Cross country in X air H -Vs- Cessna 172. Real trip.
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:50 pm
Sold my X air and part of the deal was I deliver it to Greenville North Carolina.
Weather looked good a few days ago so started the trip. One of the locals agreed to fly down and give me a ride home in his Cessna 172.
A little about the airplanes.
X air H is a high wing experimental that meets LSA rules. High wing, sailcloth covered. Similar to Skyranger or Rans S-6 in basic layout but no parts interchange. Jabiru 2200A with GT wood propeller. No wheel pants. 115 hours total time Airframe Cost $26,500 in parts plus time to build.
average was 1180 EGT, 190 F oil temp (cooler taped over), 234 F CHT.
88 mph 76.5 knots Indicated airspeed average. used 1/3 qt oil.
Read the advertised X air cruise speeds and Jabiru fuel burns and compare to below. Truth in advertising.....
Airplane empty weight 648 lbs, (175 lb) pilot, 20.5 gallons fuel (123 lbs)
8 lbs of spare oil, funnel, tools, stuff. Total weight 954 Lbs.
Average rate of climb was around 640-700 FPM at this weight and 56 mph indicated with no flaps.
No radios at all. No BRS. Doors but no cabin heat. Bing Altitude compensating auto leaning carb. Duct taped my doors shut for the cold. Wearing lined jeans, hooded shirt, Carhartts, knit hat, ear plugs and insulated gloves. Saw my breath all the way to NC in the cockpit.
Cessna 172 is a 1979 Lycoming 160 hp. Powerflow exhaust system. Main wheel pants but no nose pant. Clean straight airplane. IFR, autopilot. heat etc. 2300 hours total time Airframe Cost $60,000 used two years ago.
Full fuel (40 gallons), Two 210 lb persons, X air wheel pants, cowl shrouds (10 lbs) in baggage.
Since I don't have a transponder I decided to fly around the west side of the DC ADIZ. Ron decided to go around the east side through Deleware.
I left at 7:30 from 76N. First stop was Carlisle PA N94 (98 nm) at 9:10AM. Lots of gas left but I had to stop to warm up and find a tree after shivering so long.
60 kts groundspeed. (headwind, indicating 86-88 mph)
1.6 hours
7.6 gallons used
4.75 GPH
2675 RPM
2500 ft MSL
OAT 20 F
Left Carlisle at 9:40 for Front Royal VA FRR. Arrived 11:16 AM. (91 nm) Real pretty place. Hopped around to get warm again.
1.6 hours (headwind again)
7.4 gallons used
4.62 GPH
2650 RPM
OAT 27 Deg F
Left Front Royal at 11:45 for Greenville NC KPGV (201.2 Nm).
Avg 72 Knots ground speed. I was going to land there but lots of jets were taking off downwind and in the pattern so I continued to NC47 South Oaks Aerodrome where the airplane was to be delivered anyway.
Indicated airspeed was 88-90 mph. Still a headwind
FRR to NC47 was 210.5 NM.
3.08 hrs
16 gallons used, 4.5 gallons remaining (45 min reserve)
5.19 GPH
2750 RPM
3500 ft
OAT 32 F
Total trip was 6.28 hours air time. 31 gallons fuel burned. 400 Nm.
Three takeoffs. Total time including stops was 7 hours 20 min.
Ron in his 172 got gas at N27 and flew to 76N (25 nm) .3 hours
He picked up his copilot Fred and left 76N at 9:55 for KSBY (192 nm) 1.6 hours
17.9 gallons used, two takeoffs, 9.42 GPH
6500 ft 2450-2500 RPM No EGT to lean with.
He then went SBY to PGV Greenville NC. (185 Nm)
1.8 hours
18.4 gallons burned
10.22 GPH
Then from PGV to NC47. Picked me up. (10 nm). He missed the field and circled finding the airport. I vectored him in with a cell phone.
So totals worked out like this.
X air Total trip 400 miles 76N to NC47
172 Total trip 404 miles N27-PGV
From 76N to PGV
X air flying time 6.2 hours 76N to NC47
172 flying time 3.7 hours 76N to PGV
X air fuel burned 31 gallons 76N-N94-FRR-NC47
172 fuel burned 36.3 gallons N27-76N-SBY-PGV
Both had three takeoffs total to destination.
I delivered another X air H during the summer to MD. It was identical except no clearcoated sails and a climb Sensenich propeller. Cruise was 2950 to 3000 RPM. Fuel burn and airspeed were identical. We checked both airplanes together and against GPS to calibrate airspeeds.
172 has cabin heat, hauled an extra person, auto pilot and IFR capable. X air lands shorter and takes off shorter but not by a whole lot with the same load.
172 pulled back to X air cruise speed burns 6.5 Gph. 2150 rpm.
Trips were from same origin with same destination. conducted at the same time. Both airplanes landed at grass strips of less than 2000 ft. 172 left with three people and full fuel from this grass strip.
Return trip in 172 was three people. PGV to NC47 (9.3 nm) then up to GED Sussex Co Delaware (214.8 nm) was 21.6 Gallons
Night fell about Norfolk. 1.9 hours total
11.36 GPH. 5500 ft. two takeoffs and climbs. Full rich looking for NC47.
GED to 76N was 1.6 hours. Hit snowline on the ground at Kutztown PA. Very good visibility and smooth night. Landed on snow / ice covered 2000ft runway at 76N. No runway lights are installed. Around 8:30 PM
I have not flown the 172 over to N27 to fill the tanks and see what the burn was. I don't have any fuel at 76N right now except auto.
Interesting thing. When I dropped off the X air a guy came up and was curiously looking at the engine. He said " I overhauled this". Turns out the engine had had propeller strikes and they had disassembled it and magnafluxed the crank and rods. He recognized the odd combination of Warp drive spinner and GT prop.
He was building an X air for the East Cost X air distributor Bill Mariglini. The first X airs they had suffered nose gear collapses due to defective design and steel. This engine was on them. The guy in NC said the engine had complete logs with all magnaflux tags etc when the airplane went to Bill.
When Bill sold me this engine off his X air demonstrator some time later. It was to have had 75 hours since new and all paperwork. When I flew to VA to pick it up he had all the manuals but no logbook. He said he would send the log up to me and of course it never showed. I got tired of asking and gave up.
I don't think he ever dreamed I would meet up with those guys in NC and find out the true history of that engine. Buyer beware.
Aviation is a small world.
I flew a few landings with the new X air owner and last landing he decided we should go to his house. Landed in his 1100 ft yard over pine trees and I left it there.
But this shows a little airplane with no radios can still fly around the east with some planning. And even with a headwind they are still faster than driving and a heck of a lot more fun.
Weather looked good a few days ago so started the trip. One of the locals agreed to fly down and give me a ride home in his Cessna 172.
A little about the airplanes.
X air H is a high wing experimental that meets LSA rules. High wing, sailcloth covered. Similar to Skyranger or Rans S-6 in basic layout but no parts interchange. Jabiru 2200A with GT wood propeller. No wheel pants. 115 hours total time Airframe Cost $26,500 in parts plus time to build.
average was 1180 EGT, 190 F oil temp (cooler taped over), 234 F CHT.
88 mph 76.5 knots Indicated airspeed average. used 1/3 qt oil.
Read the advertised X air cruise speeds and Jabiru fuel burns and compare to below. Truth in advertising.....
Airplane empty weight 648 lbs, (175 lb) pilot, 20.5 gallons fuel (123 lbs)
8 lbs of spare oil, funnel, tools, stuff. Total weight 954 Lbs.
Average rate of climb was around 640-700 FPM at this weight and 56 mph indicated with no flaps.
No radios at all. No BRS. Doors but no cabin heat. Bing Altitude compensating auto leaning carb. Duct taped my doors shut for the cold. Wearing lined jeans, hooded shirt, Carhartts, knit hat, ear plugs and insulated gloves. Saw my breath all the way to NC in the cockpit.
Cessna 172 is a 1979 Lycoming 160 hp. Powerflow exhaust system. Main wheel pants but no nose pant. Clean straight airplane. IFR, autopilot. heat etc. 2300 hours total time Airframe Cost $60,000 used two years ago.
Full fuel (40 gallons), Two 210 lb persons, X air wheel pants, cowl shrouds (10 lbs) in baggage.
Since I don't have a transponder I decided to fly around the west side of the DC ADIZ. Ron decided to go around the east side through Deleware.
I left at 7:30 from 76N. First stop was Carlisle PA N94 (98 nm) at 9:10AM. Lots of gas left but I had to stop to warm up and find a tree after shivering so long.
60 kts groundspeed. (headwind, indicating 86-88 mph)
1.6 hours
7.6 gallons used
4.75 GPH
2675 RPM
2500 ft MSL
OAT 20 F
Left Carlisle at 9:40 for Front Royal VA FRR. Arrived 11:16 AM. (91 nm) Real pretty place. Hopped around to get warm again.
1.6 hours (headwind again)
7.4 gallons used
4.62 GPH
2650 RPM
OAT 27 Deg F
Left Front Royal at 11:45 for Greenville NC KPGV (201.2 Nm).
Avg 72 Knots ground speed. I was going to land there but lots of jets were taking off downwind and in the pattern so I continued to NC47 South Oaks Aerodrome where the airplane was to be delivered anyway.
Indicated airspeed was 88-90 mph. Still a headwind
FRR to NC47 was 210.5 NM.
3.08 hrs
16 gallons used, 4.5 gallons remaining (45 min reserve)
5.19 GPH
2750 RPM
3500 ft
OAT 32 F
Total trip was 6.28 hours air time. 31 gallons fuel burned. 400 Nm.
Three takeoffs. Total time including stops was 7 hours 20 min.
Ron in his 172 got gas at N27 and flew to 76N (25 nm) .3 hours
He picked up his copilot Fred and left 76N at 9:55 for KSBY (192 nm) 1.6 hours
17.9 gallons used, two takeoffs, 9.42 GPH
6500 ft 2450-2500 RPM No EGT to lean with.
He then went SBY to PGV Greenville NC. (185 Nm)
1.8 hours
18.4 gallons burned
10.22 GPH
Then from PGV to NC47. Picked me up. (10 nm). He missed the field and circled finding the airport. I vectored him in with a cell phone.
So totals worked out like this.
X air Total trip 400 miles 76N to NC47
172 Total trip 404 miles N27-PGV
From 76N to PGV
X air flying time 6.2 hours 76N to NC47
172 flying time 3.7 hours 76N to PGV
X air fuel burned 31 gallons 76N-N94-FRR-NC47
172 fuel burned 36.3 gallons N27-76N-SBY-PGV
Both had three takeoffs total to destination.
I delivered another X air H during the summer to MD. It was identical except no clearcoated sails and a climb Sensenich propeller. Cruise was 2950 to 3000 RPM. Fuel burn and airspeed were identical. We checked both airplanes together and against GPS to calibrate airspeeds.
172 has cabin heat, hauled an extra person, auto pilot and IFR capable. X air lands shorter and takes off shorter but not by a whole lot with the same load.
172 pulled back to X air cruise speed burns 6.5 Gph. 2150 rpm.
Trips were from same origin with same destination. conducted at the same time. Both airplanes landed at grass strips of less than 2000 ft. 172 left with three people and full fuel from this grass strip.
Return trip in 172 was three people. PGV to NC47 (9.3 nm) then up to GED Sussex Co Delaware (214.8 nm) was 21.6 Gallons
Night fell about Norfolk. 1.9 hours total
11.36 GPH. 5500 ft. two takeoffs and climbs. Full rich looking for NC47.
GED to 76N was 1.6 hours. Hit snowline on the ground at Kutztown PA. Very good visibility and smooth night. Landed on snow / ice covered 2000ft runway at 76N. No runway lights are installed. Around 8:30 PM
I have not flown the 172 over to N27 to fill the tanks and see what the burn was. I don't have any fuel at 76N right now except auto.
Interesting thing. When I dropped off the X air a guy came up and was curiously looking at the engine. He said " I overhauled this". Turns out the engine had had propeller strikes and they had disassembled it and magnafluxed the crank and rods. He recognized the odd combination of Warp drive spinner and GT prop.
He was building an X air for the East Cost X air distributor Bill Mariglini. The first X airs they had suffered nose gear collapses due to defective design and steel. This engine was on them. The guy in NC said the engine had complete logs with all magnaflux tags etc when the airplane went to Bill.
When Bill sold me this engine off his X air demonstrator some time later. It was to have had 75 hours since new and all paperwork. When I flew to VA to pick it up he had all the manuals but no logbook. He said he would send the log up to me and of course it never showed. I got tired of asking and gave up.
I don't think he ever dreamed I would meet up with those guys in NC and find out the true history of that engine. Buyer beware.
Aviation is a small world.
I flew a few landings with the new X air owner and last landing he decided we should go to his house. Landed in his 1100 ft yard over pine trees and I left it there.
But this shows a little airplane with no radios can still fly around the east with some planning. And even with a headwind they are still faster than driving and a heck of a lot more fun.