Beech sundowner or Piper warrior
- Thread starter Speedy
- Start date
denverpilot
Tied Down
A number of folks recommended the 182. I normally would agree, but grandkids get bigger fast, and I wouldn't subject them to the back seat of a 182 on a regular basis if I could avoid it.
They'd have the memories I've heard from countless co-workers who had aviator dads... cramped, hot, uncomfortable trips they put up with because they had no choice other than to keep dear old dad happy. They wished they could have taken the family station wagon.
The 182 is a good butt hauler, but the back seat isn't something I'd regularly subject family members to. A so-called "six-seater" with a couple of seats removed, would be more humane.
Prisoners get more space.
They'd have the memories I've heard from countless co-workers who had aviator dads... cramped, hot, uncomfortable trips they put up with because they had no choice other than to keep dear old dad happy. They wished they could have taken the family station wagon.
The 182 is a good butt hauler, but the back seat isn't something I'd regularly subject family members to. A so-called "six-seater" with a couple of seats removed, would be more humane.
Prisoners get more space.
Bill
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 15,105
- Location
- Southeast Tennessee
- Display Name
Display name:
This page intentionally left blank
Meh. I'm 6'2", and love riding in the back of the M20J, plenty of room, nice big (no, huge) picture window to view the world. But you're right about useful load, we only have 854.
pilotx86
Pre-Flight
I own a 77 Warrior with the gross weight STC. Believe it or not, it does NOT apply to the 180HP Warrior (you would think) and my useful load is 960lbs. IFR equipped, dual navcom/GS Garmin 430.
An IFR equipped Sundowner on the field my plane is at has a useful load of 963 lbs. I would put $ down that it doesn't climb worth a penny at max gross with that nice big cabin.
Last edited:
Nice big cabin isn't a climb issue, it's a top speed issue. The wing chord and size determines climb.
I recently bought a 1975 Sundowner with good paint and interior. The engine has just over 600 hours since OH and the prop, just over 400. I paid less than 34K for the bird. I got it to teach my two linebacker-sized sons how to fly. I'm just below 300lbs, and my oldest is not far behind me. We do have to carry some ballast in the baggage compartment and keep the fuel load down below 35 gal because it is tight on the forward side of the W&B charts but it fly's fine. I get about 107kts at 5500 ft and 2400 rpm leaned till rough and then back in a little (technical procedure). With just me and the wife, we can fill the tanks (60 gal) and fly farther than My bladder can take.
Part of the reason the W&B numbers are the way they are is that you sit forward of the wing. This gives great visability but requires us little guys to haul around our weight sets in the baggage compartment.
I got it for the stabilty and the view. Unlike the Pipers, where you actually sit in the floor, the Sundowner has seats and two doors. The windshield is like looking through a golf cart windshield, it is huge and has the best forward visability of any small airplane I've ever been in. I have flown the 172 and the Warrior and, although a LITTLE slower than those, it is much more confortable. If you are ever in Central Alabama and want to be properly introduced to the Sundowner, let me know and we'll take a tour of the Talladega Super Speedway from above. chuck
Part of the reason the W&B numbers are the way they are is that you sit forward of the wing. This gives great visability but requires us little guys to haul around our weight sets in the baggage compartment.
I got it for the stabilty and the view. Unlike the Pipers, where you actually sit in the floor, the Sundowner has seats and two doors. The windshield is like looking through a golf cart windshield, it is huge and has the best forward visability of any small airplane I've ever been in. I have flown the 172 and the Warrior and, although a LITTLE slower than those, it is much more confortable. If you are ever in Central Alabama and want to be properly introduced to the Sundowner, let me know and we'll take a tour of the Talladega Super Speedway from above. chuck