The Funny Thing About Door Handles...

[Charles Schefer]

As I mentioned in I striped my door handle when trying to open it after installing a new seal. I ordered a new door handle from Webco, but in order to make a trip I was able to borrow a door handle from a generous PA-39 owner based at my same field.

Webco tells me the original door handle comes form a 1964 & 1/2 Ford Mustang. Interestingly all three handles mentioned (my original, the borrowed PA-39 handle, and the new Webco handle) are all different. Let me also say that when I call my handle the "original" what I really mean to say is it's the handle the plane came with. To be even more precise; the handle the plane came with snapped off during the test flight after the pre-buy / first annual and Rockford Aero kindly gave me a spare handled they had which was identical to the one we broke. At any rate I believe (or assume) it's the original type / style from my 1968 PA-30B.

I am making this post to show the three handle types and solicit feedback. Below in this post are six pictures which compare the 3 various handles. Unfortunately because of timing (returning the borrowed handle before my new Webco handle arrived) I do not have one single pic of all three but all six pics below use my original handle in comparison so from that you can compare and contrast.

I am curious if other PA-39 owners (Pat?) recognize the handle I borrowed from another PA-39 owner as the same as what they have. I'm also curious to know if other owners recognize my original handle as what their planes came with.

Here is some other empirical data regarding the handles. I measured all three using a calibrated scale and they weigh as follows (lightest to heaviest):

1) The PA-39 handle is the lightest at 2.8 oz
2) My original handle weighed in at 4.6 oz
3) The new handle from Webco weighs 5.4 oz

The PA-39 and my original handle are different designs but both have hollow handles. The new Webco handle has a solid arm perhaps explaining why it is the heaviest of the bunch. It's hard to say that one seems any more sturdy than the other. Phillip at Webco said that the original handles were heavier and are less common to find - really? My initial impression was that the PA-39 handle was the heaviest duty / heaviest but when weighing I was surprised to find it was the lightest.

Here are the pics of all three handles (between the six pics below - taken at different angles and annotated). Any comments / thoughts or feedback would be appreciated. I am very interested to read what others have...

Thanks,

- Charles

[N3322G]

Charles,

Nothing looks familiar from these angles. Let me go take a picture and post it and we can compare.

[Charles Schefer]

Thanks Pat... the plot thickens. Sounds like you may have a 4th style of handle to throw into the mix. Candidly I wonder if Piper just bought whatever Ford handles were available at the time during any given production run...

This reminds me. Here's one more picture with something that really cracked me up. It's a pic of the box the new Webco handle came in. Notice the Piper "Genuine Part" sticker... notice that it is placed on top of a sticker that says it's from "MAC's Antique Auto Parts of Lockport, NY"!!! LOL.

- Charles

Part Label (Door Handle form Webco)

[Kristin Winter]

I believe that your original handle is what Piper used from 1958 thru about 1968. Then they went to this one for the C models and the PA-39. See attachment.

I have one spare left if someone needs one.

[N3322G]

Fresh from the hangar photos. PA39 sn 11 door handle original.

[Kristin Winter]

I will have to look at an early Mustang sometime to see if it has the same handle.

If someone needs the late model handle, I have one serviceable spare in good condition that I would sell.

[Charles Schefer]

I wonder if Webco meant that the handles they supply are made for old Mustangs... But I'm pretty sure in that conversation Phillip said that's where the original came from.

Pat / Kristin: looks like your handles are the same and sounds like that's the PA-30C / 39 style Piper supplied... Interesting. The PA-39 handle I borrowed must have been after market.

Thanks for taking the time to post your pics, I find this interesting stuff... Like airplane forensics or perhaps aero-archeology!

- Charles

[Clarence Beintema]

Charles,

The handle borrowed from a PA39 reminds me of a Cessna handle of similar vintage.

Clarence

[Charles Schefer]

[JMH23]

Charles,
The handles in my 1966 260B look like your original handle. I have heard that they are 1950's GM or Studebacker handles, and have seen handles from those vehicles and they do look like your original.

Joe Hand
N9023P

[Charles Schefer]

[Clarence Beintema]

Just doing some work on a 1965 172G today, the handle looks exactly like the borrowed PA39 handle.

Clarence

[Charles Schefer]

Interesting. Thanks Clarence! It wouldn't surprise me if many aircraft of the aera shared the same inner door working parts (and many if not most with automotive origins) thus the splines match and thus almost any handle will work (perhaps).

- Charles

[Mike Foster]

Hi Charles,

I have a 1966 260B that had the handle gorilla'd off by a passenger, and bought two replacements from an aircraft parts supplier in Van Nuys, CA. This was several years ago, and I have since gone to the Gillen-Phoenix aftermarket door handle that is far superior in form and substance to the original.

Anyway, when I received the door handles I ordered from the supplier, the first thing I saw on the box was "made in Taiwan". The second thing I saw was "1965 Ford Mustang".

These handles look identical to the ones you show in your photo as the replacement. Your original handle is not the same as the Mustang handles I had.

Hope this helps.

Mike Foster

[Charles Schefer]