donshapansky

Don't buy the 160hp fixed gear version, many years ago I took one in trade on my Bonanza and after one flight I took it to an aircarft auction and sold it unreserved, the thing refused to climb over 9000' and just hung in the air. It seems that wings needs a lot of power to work half decently in thinner air UGH!

Midwest closed a few months ago!

You won't forget it!

The 602P is better than an older (without intercoolers and high altitude turbos) stock 601P at altitude, but low and slow dirty, No Thank You!

When I was younger I was invincible now I'm less invincible. Plus I've had to declare emergencies twice in single engine airplanes in both cases over the Rockies and both cases at night. Both ended up OK but I realize more than ever the more hours in the air the more the odds are something is bound to happen. My company can afford to fly a twin and the only piston twin that will fly with one engine windmilling and gear flaps down an maintain level flight is the 700 Superstar series. I have done it with a factory pilot on board. It will also cruise on autopilot with one caged at 185 KTAS in the teens.

The short answer is no unless you are prepared to run less than 55% on all Lycoming turbo super charged engines with 7.3:1 compression ratios, the TIT will reach 1750 F. The turbo normalized high compression engines will LOP especially with the Machen intercooler STC. I'm not fussed about the fuel burn at 240 ktas it's faster than a KIng Air 90 and nearly as fast as the Meridian and other high dollar airframes. At FL250 the SSII will run 275 kts on 50 - 52 gph, my thinking is the capital cost is way down but the operating cost is up, which works for me. If I'm busy I need the airplane, if I'm not it can sit, it's paid for.

This is my 3rd Aerostar, I switched because of more mountain destinations, I don't do IFR in a single engine over rocks. Yes the fuel cost is way up but with 2 - 3 people that is a secondary concern. Pressurization is a wonderful feature and A/C !

For some reason the comment section did not attach with the pictures, this was recent trip to San Diego then Bigham City, UT and home. It snowed 12 in. so I had to wait for the plows. The trip home was pretty, it was cold as the panel shot shows -27C and 247 KTAS at FL175, power was set at 63%. the 530 was sitting on 280 kts with ocassional light turbulence.

This year I had work to do in MN and WI and it was right at Oshkosh time! I had tools for training, 2 people and bags that filled the back of my 4 dr pick-up. I went direct Granbury, TX to Holdingford, MN with 30 gals remaining, no help from winds I had a NW crosswind at 4:20 ATE. My return trip was from Fon Du Lac, WI to Granbury, TX in 4:35 with 20 gals remaining. I have 6:00 plus range, both directions were at 11,500 and 12,500' return with winds against me both directions, we were truing 200 kts at 15.5 gph. EDM showed 70% power TIT 1560 - 1570F all cylinders were 360 - 370 F.

The brake question is not the question, either set of brakes work well the bigger problem is locking up the brakes enough to flat spot a tire without realizing it is happening, the HD brakes are much easier to flat spot a tire with. I had considered it at the beginning of my experience but would not consider it after 900 hrs into all kinds of short strips brakes are not the issue with 3200 lbs gross!

The Rocket gross weight can be increased from 2900, my Rocket has the 3200 lb gross so with 2251 lb empty that leaves 949 useful much the same as any long body M20R or M20TN. The other big deal is at max gross with all seats full you are not even close to being in an aft condition, I have done calculations on E-Flite at 550 lbs over and still not aft! You can be at the forward limits but as the fuel burns off the C of G envelope base range extends forward and the condition is gone as fuel burns off.

If I recall correctly I had a 35 kt tailwind that varied a little, groundspeed started out at 235 and over a 30 mintue period it elevated. So by deduction my TAS was approx. 217 kts.

The pictures posted are from my first major trip to OR in 2008 running ROP at 17,500' it was late summer as I recall, I had left Eugene, OR and went direct to Evanston, WY.

I didn't show those figures I said the lowest in the previous post was 15.0 gph and as high as 16.0 gph on a cool day. I never see over 72 - 73% power on the EDM 930 and the trip a couiple days ago at 15.0 gph was 64 - 65% on the EDM 930.

Thanks if you want I can send you more pictures and data when you are getting closer, I maybe another month or two before I'm ready to part with it. Maxwell is doing the annual, installing the 406 ELT, replacing all the plugs with the new Tempest plugs, IFR cert.

I have owned a Rocket for 4 years coming up in June '12 and have just over 900 hrs in the left seat. It is a 252 with only 1800TT when I bought it and 50 SMOH, it was in need of a lot of primping and maintenance to get it to the standard I wanted for long distance flights at any time with reliable dispatch. Initial impressions were WOW, this thing climbs and puts some great speeds even down low, especially compared to a Bravo, the useful load is identical but it would not run smoothly LOP. After a lot of messing it came down to getting rid of the fine wire plugs, new high tension harnesses and 2 trips to GAMI and finally I can run smoothly with NO LOSS IN SPEED. Here are some numbers: Yesterday 7500' OAT 13C 32"MAP 2450 RPM 15.0 gph 185 KTAS at 3200lbs TIT 1550F Hottest cyl 360F cowl flaps closed I regularly see 195 KTAS at 10 - 11 K with similar numbers as above the DA will affect fuel flows somewhat but I never see more than 16 gph. at 17,500 it will true 210 - 215 at the same fuel flows. Climb rates are what ever you want, I usually see 900 ft/min at 150 KTIAS unless the DA is way up the indicated will drop slightly or stand it on it's tail and get 1700 - 1800 ft/min @ 120 kts. I have flown the Bravo and the Acclaim but not the Type S the Bravo is 20 kts slower in all the parameters I saw and the Acclaim in 280 hp config is 5 kts slower indicated in cruise I don't recall the climb numbers. I have recently acquired a Piper Aerostar with the 700 STC and will soon offer the Rocket for sale if you are interested, it's at Maxwell for the annual now and should be ready in a week or two then it's going in for some paint touch-up. The interior side panels are removed for freshing up now and someone will get a wonderful airframe combo for a lot less then anything comparable.

I bought the Rocket in FL with 50 SMOH, I think it took over a year to get to 50 hrs so looking back I think corrosion started then. I bought the aircraft in June 2008 and flew it until March 2010 rolling up 750 hrs all the while fighting oil analysis issues that indicated wear problems then finally exhibiting the traits mentioned. I installed the GAMI's on the way home from FL after purchase and never could get it run acceptably smooth or keep the TIT in range. new EDI's were installed at the major OH. There was no need to replace the cylinders just fix the corrosion issues that were done with a cylinder overhaul, new pistons, rings, valve guides, valves, springs, retainers etc. etc. I think it will live a long time now, but it indicates that LOP requires a healthy engine to make it a pleasant operational experience.

I have gone all through these gyrations with my Rocket. GAMI did tweak mine twice but it refused to run acceptably smooth and the TIT zoomed to 1700 before falling back but staying around 1650 or above so for 600+ hrs I ran ROP +120F to stay out of the never never GAMI band. Finally my Florida 50 hr major started to show higher oil consumption, darkening of the oil quickly after change elevated iron count and nickel count and 2 cylinders with a stepped leakdown on 2 cylinders. I had Maxwell pull all the cylinders against advice and sent them to PowerMaster who agreed with Maxwell that the oil analysis didn't show enough problems. However there were 2 stuck rings, a broken valve spring and one tight valve guide. After finding the ECI cylinders to be straight and no wear they were all reconditioned and reinstalled. I have almost a year and over 200 hrs LOP with the TIT never hotter than 1575F, oil consumption is less than a quart in 35hrs and it stays golden in color. Here is the settings: 2450 RPM @ 33.0 MAP 1570 TIT 15.5 gph - 16.3 gph depending on air density. Today at 7,500' OAT was 6C KTAS 192 kts. I regularly see 13 - 14 NMPG on the EDM930. My old settings: 2450 RPM @ 29.0 MAP 1520 TIT 22.0 gph similar day as above 195 - 197 KTAS I think I've saved around 1400 gallons this year with virtually no loss in speed! I know now that part of the equation is healthy cylinders, I'm sold on NIKISIL cylinders and would believe that TBO using the LOP method on the TCM is a realistic goal. Why the Lycomings run the TIT so hot I don't know but that is the limitation to regaining lost speed by increasing MAP. Maxwell has seen the casting below the turbo on the Bravo completely eroded (maybe due to 1700F TIT) and it is a $4,000 part!

It's hard to wipe the smile off when you turn that thing loose, it will climb at 180 - 190 kias @ 1000'/min but the fuel flows are up there, with intercoolers it is producing 380 hp per side at 45" MAP and 45 gph per side. The good thing is 15 mins to 15 K and then 230 ktas @ 20 gph. It has been a lot of work to get it to the condition the Rocket is in, not in money so much just chasing details that make it like it was when new. Fortunately I was dealer for these way back and I can lead an A&P to what needs to be done, the Aerostar Owners Assoc is a great resource.

I forgot to mention, I now have 25 hrs in my SuperStar 700 and it has the vertical card compass until next Monday when it goes in for some avionics updates and a new SIRS compass!

My Avionics Shop absoltuely hates the open face vertical compass, he showed me a box of them all with a hammer put to them so no one would be tempted. He insisted on the SIRS compass and after 800 hrs and countless high altitude forays I have to say it is the most stable compass I have ever been around. Several pilots have also commented as they watched it perform in turbulence.

I have dual temp units, the Mooney original and the EDM 930, which is more accurate by quite a bit!