is much superior. Spins in a PA-38 are MUCH different than in a C-150.
PM
 
Tomahawk=Tramahawk...

As far as ease of landings, I can't see how anything would be better than a 150.

Visibility is lacking though in a 150, but the "fun" factor is is great.
 
I'm not sure what is wrong with a Luscombe. Or a Cessna 120/140. If you insist on a choice between these two, I choose the 150 because you can turn that into a taildragger. If you insist on leaving them stock, I'd choose the Tomahawk, assuming it's got time left on the spar. The Tomahawk is a superior airplane in terms of comfort, and I like how they spin. They also do a nice snap-roll. If they come out with a Texas Taildragger type mod for the Tomahawk I will change my opinion.
 
I used to own a 1966 C150. Get one that year or prior for 40 degrees of flaps. Ignore what you've heard and slip the crap out of it full flaps, yeah the tail buffets, it buffets, that doesn't mean fall off. Talk about short field machine for cheap. Sure you don't get anywhere far or fast, but they fly like gems, are ubiquitous, everyone has tons of parts for them and tons of modifications to be made if you are later so inclined. Mine had a STOL mod and stalled and something stupid like 38 (airspeed indicator was in statute, not knots)

A STOL modded MoGas STC and call it a cheap airplane day.
 
I flew nothing but Cessnas during my training. I have have at least 500 hours in 152s. I also had to work for a school for a short period that had Tomahawks. I did not like them at all. There is more elbow room, and visibility. That big bubble top comes at a cost, whenever the sun is out and it was uncomfortably hot and the ventilation sucked. Maybe the rigging on the Tomahawks were poorly rigged but I felt that they did not handle as well.

I look back very fondly of my 152 time, it is such a nimble little airplane. I believe the last couple of years of the 150 had the same cabin dimensions of the 152, meaning a few more inches of elbow room. If I could afford a plane or even avgas i would love to have another 152.
 
The 150/152 is a fantastic little airplane. Esp. the 150 with the 40 degrees of flaps. It suffers from being the yardstick to which everything is compared, but there's a reason they made so freaking many of them.

With that said, and with the caveat that I quite agree with Waco re: Luscombe, etc, the Traumahawk is a fine little travelling airplane (provided you're not in a hurry). It'll walk away from the 150, and crawl past a 152. What little room there is is more usable, too, and it has the usual Piper virtue of being simpler than dirt. It will likely be cheaper and lower time than a "comparable" 150/152, as well. From what I've seen, the major "gotcha" with PA38s is that a lot of them have been owned by dudes who couldn't afford to have an airplane, so they've sat outside, unloved and unflown for years on end...which is actually worse than flying the wings off and trying to pound the gear up in to the fuselage 50 times a day as a 152 has likely suffered. If you can find a good one (and there can't be many left), I'd give the slight edge to the PA38 if it's just going to be used to fly from A to B. If you're considering short or unimproved strips or any kind of training, though, the 150/152 is MUCH better, for all sorts of reasons.

PS. If you should happen to stall (or God forbid, spin) one, DO NOT LOOK BACK AT THE TAIL. Don't ask me why, just don't do it.
 
genot said:
I used to own a 1966 C150. Get one that year or prior for 40 degrees of flaps. Ignore what you've heard and slip the crap out of it full flaps, yeah the tail buffets, it buffets, that doesn't mean fall off. Talk about short field machine for cheap. Sure you don't get anywhere far or fast, but they fly like gems, are ubiquitous, everyone has tons of parts for them and tons of modifications to be made if you are later so inclined. Mine had a STOL mod and stalled and something stupid like 38 (airspeed indicator was in statute, not knots)

A STOL modded MoGas STC and call it a cheap airplane day.
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The 1970 150 Aerobat I co-own with 7 other guys has 40 degrees of flaps. Nothing in the POH about slipping with flaps for 150s (and it's alot of fun to slip it with the flaps down too!), though you have to be really high to need to slip it with those barn door flaps fully extended.
 
Aerobat 150/152s are reeaaalllly fun to snap roll... A Traumahawk... Well, it'll go *SNAP* all right... Likely, it will be the sound of the tail departing the airplane...
 
I loved doing full flap slips in the 150 with 40 degrees out there. Thing fell outta the sky. Downwind abeam the numbers, flaps 40, forward slip all the way to touchdown....THAT is a short approach.
 
Both are fun airplanes, the Truamahawk is a little bit more comfortable and slightly more economic. I'd love to fly one again.
 
TwoTwoLeft said:
Aerobat 150/152s are reeaaalllly fun to snap roll... A Traumahawk... Well, it'll go *SNAP* all right... Likely, it will be the sound of the tail departing the airplane...
Click to expand...

Yeah...I wasn't always this smart. Particularly when the first of the two digits of my age were a "1".
 
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