A REAL 6 seater

Rein Hart said:
I’ve always thought stretching an rv-10 for 6 seats would compete nicely against the a36 bonanza with the benefits of being an experimental. I’m sure the idea will get ripped apart here though.
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Why would it get ripped apart? It’s experimental. Build whatever you want, sounds cool to me! But I get it, some people like to nay-say for sure.
 
I just put a T210N under contract. It has a UL of 1600lbs and full fuel is 522lbs. This one trues at 180-184 kts on 18.5gph at 11,000’. Figuring 20gph for 3 hours plus one hr reserve (80 gal) I’ll have a payload of 1,120lbs. Probably knock the TAS down 6-10kts fully loaded. That would give 525mi range with an hour reserve fuel at 175kts. Not too shabby.
 
For me a 3 hour flight requires 5 hours of fuel. 3 hours for the flight, 45 minutes FAR reserve,30 minutes for the alternate (miss approach and cruise to alternate), and finally 45 minutes for vectors, reroutes, holds, and higher than forecasted headwinds.
 
RussR said:
I don't understand the fascination with carrying full fuel. You load up your people and bags, and as long as you can then carry enough fuel to get to your destination, plus reserves, you're good. The concept of "full seats and fuel" is a carryover from automobiles, and doesn't translate to airplanes.

With the exception of a few light GA models, in general if you could carry full seats (with adults) and fuel, the fuel tanks would be too small. Most airplanes, at all levels from small 2-seaters to airliners, cannot do full seats and fuel. Does this make them not "real X-seater" airplanes? Of course not.

As you get into larger airplanes, you need to get out of the mindset of always filling the tanks. That's not a reasonable expectation. You put on what you need given the load you're carrying and the distance you're flying.
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This! I came here to say this.

My plane carries 7 hours and 20 minutes of fuel. I don't know a lot of people willing to be in a small airplane continuously for anywhere near that, especially with me. :D

So, I can take full fuel and go nonstop to Bangor, Miami, El Paso, or Missoula with reserves - Most of the ConUS. Or, I can leave fuel behind, fill the seats with adults and the baggage compartment with bags and do the same with a single fuel stop that the pax will welcome anyway.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
This! I came here to say this.

My plane carries 7 hours and 20 minutes of fuel. I don't know a lot of people willing to be in a small airplane continuously for anywhere near that, especially with me. :D
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I have about a 3.5hr rated bladder and tolerance for small GA aircraft seats; most small aircraft have a better range than I do.
 
I had multiple instances where a fuel pump wasn't working at a planned fuel stop. I live/fly mostly in southeast. So usually not far from an alternate with fuel. But out west, it could be a real problem.
I also like the Murphy Moose or Bearhawk 5 6-seaters. Those options are tailwheel though FYI.
At my club we return the plane with full fuel for the next person and I wouldn't go through the hassle of draining fuel to make weight. therefore I simply don't make plans to fly unless I can make weight with full tanks.
 
farangutan said:
At my club we return the plane with full fuel for the next person and I wouldn't go through the hassle of draining fuel to make weight. therefore I simply don't make plans to fly unless I can make weight with full tanks.
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This of course, is typical, and almost unavoidable in the rental/club world. A club I was a member of had a 182, and we filled it to 60 gallons upon returning, not the 80 that it could hold, for exactly this reason.

But it does create the attitude or impression among pilots that taking off with full tanks is "standard" and anything else is unusual, which leads to the idea that being able to fill the seats and the tanks is a necessary and desirable aircraft specification.
 
Yes it does. Feels weird going flying without filling up, like riding a motorcycle without my helmet.
 
farangutan said:
I had multiple instances where a fuel pump wasn't working at a planned fuel stop. I live/fly mostly in southeast. So usually not far from an alternate with fuel. But out west, it could be a real problem.
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I've had this happen twice in 20 years of flying.

The two times were on the same night, less than 10nm apart... Luckily, at the second stop it wasn't the pump itself that was inoperable, it was the card system and I found a way to reboot it which was luckily successful or I'd have probably been stranded.
 
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