Aztec thoughts?

well, I think they have 2 engines. At least, they should!
 
Richard said:
Micahel, thinking about getting your multi? Want/need a partner?
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Anything is possible Richard. Looks like a good plane doesnt it. Good times left on the engines, needs a prop, imagine 2000lbs useful load would ya.
would you sell your old war bird for 1/2 a twin?
 
Michael said:
Anything is possible Richard. Looks like a good plane doesnt it. Good times left on the engines, needs a prop, imagine 2000lbs useful load would ya.
would you sell your old war bird for 1/2 a twin?
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I don't know if it's a good candidate or not. Several years ago there was a beautiful Aztec for sale. Fairly new paint, nice interior, good engines and props, NDH, flown regularly, in annual, IFR, etc etc.

Turned out the owner was in the process of scavenging the entire panel for his new bird. This dork told me in my initail phone calls that it was airworthy. It was only after I said I was serious that he fessed up that the panel upgrades were not included. More digging revealed improperly repaired gear doors.

I happen to like this model. I've looked at several others and it seems to me that for some reason Aztecs always seem to have skeletons in the closet.
 
Michael said:
Thats it!?? Damn, why doesnt Mooney make a twin?
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160 KTAS is about it...a local charter operator used to use 150 KTAS for flight planning purposes, probably based on 65% power.

The way I've heard the story is that when other manufactures were gearing up to build light twins Mooney decided to build the Mustang. The M22 Mustang...pressurized, single piston engine (as it turns out - not a very well supported engine unfortunately)...very similar performance to the Piper Malibu.

I tend to think of the Aerostar as the Mooney twin....no connection between the aircraft models but the thought process that went into building the aircraft appears very similar.

To me it appears that the Twin Comanche wing is designed with increased laminar flow in mind as well.

Len
 
Michael said:
Thats it!?? Damn, why doesnt Mooney make a twin?
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Remember that the second engine typically serves only to carry its own fuel -- well, and to provide redundancy. The second engine increases weight and drag substantially.

As a good example, look at the Seneca I vs straight-tail Lance or Seneca II vs. Turbo Saratoga. Essentially the same fuselage -- especially in the earlier models. The Lance even has pretty much the same wing as the Seneca I. Book cruise speed is only nominally better with the twins and real world speed is about the same. Useful loads (after fueling for comparable time aloft) are close.

But the twin is using more HP to do it. 300 in the singles vs. 2x200 or 2x220 in the Senecas.
 
Actually it's the Miller Twin Commanche. Two IO360s and 190 knots. Sizzling.
 
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