T. Peterson

Then you are between the proverbial rock and a hard place! Actually, your point is well taken. As a relative newbie to GA and small airplanes compared to the vast experience on this forum, I am very interested in this discussion. Many good points have been made and I am taking them all under advisement as I plan my own fuel management strategy. So far, my strategy has been to top off at every stop. My wife and I don’t like to fly more than 3 hour legs so I always land with plenty of fuel. However we would like to at least take some shorter trips with another couple. My UL is 930 lbs so I will launching with no more than 50 gallons or even less. This will make fuel management critical. I totally get the wisdom of having enough fuel in the landing tank to safely cover a go around which implies by default that the cruising tank is going to be sucked down much further than the landing tank. I know many excellent pilots on this forum speak of actually emptying the cruising tank, but that’s a little rich for my blood. As you pointed out if something should go wrong and you are out of gas in one tank and can’t access the other, you will probably say a bad word! I’m thinking that landing with 12 gallons in one tank and 5 in the other is as risky as I want to go. Of course that is not written in stone, and I certainly welcome further insight from the group.

Yessir, it certainly does!! Therefore I am going to try real hard to leave it alone!

Maybe that’s why our oaths are to the Constitution and not to the Government?

That was very educational. Thank you!!

Are the long bodies more susceptible to a prop strike? If they are, is it because they are more prone to the infamous porpoise?

just got my beauty and want to fly her instead of just admire her in pieces in the hangar. Absolutely!!! Have a wonderful time!

Wow, both those airplanes are very nice! I will pm you tomorrow with my phone number. I am very grateful to all the folks who have chimed in on this thread. Right now I am loading folks in Charlotte for a short flight to Orlando. I look forward to visiting with you soon!

I so appreciate all you fellas and your input. My K model has a 430W and a Century 41 auto pilot both of which work flawlessly, but I am concerned about support when they do eventually break. I don’t use the auto pilot for approaches, but I do want one that will track to a fix and hold altitude. In other words I want one that works even if unsophisticated. I take it from the comments that the one in Jimmy’s plane is less sophisticated than the one in mine? One thing I do desire is the ability to have a VMC pseudo glide slope to a runway in which there is no instrument approach. The Garmin 650 and up have that desirable feature, but the 430W does not. I would assume the Avidyne 550 would have that feature. As you can tell, I have a lot of homework to do of which enlisting your excellent observations, advice and experience is a part. I also retire in 9 days which is also a factor. I need a hiring manager somewhere who either likes me or feels sorry for me and gives me a job!

Thank you so much! That is exactly the kind of feedback for which I am looking. I have also heard that the IO 550’s are a bear to start when hot. My 360 has no issue with starting hot, so it may be a different procedure I will just have to perfect. Your last paragraph also grabbed my attention. If I could order an engine without surrendering mine till the new one is delivered would be a bonus. I didn’t think that would be an option on a rebuilt, but I will certainly pursue that idea even if I just decide to keep my K. Yes, you are looking at the plane I am considering! LOL! Thanks again for your input!

Hello all, I may have the opportunity to go from a 1979 K model to a 1999 Screaming Eagle. The Eagle has a timed out engine. My K has about 400 hours before it too times out. Better avionics in the Eagle and I never fly above 12000. If I can pull this off I think I should do it, but there are often unintended consequences to what seemed like a good idea at the time! To begin with, I am hoping to get another 100 hours on this engine, but I know that’s a crap shoot. Do any of you have an opinion or advice?

Will, yore crazy! Landing at DFW just for the experience is like poking a pencil in your eye just for the experience!

Show offs!

Your numbers are almost exactly what I get in my K. @jlunseth does significantly better but he had his engine dialed into perfection! I have no intercooler, no Gami injectors and no fine wire plugs, however Gami’s are on the horizon. Everyone I talk to is thoroughly impressed with their performance.

We don’t all have the resources to do that, but congratulations.

That is quite a first post!! You certainly are a can-do fella! I look forward to following your progress. Welcome aboard!

@oisiaa You are planning trips that are in excess of 500 miles and to high elevations. I believe you will be much happier with a K than a J. Call Jimmy Garrison and visit with him. I had the same question and he steered me to a K. I am grateful for his advice. J’s are wonderful airplanes but your mission almost screams turbo.

Is this the Hector fellow that does such outstanding work? If so, that’s a real bummer, especially for those of us who are not willing to tackle a job like that on our own.

Good point. I have a K, but go almost everywhere at 11 or 12. I just don’t like supplemental oxygen.

A 12 gauge would have fixed that nicely!

True, but oil leaks are maddening!!! I have been chasing one since I owned the airplane. Airplane is late coming out of annual due to the shop doing their best to find and tame this oil leak. Therefore my wife and I are driving to an event in TN that we had hoped to fly. I certainly understand the frustration of the OP.

Go ForeFlight!!

Just to make sure that I understand. By redline, you mean 40”. As long as tit/head temps are well within limits I may climb at 40”? Also, climbing at 115 kts +or- a couple will enhance both cooling and performance. I generally climb at 115 to 120, and 35-36”. My next flight I will cautiously try 40” and carefully monitor all other parameters including oil temperature. So far my climb rate has been about 500fpm. Hopefully the new technique will bolster that a bit. Thank you!

Well said! My question is answered as I don’t have the intercooler. Thank you!

I am wondering the same thing. From whence cometh the 33 MP in climb? If all my temps are good I climb at least 36 and sometimes 38. I have the Merlyn, but no intercooler. I hope I am not being a Dumkopf!! (Yes, I do realize I just left myself wide open!!) I have seen nothing in my manuals limiting climb MP to 33.

I am so very sorry this has happened to you. My prayers, thoughts and best wishes are with you and your wife.