Author Topic: favorite aircraft to fly  (Read 5511 times)

Offline Plthijnx

  • Alpha Rooster
  • *****
  • Posts: 537
  • My da*n easy button's broken. Can I borrow yours?
favorite aircraft to fly
« on: December 19, 2005, 04:42:19 AM »
hey guys, i was just reading over a spec sheet that i derived from the POH out of the Geronimo that I fly from time to time and was relishing how much I enjoyed flying that aircraft and want to know what aircraft y'all best enjoy.....my obvious choice is the Geronimo, afterall, I earned my multi-commercial ticket in her. biased? maybe, but I love her! here's the spec sheet I came up with for my checkride and to remind myself about her....(you DO go over this material for the planes you fly, right?)
Engines -
   Lycoming O-320B
   160 H.P. @2700 RPM
Single Engine Rate of Climb - 180 fpm
Single Engine Service Ceiling - 5,500
Empty Weight - 2417.3
Useful Load - 1382.7
Fuel - (Nylon & Neoprene Fuel Cells)
   Mains - 72 Gal. (36 ea)
   Aux - 36 Gal. (18 ea)
   Total - 108 Gal.
   18.8 GPH @ 75% Power
   16.3 GPH @ 65% Power
   Heater Consumption - 1 QPH From Left Main Fuel Cell
Hydraulic System
   Gear and Flaps - MIL-O-5606
   Gear has Anti-Retraction valve on left main
   Hydraulic Pump is on Left Engine
   Gear Retraction/Extension Takes Approx. 10-12 Secs.
   Flap Operation Takes Approx. 4 Secs
   Emergency Ext. Via Hand Pump Under Pedastal 30-40 pumps or if Hydraulic Failure then
   Emergency Ext. - CO-2 charge Released by Pulling Emerg. Ext. Ring Under Pilots Seat
   Flaps Must be Down to Fill Hydraulic System. Chk Level Visually in Left Access Nose Pnl
   Emergency Flap Extension - 12 pumps on handle
Electrical -
   12V - 33A/H Battery
   Generators - 2 (1 Per Engine)
           - 12V 35 Amp
           - Kicks in @ 1200 RPM
 Vacuum Pumps -
   2 - One Per Engine
    Operation Range:
   ****POH has two values listed. see top page 20 in section I and Suppliment 5
   report 948 page 14******
   Page 20, Section I states: 3-3/4" to 4-1/2" Hg.   
   Suppliment 5 report 948 page 14 States:
   In Left or Right Source Position - 8" to 10"Hg
   In Gyro Compass or Gyro Horizon Position - 4-1/4" to not more than 5" Hg.
Engine Oil -
   Max - 8 Qts.
   Min - 2 Qts.
Tire Pressure
   Main - 35 psi, Size - 700 X 6
   Nose - 27 psi, Size 600 X 6
Brakes
   Type - Cleveland
   Fluid - MIL-O-5606, Fill Through Access Panel on Left Side of Nose
Props -
   Low - 11.8 +/- 2 Degrees
   Start Lock - 17.3 +/- 1.5 Degrees
   Feather - 78 +/- 1 Degrees
   72" Diameter Max, 71" Minimum
   Opposing forces:
         Air Charge
         Spring
         Counterweights
   Props held out of high pitch/feather per oil pressure
   against a propeller mounted hydraulic piston that
   oppose above mentioned forces to low pitch/high RPM
Radios -
   Nav Radios Y-Tap into One Antenna
   Comm Radios Have Separate Antennas
The three best things in life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and a good bowel movement. The night carrier landing is one of the few opportunities in life to experience all three at the same time. - Unknown

Offline Sleek-Jet

  • Rooster
  • ****
  • Posts: 312
Re: favorite aircraft to fly
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2005, 11:13:11 PM »
My straight tail 182 was by far my favorite... but I would be a little biased.  The cool thing about those older Cessna's was they were light.  My 59 182 was nothing more than a 230 hp 172... ;D  Even fully loaded in Vegas during the summer, I would be off and climbing at a 1000 fpm in less than a 1000 feet, without really trying.  It would climb to 15,000 feet in the winter and cruise all day long, no problems.  And the manual flaps were just cool.   8)

A close second would be a Bellanca Turbo Viking... talk about a sweet flying bird.  A little tight in the cockpit, but she was silky smooth in the air. 

I like the old B model Aztec I got my multi in as well.  Kinda like a twin engine super cub, with those big old fat wings out there and two big fans blowing accross them.  Trying to stay on the ground until blue-line was a challange with just me and an instructor aboard. 
A pilot is a confused soul who talks about women when he's around airplanes, and airplanes when he's around women.

Offline leiafee

  • Cockerel
  • ***
  • Posts: 183
    • "Lets go flying": Scribblings of a novice PPL
Re: favorite aircraft to fly
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2006, 10:05:53 PM »
Still only a student so haven't a vast swathe of types to my name, but of those good souls who let me get my mitts on their aeroplanes, far and away my favourite has been a Beagle Pup.

Lovely aeroplane.  Wonderful feel to the controls, nice visibilty, cracking rate of climb, semi-aerobatic and just fun.

If I won a fortune tomorrow I wouldn't get anything dramatic or glamourous of mega-powerful, I'd get one of those in a short second.

fireflyr

  • Guest
Re: favorite aircraft to fly
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2006, 05:36:08 PM »
OKAY, I just spotted this subject for the first time so I gotta brag about an airplane---unfortunetly it ain't mine but at least I get to instruct the owner.
It'a a Cessna 185 that's been tweaked with every speed mod available plus some that were thought up by the owner AND it's got a brand-new IO550 Continental that was balanced and polished to where it puts out 370 HP on the dyno coupled to a 3 blade scimatar prop.
It's airborne at 50 Knots in about 3 seconds and accelerating through 90  before you can release the 1st notch of flaps---climbs out of pattern altitude before you get to the end of a 4500 ft runway, and the trues about 165 knots at 4000 MSL.
It is the hottest single engine recip general aviation A/C I have ever flown.
But my favorite recip airplane for good manners and reliability is the Rockwell Shrike---good single engine performance, comfortable on long flights, and you can hang over a fire at 90 knots all day doing steep turns and it will never try to bite you in a stall.

Offline pilotfriend

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: favorite aircraft to fly
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2006, 05:37:51 PM »
Always thought it would be Mooney forever until I built my Glasair. It is the ultimate

fireflyr

  • Guest
Re: favorite aircraft to fly
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2006, 05:54:05 PM »
What kind of power and performance for the Glasair?