Endurance / Range

[Mick]

What do you guys consider to be a reasonable minimum endurance and range for an aircraft that you want to tour in?

 

Reason I ask is that it seems the biggest obsticle to selling our Sportstar is that it is the early model with the 65 litre fuselage tank. This gives an endurance of 3 hours plus reserve, at 100 knots a range of 300nm.

 

The new Sportstars have 60 litres in each wing.

 

Our Sportstar with only 170 hours on it represents a saving of over $20,000.00 over a new one with the bigger tanks.

 

Would you consider the bigger tanks to be worth this much to you?

 

I would like to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

G'day Mick,

 

everything's relative. That's a good price but the fuel would weigh on my mind - for two reasons. Firstly my preference with a Rotax 912ULS or similar is 90 litres plus - at 18 litres an hour you've got 4.25 hours plus reserves. That feels more comfortable.

 

Secondly I have a dislike of sharing the cockpit/fuselage area with fuel.

 

So if I had a choice I'd go for something with bigger wing tanks, but if I didn't have the extra cash it wouldn't stop me buying yours.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Mathew Ker]

Although I haven't done any cross country flying as yet, in anticipation of where I will be flying around Cape York, I'd like at least 4 hours at 90-100kts. This just gives me a bigger envelope to work with. It's not only the distance to destination but being able to return without refueling en route. I imagine it won't always be easy to refuel in some of the more remote strips on the Cape.

 

Mind you, for a $20,000 price difference, you could make a lot of phone calls organising fuel to be available :big_grin:. I only wish I had anywhere near the money you're asking for.

 

Cheers, Mathew

 

 

[Guest browng]

Having done a fair bit of X-country flying, most recently Melbourne to Perth in my Jodel D113, (an aircraft with essentially the same cruising speed as the Sportstar), I have to say that 3 hours plus reserves is possible, but marginal for touring in more remote areas, e.g. in nil-wind conditions or with a tail wind, you would get from Forrest to Kalgoorlie, just, but any headwind and you won't make it without using reserve. It is not too difficult to find 300nm legs in Australia, and in the Sportstar you would be buggered by a headwind. My Jodel has 4 hours plus reserve, but I reckon 3.5 hrs at 100 knots is probably enough to feel comfortable. To me it would not be about the $20,000, the aircraft just wouldn't do what I need from it. Incidentally, I have a mate here in W.A. with a similar problem, wanting to buy a new Sportstar, but facing a big loss on the old single tank one. He is currently looking at ways to add another 30mins of fuel somewhere in the fuselage, but so far has not figured out how.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I'm happy with my 6.75 hours @ 120 knots on 20 litres an hour :)

 

That way I only have to fill up once a month if I'm lucky!

 

For me for an aircraft that I would buy, 4 hours would be my minimum. Sometimes when you really need to get home and you don't have time to stop, that extra fuel is really worth it.

 

 

[Guest J430]

I am with Brent on this one, I get 2 x 3 hour sectors with reserve, which is useful.

 

Can you have a lame instal bigger tanks?

 

J