The PA-32 series began life in 1965 as the 260 horsepower (190 kW) PA32-260 Cherokee Six, a significantly modified six-seat (or seven-seat) development of the PA-28 Cherokee. The Cherokee Six and its successors feature a baggage compartment in the nose between the cockpit and the engine compartment and a large double door in the back for easy loading of passengers and cargo. The 1975 addition of retractable landing gear resulted in the first of the PA-32R series, the Piper Lance. This was the earliest aircraft in the Piper Saratoga family, Piper's luxury, high-performance single line. Piper's transition to tapered wings for the Cherokee series resulted in a new wing for the PA-32 series, as well. The tapered-wing version of the Cherokee Six was named the Saratoga and debuted in 1980. Due to product liability concerns and economic conditions, the general aviation industry went into decline in the early 1980s, and Saratoga production ceased in 1985. For more details of the PA-32 family, click here and here. Specifications for a Cherokee Six 300. Cherokee Six (fixed undercarriage) PA-32 Lance (retractable undercarriage) PA-32 Saratoga (Tapered wing)
