The Arrow is also known as the PA-28R-201. The PA-28 family dates back to 1962 and includes aircraft from the basic Cherokee 140, with its fixed gear and fixed-pitch propeller, to the Turbo Arrow, with its turbocharged engine and retractable gear. They all share the certification of the PA-28 from 1962. The Arrow, introduced in 1967 as the PA-28R-180, is the retractable-gear member of the PA-28 family.
A 200 hp Lycoming engine powers the Arrow. Early models had Piper's famous “Hershey Bar” wing with constant chord and thickness. In 1977, the Arrow got a new semi-tapered wing to go along with its longer fuselage. In 1979, Piper tried a T-tail model and called it the Arrow IV. They also made a turbocharged Arrow IV. The T-tailed Arrow IV was built from 1979 to 1990, with a hiatus in production from 1984 to 1988. In 1990, Piper went back to the previous arrangement and dropped the “IV” designation.
Starting in 2005, the Avidyne Entegra avionics suite with large LCD displays was offered as an option.