Best homebuilt for ~700 nm commute

I have a firm opportunity to take a much higher paying job and expand
my education but taking the family might be difficult. If I have to
leave them I'd like to find some way to fly myself back and forth for
frequent visits for the 4-5 years I will be there. Flying commercial
is not an option as it is a 8-9 hour trip each way tied to carrier
schedules once driving to/from major carrier airports is included. I
know there are plenty of planes that can cruise in the 200+ range,
however, so flying myself would be an alternative as both locations
have airpots within 10 miles of town centers.

I only need to carry myself and minor luggage so passenger capacity
isn't a concern.

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.

In investigating this, it looks like a Cozy/Aerocanard is going to be
the way to go. With a 1000 mile range, service ceilings approaching
class A and greater than 200 mph cruise I can't find anything else
that matches this in an affordable package to build. As I have past
experience as an auto mechanic, being able to work on the plane to
keep costs down is important so I'm going to have to go with something
I build myself.

Are there any good alternatives outside the canard family?

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.


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.

Mustang II - http://www.mustangaero.com/Mustang%20II/MustangII.html

Lancair Legacy FG - http://www.lancair.com/Main/legacy.html

On Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:11:39 +1000, Michael Henry
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.


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.

Mustang II - http://www.mustangaero.com/Mustang%20II/MustangII.html

Lancair Legacy FG - http://www.lancair.com/Main/legacy.html




Thorp T18 !!!!

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

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.

"es330td" wrote

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.

Hey, it's called experimental for a reason. You can add extra fuel
capacity, yourself. Tip tanks come to mind, since they can be added without
adding extra stress to the wing spar, or connections of the wing to the
plane. Well built ones could probably lower the stall speed, and possibly
add to the gross payload, too.
--
Jim in NC

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

On Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:32:08 +0800, Stealth Pilot
wrote:

have you ever realised that the fuel caps come off pretty easily.
you could refuel enroute :-)

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/longrange.jpg

Ron Wanttaja

On Jul 7, 5:35�pm, es330td wrote:
On Jul 7, 2:04�pm, John Smith wrote:








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.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

When you start your IFR training and flying you will really learn
about the old saying "the only time you can have too much fuel on
board is when you are on fire". Plan on at least a 20 knot headwind
on some of those westbound trips, and add in the range and time to
your alternate, plus a 45 minute (minimum). Suddenly your airplane is
much less capable and your normal 700 nm range requires a fuel stop
somewhere between A and B, or GA and TX . Fuel starvation is still a
leading cause of accidents. Buying big enough tanks for your mission
helps your odds.

Denny

On Jul 7, 4:35 pm, 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.

What about adding additional tanks for the commute?
After all it is experimental

Lou