Grumman Tiger seat to canopy height

I have run hot and cold on purchasing a Bo and selling my 79 Tiger. Every time I look at it, when I add the costs up for the 6 cylinders, added annual expense, added insurance expense, etc, etc, you can buy a decent Bo imexpensively, BUT, can you afford to own and operate a Bo? I just can’t justify it for the amount of XC over 600 NM I MIGHT fly. Bo’s are meant to fly XC not so much 50 hrs of local flying one hour at a time. IF your mission is routinely 600 NM or more, then buy a Bo, if not, the Tiger is a great weekend flying, and good XC flyer with decent speed, and range, along with insurance under $1000 (I pay $700), and annuals at $800. Also, very few ADs. YMMV.
 
forget about cosmetics. Find yourself an older 182. An airplane your family will grow into fine, plus you can pull back for the beating around the local area type flying. One large bucket list type cross country will set you back a couple hundred bucks more in gas than a retract, but who cares for a 5% mission.

People often mention cylinder count as some panacea for maintance index. It's not; cylinder manufacturer and type (angle vs parallel, common engine vs low volume niche ones) is more indicative of the type of maintance increase one is likely to exhibit over driving everywhere, presumably.

I wish I had less horsepower....said no one ever. As the owner of a 200hp piper retract i recommend you spring for the most horsepower you can capital acquire, mx delta as a function of horsepower in the NA realm is largely ballwash.
 
danhagan said:
To the OP: Contact Zaitcev on this message board. He was interested in a Tiger and I left him check out the dimensions, which he said would not work .... I believe he is 6'4". My CFI was 6'2" or 6'3" and hit his head closing the canopy.
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Actually, I am 6'5". I could fly it with a headset, but because I fly in a helmet, I would scratch the canopy quickly. That is the part that did not work. I needed to duck to open and close the canopy, but once closed it was okay.
 
hindsight2020 said:
forget about cosmetics. Find yourself an older 182. An airplane your family will grow into fine, plus you can pull back for the beating around the local area type flying. One large bucket list type cross country will set you back a couple hundred bucks more in gas than a retract, but who cares for a 5% mission.

People often mention cylinder count as some panacea for maintance index. It's not; cylinder manufacturer and type (angle vs parallel, common engine vs low volume niche ones) is more indicative of the type of maintance increase one is likely to exhibit over driving everywhere, presumably.

I wish I had less horsepower....said no one ever. As the owner of a 200hp piper retract i recommend you spring for the most horsepower you can capital acquire, mx delta as a function of horsepower in the NA realm is largely ballwash.
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All the 182s I have seen in my price range come with a worn out engine or some other problems. I like them but unless I happen upon a unicorn I’m not expecting to get one.
 
Simon Gibson said:
I know there are other planes with more room, but the budget is $40-50k so I’m a bit limited.
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I paid $48k for the Mooney. My hangar mate paid $38k, just 100 hours more on the engine and a year older (1968). This should be well within your budget. My 2017 annual was $830. But I'm being murdered with the insurance - $1,880/y with Avemco.

My M200E is faster than a Tiger, although not by much. I'm pretty sure I use less runway, but then again it depends. I fly ROP and burn 10.2 gph down low, 9.8 gph around 10k.

One thing I didn't realize was the Mooney's wingspan. It's good 2 feet wider than Bonanza. It came up because I share a 40-ft hangar and maneuvering the silly thing without hitting objects like my landlord's tractor and other airplanes is fairly demanding. I used to have a T-hangar all to myself, that was bliss.
 
Once my plane (‘79 Tiger) is out of Annual, I’d be happy to let you sit either seat and fly right seat out of KVJI. Let me know by PM if you’re interested.
 
I got my Arrow II inside of your stated budget. I pay a 1/3 in insurance as the example above, so I don't think that's typical of the market, even Mooneys. I do 130-135ktas on 9gph 6-10k. I don't run 75% but when I did for giggles I get 137-140KTAS on 10gph @ 6k (highest I can run 75% @ 2400, otherwise it's redline @8k which I don't do). Useful is 968. Cosmetics are poor on mine though and account for a good discount, but I got all gap seals and a 430W plus OEM autopilot in exchange, so take that fwiw. no free lunch in life and all that jazz.

For a mission and mission profile such as yours, if I could get over the carbed continental engine thing, the FG 182 would be my go to choice.

Good luck
 
Had the opportunity to sit in a Cheetah yesterday (big thanks to Bob if he’s on here.) The good news is that I fit, but I’m at the limit for sure. I had about an inch above my head, but the problem came when putting heels to floor on the rudder pedals the yoke hit my knees. I’d have to move my feet up on the pedals, heels off the floor to make it work.

So now I’m a bit torn. I really like those planes but comfort on a long trip for me might be an issue.

I’m now going to spend the weekend doing financial gymnastics in order to figure out if a 182 would be doable. Otherwise I don’t know how this will turn out.
 
Put the seat further back? - in my Tiger seat goes back so far I cannot reach pedals straight legged.
??
 
I’m pretty sure it was all the way back, at least it didn’t go any further when I tried to adjust.
 
Hmm, something is not adding up here. I have a 34” inseam and fly w seat in what I would approximate halfway back position. All the way back...no way would I reach.
 
I've had a lot of larger people get in my plane and the yolk hits their knees. The yoke is pretty low in the plane
 
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