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 Warrior is an updated Cherokee 140.
The original Cherokee 140 popularized the “Hershey Bar” shaped wing. That wing has a constant chord and constant thickness and thus resembles a Hershey candy bar. The Warrior, when it was introduced in 1974, was the first Piper single to have the new semi-tapered wing. Originally equipped with a 150 hp Lycoming, like the Cherokee 140, the engine was changed to a 160 hp Lycoming in 1977.
The extra 10 hp gave Piper what it was looking for in terms of performance—an aircraft to compete with the Cessna 172. Although the cabin is comfortable for two and adequate for four, the Warrior has only one cabin door, which makes loading and unloading a bit of a problem. Handling is easy, predictable and just what is required for a low-time pilot.