I have about 1600 hrs in a tripacer and maybe 200 in a Hershey bar wingPa28 plus a couple of hundred hrs in Mooneys and Commanches . The pa 22 is a much shorter coupled aircraft than the cherekees and hence a lot more responsive. PA 22s are also certified in normal as well as utility mode so a Pa 22 will safely handle a bit more stress although at some what less gross weight. Coupes also short coupled (in turns) also are pretty responsive considering there power to weight ratio. They are underpowered no doubt unless one has a 0200. THe sink rate is pretty high on tripacers once you get it below about 75 indicated but they will outclimb any 150/160 hp hershey bar wing bird. The noise level in a pa 22 is about the same as in a ercoupe. THe visability in a pa 22 is cavelike. Frankly tripacers will haul just about anything you can close the door on as long as its not hot. On cold days I flew well over gross alot with no problem but you got to watch forward CG. I like the coupe but frankly its not in the same league as a PA22 with a 150 or 160 engine. IN general the PA22 in my opinion is one of the most under rated birds out there. THe big thing I miss is that in no way can you say a coupe is a short field airplane if I had 800 foot I could get the PA 22 in the air. Could get it on and stopped in about 700 by setting up a high sink rate and dropping it on. Sometimes a bit hard but it works. Best investment you can make in a tripacer is cleveland brakes the factory ones are horrible. A buddy(airline pilot) and I once brought mine from Pittsburgh to an airport about 20 miles east of Harrisburg Pa in an hour eight min distance 191 miles came over at 6500 and the wind was wild and we got the %$#* pounded out of us. But PA 22s are not LSA airplanes if they were a coupe would be for sale ASAP. As for the sink rate between tripacers and coupes pretty much the same the problem with the coupe you don't have the horsepower to go gedeup once you get behind the power curve. I have not checked the airspeed indicator on my coupe for accuracy-it was new in 2003- but I never fly final at less than 80 indicated.At 2300rpm she indicates just around 100mph It is what it is. If my coupe gets to slow just not enough power to get her back on the right side of the envelope in short order. My airline buddy has also played with 99404 and he feels the same way 80 down final then chop the power a little short of the fence. Thick wings just don't glide well. Frankly I think the factory guys(maybe the marketing guys) were partying to much when they set the published stall speed and me thinks thats why there were so many loss of control accidents early on in the airplanes history. A good approach speed on my pa 22 was about 85 windy days added half the X wind component. Landed her a couple times in 20 plus x winds needed about 100 to hold direction in a slip. I am still learning with 404 and working my way up in wind speed but the days of attacking 20/30 mph winds are over for me thats what airlines are for. Len N99404
