cooler weather performance

J

JRitt

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Dec 15, 2005
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678
Location
Clarksville TN
Display Name
JRitt
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KCKV
I found out yesterday how much better my plane performes in colder weather. I took off to bring my plane (C172N) to St. Louis to loan to my brother in-law to get his IR training and then his commericial (and save him a bit of cash) he wants to get his CFI this summer and work as a CFI part time. The plane got the engine overhauled last year and had a powerflow exhaust installed. I took off with 90lbs of fuel (I stopped and got cheap $2.99/gal fuel on the way)and 290 lbs of me and junk in the plane (460lbs under gross) and it was climbing out at 1500f/min @ 80kts. In the summer it climbs at 800f/min @ gross @ 80kts. We did some flying in St Louis loaded almost to gross and it was still climbing at just over 1000f/min.
 
yea ive been pretty satisfied with the performane in our 172Ps the last week or so. 1000 fpm+ has been the norm.
 
JRitt said:
I found out yesterday how much better my plane performes in colder weather. I took off to bring my plane (C172N) to St. Louis to loan to my brother in-law to get his IR training and then his commericial (and save him a bit of cash) he wants to get his CFI this summer and work as a CFI part time. The plane got the engine overhauled last year and had a powerflow exhaust installed. I took off with 90lbs of fuel (I stopped and got cheap $2.99/gal fuel on the way)and 290 lbs of me and junk in the plane (460lbs under gross) and it was climbing out at 1500f/min @ 80kts. In the summer it climbs at 800f/min @ gross @ 80kts. We did some flying in St Louis loaded almost to gross and it was still climbing at just over 1000f/min.
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Tell your brother in-law to make a trip out to UUV and we'll have lunch. Fuel out this way is much cheaper than in the SUS area, 3.15 here and under 3.00 at UBX.
 
Dean said:
Tell your brother in-law to make a trip out to UUV and we'll have lunch. Fuel out this way is much cheaper than in the SUS area, 3.15 here and under 3.00 at UBX.
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I will he needs to put in about 30hrs of x-country time anyway. SUS? Spirit of St. Louis? He is at 3SQ. KUBX looks good its 64mn. In 8 trips to St. Louis I have never been given permission to enter the airspace. Its always "stay clear of St. Louis airspace"
 
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JRitt said:
I will he needs to put in about 30hrs of x-country time anyway. SUS? Spirit of St. Louis? He is at 3SQ. KUBX looks good its 64mn. In 8 trips to St. Louis I have never been given permission to enter the airspace. Its always "stay clear of St. Louis airspace"
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When I did my night XC I was cleared to land at Lambert in a C-150. This was at 11:30PM, they told me to get in and get out, that they had a 747 on a 10 mile final. Thats the only time I've been in the St. Louis class B.
And if you B-I-L needs a safety pilot, let me know.
 
JRitt said:
I found out yesterday how much better my plane performes in colder weather. I took off to bring my plane (C172N) to St. Louis to loan to my brother in-law to get his IR training and then his commericial (and save him a bit of cash) he wants to get his CFI this summer and work as a CFI part time. The plane got the engine overhauled last year and had a powerflow exhaust installed. I took off with 90lbs of fuel (I stopped and got cheap $2.99/gal fuel on the way)and 290 lbs of me and junk in the plane (460lbs under gross) and it was climbing out at 1500f/min @ 80kts. In the summer it climbs at 800f/min @ gross @ 80kts. We did some flying in St Louis loaded almost to gross and it was still climbing at just over 1000f/min.

I will he needs to put in about 30hrs of x-country time anyway. SUS? Spirit of St. Louis? He is at 3SQ. KUBX looks good its 64mn. In 8 trips to St. Louis I have never been given permission to enter the airspace. Its always "stay clear of St. Louis airspace"
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Know exactly what you mean.

Our Skyhawk with its O-300 much, much prefers the cooler temps. But you're getting better climb performance than I am--even with my brand new TBO'd engine that is now good and broken in at around 250 hours. Hot summer day here at gross, I can get between 300fpm and 500fpm climb at 80mph.

And for what it's worth, I've never even attempted to gain entry to St. Louis' bravo airspace. I've flown in there commercially and it scared the hell out of me. . .

Regards.

-JD
 
Yeah, they do tend to fly better, as long as you keep the frost and ice off. You realize, however, that he ain't gonna be able to get his commercial in a C172N, doncha?
 
gprellwitz said:
Yeah, they do tend to fly better, as long as you keep the frost and ice off. You realize, however, that he ain't gonna be able to get his commercial in a C172N, doncha?
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Yes he is just getting his IR, doing some time building, and having some fun. I told him to do as much as he can but I want it back for Sun-N Fun
 
JRitt said:
Yes he is just getting his IR, doing some time building, and having some fun. I told him to do as much as he can but I want it back for Sun-N Fun
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So we'll get a chance to see it there?
 
From Barry Schiff's Flying Wisdom:
During January 1989, an intense continental-polar air mass blanketed Alaska and brought with it surface temperatures as low as -85F and altimeter settings as high as 31.85 inches. This resulted in a density altitude at Anchorage International Airport of 14,000 feet below sea level. Assuming that a pilot can start an engine in such a climate, can you imagine what airplane performance must have been like?
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Chris
 
gprellwitz said:
So we'll get a chance to see it there?
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I don't fly into Lakeland. My In-Laws live in St. Petersburg so for free room, board, car, And the kids (his and mine) get to visit their grandparents. I fly into Whitted (souther St. Pete). Whitted treats GA awsome. I will be at Gastons though. I already have my reservations
 
JRitt said:
I don't fly into Lakeland. My In-Laws live in St. Petersburg so for free room, board, car, And the kids (his and mine) get to visit their grandparents. I fly into Whitted (souther St. Pete). Whitted treats GA awsome. I will be at Gastons though. I already have my reservations
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Leslie's maiden name is Whitted. We think that Albert Whitted was probably related to the slaveowners that owned her ancestors.
 
Dad and I took the RV up this morning for some lazy, go-nowhere flying. Coming out of Washington (AWG) with full fuel, me, and dad, we were getting 2100fpm @ 95KIAS. Man I love that plane! :D :D
 
I fell in lust with the RV-10 at Sun-N-Fun last year. There is room for tall people even in the back. Its easy to get into. The cabin is wide. Good performance (great for a fixed gear) and good usefull load.
 
JRitt said:
I found out yesterday how much better my plane performes in colder weather. I took off to bring my plane (C172N) to St. Louis to loan to my brother in-law to get his IR training and then his commericial (and save him a bit of cash) he wants to get his CFI this summer and work as a CFI part time. The plane got the engine overhauled last year and had a powerflow exhaust installed. I took off with 90lbs of fuel (I stopped and got cheap $2.99/gal fuel on the way)and 290 lbs of me and junk in the plane (460lbs under gross) and it was climbing out at 1500f/min @ 80kts. In the summer it climbs at 800f/min @ gross @ 80kts. We did some flying in St Louis loaded almost to gross and it was still climbing at just over 1000f/min.
Click to expand...

I remember departing PWM one night after dinner at Ricettas - it was 10:00pm and it was about 0F. No wind, arctic high, we got 1800 FPM on climb out at 80kt in the 172. I don't remember how much fuel we had (we topped off at BED), but the plane never climbed so well.

The cabin temp was another thing. I wasn't warm again until somewhere over LWM...

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
gprellwitz said:
Yeah, they do tend to fly better, as long as you keep the frost and ice off. You realize, however, that he ain't gonna be able to get his commercial in a C172N, doncha?
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He can take his commercial check ride in a C172N. He will, however, have to grab another plane to cruise around the pattern to demonstrate he knows what the prop control and retractable gear does.
 
NC Pilot said:
He can take his commercial check ride in a C172N. He will, however, have to grab another plane to cruise around the pattern to demonstrate he knows what the prop control and retractable gear does.
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Okay, you're right. Let me let me rephrase:
he ain't gonna be able to get his commercial entirely in a C172N
 
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