How fuel efficient is your airplane - REMADE

forseth11

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Sep 30, 2016
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Forseth11
Yesterday I made the following thread:
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/how-cheap-is-your-airplane.99171/#post-2168543

It used three factors, speed, fuel burn, and seats, but this one has an equation which will help compare more accurately how cheap your aircraft is.
Also as suggested, I will turn this into an excel sheet for others to compare and look at.

This will account for: [variable]
  • Cruise speed (knots) [c]
  • Fuel burn (gph) [f]
  • Usable load (lbs) [l]
  • Fuel capacity (gallons) [fc]
Let me know if there is anything else I should account for, and this calculation does not account for maintenance prices or aircraft price, this can be added however as a separate factor.
Also here is the equation I have devised:
fuel efficiency = l*c/f*(fc/f)

Let me know if I should change it.

Fill out the following form with your airplane's information, and once I get enough responses, I will share the excel form of the result:
https://goo.gl/forms/RVLPl8znfeIzqRwZ2
 
Your form doesn't seem to work. I cannot enter any data in the fields using Chrome or Sea Monkey,
 
Alright, here goes:

M20-C, TAS 148; fuel burn 9 gph; useful load 969 lb.; fuel 52 gal.

Equation: Load x speed / burn x ( cap / burn)
= 969 x 148 / 9 = 15,934 x (52 / 9)
= 92,066

Now to try your form . . .

Edit: the form worked,showed my entry and the Piper. There are no results, only our data. What are the results???? How much better is my plane than his'n? (I know it's better, cause I go faster in less fuel, have higher useful load and carry more fuel.)
 
RV-10 TAS= 160 kt, FF= 10.3 gph, Useful Load= 1,044 lbs, Fuel= 60 gal.

94,467
 
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Entered my aircraft too. Used a figure between high cruise and economy, but used the higher cruise fuel flow.
 
Entered mine. Used my typical settings...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
@Hank S - now you guys reeeally have me thinking Mooney. 9gph in cruise? Would you mind sharing your average annual maintenance costs?
 
Remember with Mooney you have a whole lot of models to choose from. Probably no airframe that has been produced in more variants with such a range of horsepower. Check out Mooneyspace.com to get a feeling for the community and a ton of good info.

http://www.mooneyevents.com/chrono.htm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
@Hank S - now you guys reeeally have me thinking Mooney. 9gph in cruise? Would you mind sharing your average annual maintenance costs?

My annual last year was $850, owner assist. This year I'll probably replace my nose tire and tube, which will jack the cost. By memory, I replaced all tires & tubes in Dec 2012, but the nose tire wears fast from turning. General maintenance when nothing breaks is not much at all. Change oil myself every 50 hours, seven quarts and a filter; in nine years, I've replaced the nose tire twice, the mains once. Landing gear pucks every 10-15 years at $105 each plus a couple hours' labor. Keep up radios and pitot-static tests, same as any other plane.

Last weekend I flew 3:20 into the wind for 31 gals. Here is where I figured my TAS. Forgive the missing left panel overlay, it was cracked and broke completely when removing it for instrument access recently, and I'm planning the replacement process.

The flight before this one was 1.3 hours, full stop; 0.3 hours, full stop; 3.3 hours, full stop and add 44.5 gals.
 

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@Hank S - now you guys reeeally have me thinking Mooney. 9gph in cruise? Would you mind sharing your average annual maintenance costs?
Owned a mooney with my dad for 2 months now. I'm not sure about the maintenance costs, but the other guy seemed to cover that. Mine is a mooney M20E. I get 8.5 gph for fuel burn. Some days I can lean it at low as 7 gph and still get full cruise power. I also get 140 tas, but I don't run full power in cruise. It also takes 9.5 gph during a climb. I get between 500 to 1000 feet per minute climb (going from 1000 feet to 10000). Also the other day, when cruising at 10000 I had a fuel burn of 8 while getting 150 tas.
It's nice not having to spend too much on fuel, and it makes it even easier to gain hours in it.
 
It worked using IE just now. I just want to complain that I've been sick all week and here the sky is a deep blue and I'm not sure I'm up for a flight. :-( So here I sit on POA.
 
It worked using IE just now. I just want to complain that I've been sick all week and here the sky is a deep blue and I'm not sure I'm up for a flight. :-( So here I sit on POA.
That's too bad. It has been 800 to 1500 foot ceilings here in Texas all week. Got some great imc time for my ir.
 
@forseth11 - thanks for that. I have an hour in an M20J from a few years back - I really enjoyed it. I teach in my plane, and that helps it pay for itself. Probably wouldn't do that in a Mooney. But it's a fun thought. :)
 
PA24-250

TAS=158kts, FF=12.5gph, Useful Load 1201, Fuel Cap=90gals
Equation: Load x speed / burn x ( cap / burn)

189,758/12.5=15180.64 x (90/12.5) = 109,300.6
 
just did a CJ
42,807
350kts 476 gal 120gph 3700 useful
right?
 
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1965 C310J

TAS-190kts
Fuel burn-26gph
Useful load-1701lbs
Fuel capacity-130gals

62,151
 
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