Fuel Burns in a Travel Air?

[Bonchie]

Have an opportunity to non-equity partner in one with a friend at an excellent dry rate.

Not concerned about fuel burns on long trips. Plenty of cheap gas around here to stop for if I want to offset some costs.

But what kind of fuel burns can you get on local flights if speed isn't an issue? Let's say you are out doing some proficiency or an area leisure flight and don't mind going 120 knots? Also, what's the nexus of GPH/Altitude/Speed = Best Economy in a B95?

 

[Ted]

It's a pair of O or IO-360s. Certainly could get it down to 10 GPH if you wanted to fly really slow. 155 @ 14 GPH is a more normal economy cruise.

I actually like the Travel Air.

 

[arnoha]

It's a pair of O or IO-360s. Certainly could get it down to 10 GPH if you wanted to fly really slow. 155 @ 14 GPH is a more normal economy cruise.

I actually like the Travel Air.

Is it really able to do that? That basically matches the single-engine Bonanza that it is based on for burn and speed. The single should be able to beat it handily on burn for the same speed!

I thought I'd go see what one costs, so I poked over to Controller. There is exactly on for sale in the US for a bit under $50K. http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1411607/1959-beechcraft-b95-travel-air

Of course...I've got to wonder how long that ad has been up...

"Fresh Annual 11/08"

(And then another notation later for, "Fresh annual 1/14")

 

[Bonchie]

Is it really able to do that? That basically matches the single-engine Bonanza that it is based on for burn and speed. The single should be able to beat it handily on burn for the same speed!

I thought I'd go see what one costs, so I poked over to Controller. There is exactly on for sale in the US for a bit under $50K. http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1411607/1959-beechcraft-b95-travel-air

Of course...I've got to wonder how long that ad has been up...

"Fresh Annual 11/08"

(And then another notation later for, "Fresh annual 1/14")

From everything I've read, 150 kts at 14-15gph is doable in a Travel Air.

A Twin Comanche will go even faster on 14gph.

 

[Bonchie]

It's a pair of O or IO-360s. Certainly could get it down to 10 GPH if you wanted to fly really slow.

I actually like the Travel Air.

That's what I was kind of wondering.

Let's say I want to take a lap around the Reservoir at sunset and just relax. Is it written in the heavens that I must fly at 150 knots and burn 14-15 gallons an hour or can you safely throttle back to 10 GPH, fly around at 110 knots, and enjoy the view?

I'd assume you could, but ME is new to me and you know what they say about assuming.

 

[N3368K]

Gosh, I was hoping this was going to be a discussion of Hispano-Suiza, Curtis OX-5 or Wright J-6 engines. Guess it isn't THAT kind of Travel Air.

 

[Ted]

Is it really able to do that? That basically matches the single-engine Bonanza that it is based on for burn and speed. The single should be able to beat it handily on burn for the same speed!

The numbers I provided were from a friend's Travel Air that I've flown. He had IO-360s with GAMIjectors and was able to run LOP. 14 GPH in a Bonanza would be ROP (unless you had a 550, in which case you'd be doing more in the 165-170 range). I can't speak for all Travel Airs (this was a particularly nice one), and I also don't know what the O-360s would do. @JHW could give you another data point.

That's what I was kind of wondering.

Let's say I want to take a lap around the Reservoir at sunset and just relax. Is it written in the heavens that I must fly at 150 knots and burn 14-15 gallons an hour or can you safely throttle back to 10 GPH, fly around at 110 knots, and enjoy the view?

I'd assume you could, but ME is new to me and you know what they say about assuming.

The owner's manual (Travel Air would be pre-POH) will have a list of approved manifold pressures and RPMs. As I recall from my friend's Travel Air, there was a restriction that required 2350 RPM or higher on the props but I don't recall anything about restricting you to high manifold pressures. If nothing else, you aren't running at 24" for your approach, you're probably back down at 18" or so. No reason why you couldn't run at approach power for an extended period with the mixtures leaned as far as they'll go with the engines smooth. Keep in mind that you might want to do this anyway if you're in a holding pattern to reduce fuel burn while waiting your turn for an approach or waiting for weather to lift. One PoAer here had an Apache (I forget if that was 320s or 360s) that he would routinely use for sight seeing flights at 10 GPH and ~130 KTAS.

The answer is no different than for a single. Some engine/prop combinations have particular areas where you can't operate them, typically due to torsional vibrations. This is in the POH or owner's manual and tells you what you can do.

 

[frfly172]

With my travel air could cruise all day with 14 gph . If your building time or going for the 100 dollar Hamburg what's the hurry. On long range cross country figure 22gph.