On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 14:35:28 -0700 (PDT), es330td
wrote:

On Jul 7, 2:04*pm, John Smith wrote:
es330td wrote:
My mission requirements are a 700 nm range with reserve and a flight
time under 4 hours facing occasional IMC weather as I will be flying
between GA and east Texas. *I'd also prefer something with as low a
fuel burn as possible for cost savings.

*Michael Henry wrote:

Vans RV-7 -http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/rv-7int.htm
Vans RV-8 also meets the speed and range requirements but as a tandem
may not have enough panel space for IFR.

I would recommend a Van's RV for several reasons:
- excellent builder support along your route (RV builders area
everywhere)
- excellent aircraft for high-speed cruise, low fuel consumption,
low-airspeed takeoffs and landings at short fields, providing more
options

IIRC, there are more RV's out there than any other homebuilt. Before I
posted I checked out the -7 but was a little concerned about the
range. According to AIRNAV, the distance between my airports of
interest is 684 nm direct and my path takes me through/around the
general aviator's Hell that is Hartsfield-Jackson. They aren't always
accomodating to GA IFR pilots and will route you all over the place.
Depending on whether I am coming or going, if I am VFR I can just
cancel and fly under the class B or file a pop-up IFR but if I have to
take off or land in IMC I have to let them send me where they will.
With a 775 sm range at 75% power on the -7 I start running into
problems of getting low on fuel and pushing into my reserve if the
flight encounters any kind of rerouting. I can, of course, slow down
but now I start getting over 4 hours and given that a lot of my flying
would be early evening I'd rather not push myself.

I'm not scratching any reasonable plane off my list just yet; in fact,
this doesn't become viable until I get my IFR ticket which is at least
a year off. It doesn't hurt to start educating myself because I can
always start building even before I am ready for cross country
commuting.

have you ever realised that the fuel caps come off pretty easily.
you could refuel enroute :-)
it is not as though you are flying california to hawaii.

Stealth (easily overlooked) Pilot