Mission:
30% of the time: 1 adult + 1 medium size dog + small bag
70% of the time: 2 adults + 1 small + 1 medium size dog + bags + 2 children. Hopefully something with 160KTS+ cruise. Would be nice to be able to land in grass strips. 50-70k range?
Contenders:
- Cozy Mark IV
- Bo S35
- Comanche 260C
Any others?
Are you wanting to go just paved runway to paved runway fast, or are you wanting something that is more versatile and can do dirt/grass/unimproved strips too?
"You have to be alive to spend it..."
ideally more versatile but willing to just do paved.Originally Posted by Max Torque
The Bonanza cost of ownership will be higher than that of the Comanche and Bonanzas are somewhat more CG sensitive. You load them more carefully. Both airplanes are 6 seat and no bags, or 4 seat plus luggage, airplanes. Don't believe the marketting brochures.
I rode to Sun-N-Fun from NH in a Comanche 260 and I can vouch for the speed and interior space. You can land the Comanche and the Bonanza on good grass runways. Pass over the rough ones.
Just about every mechanic knows how to inspect and repair a Bonanza or a Comanche.
With the canards, you will need more runway and every account of trying to fly one off grass has left me with the impression that you need a paved runway. They do not do well on grass. And you need more runway than the factory airplanes that you list. Cost of ownership? Not free but you will have to ask an owner. Can you do the maintenance? I will hazard a guess that 95% of the general aviation mechanics out there are not up to speed on composite airplanes. This is getting better, but it is surprising how many mechanics that I run into that essentially say "I like aluminum." Talk to your local mechanics.
If I were expecting to do trips with 2 adults, 2 growing juveniles, and 2 dogs, I would go looking for a Cessna 206. I can load a 206 with all of the people and stuff and dogs, and go land anywhere I want to. The 206 is very tolerant of load and CG. Been there and done that. And not that much slower.
You need to go buy time in those airplanes.
Best of luck,
Wes
N78PS
Given your load requirements, be looking at a Cherokee 6/Lance. You can fill them up and most likely cheaper than a 206. I personally would get a 206 over a Lance, but I'm sure you won't find a flyable one in your price range.
what about a comanche 250? they are pretty reasonably priced and can handle a load. any other experimentals I should consider in my price range? I'd like to build. originally I was thinking of a longez but I don't want the family to be excluded from my flying.
If you are intent on building, the only kit aircraft that I can think of that will meet the requirements of your mission is Comp Air. They produce a number of heavy haulers that range in price, for airframe only, from reasonable to very expensive. You might want to consider a less expensive fully built, flying used one rather than a kit to build. There might be other appropriate kits out there for you, I'm just not aware of them.
http://www.aerocompinc.com/airplanes/index.htm
I'd say "Tailwind"..... or a little slower... Buttercup
Both Steve Wittman designs...
.
Gotta Fly...
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The mission "70% of the time: 2 adults + 1 small + 1 medium size dog + bags + 2 children" pretty much eliminates both of those.
Last edited by Max Torque; 06-07-2014 at 07:20 AM.
"You have to be alive to spend it..."
The four place Bearhawk would be a homebuild that would do it all except the 170 kt cruise. They have a large baggage area and big door for loading and a quick build is available. If you just want to fly, the C-182/180 is my choice. I've got thousand of hours in them and never cease to be amazed at what they do. In the Arctic I've moved our family several times with nothing but the airplane because we lived where there are no roads. I would have killed myself in any other airplane. You have to work hard to kill yourself in one of them. No one would believe what we do with them and what they will do. Again, no 170 kt cruise, but they get you there before the weather changes very much, normally. For years we hauled all our groceries and virtually everything we bought, in it. I put quick release pins on the door hinges to remove the door for loading, took the stop off the window so I can open it all the way out in flight, added Flint tip tanks and Monarch mains for a 7 hour endurance. We had one once with the 18 gallon baggage aux tank. Start with new cylinders, overhaul them once and then new ones again. Never, ever, install a cylinder with unknown history that you didn't buy new and you won't have to go through the emergency forced landing. I've flown it into Russia four times, over the Bering Sea out of Nome. Packed our family of five into it all over Alaska and northwestern Canada. You have to take the seats out for hauling big loads, but you can really get a lot into it. They carry some ice if your day turns sour...if you don't know what the day holds, spray some silicon on the prop and wipe it down..ice won't stick to it. Not the most efficient fuel burn like some of the cleaner designs, but it does things they would never think of...there is just nothing that does it "all", but the 182/180 comes the closest of any. Especially if you have to land in impossible shears & crosswinds, it will keep flying when anything else would never be able to recover. Just my 2 cents...
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