Max Clark Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 On 1/6/2026 at 5:22 PM, exM20K said: Apples:apples, the TSIO 550G is approximately 50# heavier than the IO 550G. https://continental.aero/specsheets/Continental-specsheet-Avgas-550-Engine-Series-v2_WEB.pdf There are some ways to buy back a bit of useful load, but it’s not obvious where the other 200# is lost. I am super jelly of a > 1100# useful load long body. -dan How much does the AC take?
exM20K Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 2 hours ago, Max Clark said: How much does the AC take? I don’t have AC. TKS is, IIRC, 54#. empty weight is 2478# useful is 890#. -dan
Jeff Uphoff Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 12 hours ago, Max Clark said: 1092 to be exact Wow, how is yours 1092? Mine (the first Ovation2 made, since STC'd to a de facto Ovation3) went up 1030 when I added an Aspen and removed all the primary and standby vacuum plumbing and pumps, and I was feeling pretty chuffed at that figure! I'm trying to figure out what else I could remove to get 62 more payload pounds! Revert to a two-blade prop? Not have an O2 system? (No thanks to both, I like my initial climb rate too much here in the Appalachians and also like to cruise high and head out west once or twice each year.) Scratching my head--inquiring minds want to know! --Up.
exM20K Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 34 minutes ago, Jeff Uphoff said: Wow, how is yours 1092? Mine (the first Ovation2 made, since STC'd to a de facto Ovation3) went up 1030 when I added an Aspen and removed all the primary and standby vacuum plumbing and pumps, and I was feeling pretty chuffed at that figure! I'm trying to figure out what else I could remove to get 62 more payload pounds! Revert to a two-blade prop? Not have an O2 system? (No thanks to both, I like my initial climb rate too much here in the Appalachians and also like to cruise high and head out west once or twice each year.) Scratching my head--inquiring minds want to know! --Up. If you still have strobes, incandescent nav/position, and Xenon landing/taxi lights, you can recover some pretty good numbers with the new hotness that @OSUAV8TER peddles. Maybe 15#. -dan
Jeff Uphoff Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 44 minutes ago, exM20K said: If you still have strobes, incandescent nav/position, and Xenon landing/taxi lights, you can recover some pretty good numbers with the new hotness that @OSUAV8TER peddles. Maybe 15#. -dan I've already started replacing my old lighting with his LED units one at a time as mine go kaput. I didn't think to update W&B for it, though! --Up.
Max Clark Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 1 hour ago, Jeff Uphoff said: Wow, how is yours 1092? Mine (the first Ovation2 made, since STC'd to a de facto Ovation3) went up 1030 when I added an Aspen and removed all the primary and standby vacuum plumbing and pumps, and I was feeling pretty chuffed at that figure! I'm trying to figure out what else I could remove to get 62 more payload pounds! Revert to a two-blade prop? Not have an O2 system? (No thanks to both, I like my initial climb rate too much here in the Appalachians and also like to cruise high and head out west once or twice each year.) Scratching my head--inquiring minds want to know! --Up. I was shocked as well. Did a full panel, avionics, and LEDs with Don Maxwell last year. I spent extra $ to consolidate everything that I could (integrated EIS on G3x, GMA 35c and GTX 345r on the GTN). Was working through the factor W&B and equipment list for original #s and ended up paying to weigh the plane for a new W&B and that's what came out. Empty weight before: 2361.03 Empty weight after: 2276.00 2
exM20K Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 37 minutes ago, Jeff Uphoff said: I've already started replacing my old lighting with his LED units one at a time as mine go kaput. I didn't think to update W&B for it, though! --Up. IIRC, the ballast for the Xenon lights was pretty chunky. X2 -dan
exM20K Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 26 minutes ago, Max Clark said: I was shocked as well. Did a full panel, avionics, and LEDs with Don Maxwell last year. I spent extra $ to consolidate everything that I could (integrated EIS on G3x, GMA 35c and GTX 345r on the GTN). Was working through the factor W&B and equipment list for original #s and ended up paying to weigh the plane for a new W&B and that's what came out. Empty weight before: 2361.03 Empty weight after: 2276.00 That is fantastic. It is astonishing that legacy avionics and lights cost 85#. -dan 1
NickG Posted January 9 Report Posted January 9 On 1/7/2026 at 5:39 PM, Max Clark said: 1092 to be exact My Ovation has 1100#. Very useful indeed!
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