14gph x 2 x 12mpg = 336 kts. That’s one smoking A*. Or if you are talking about only one engine that’s 168 kts... one really slow A*... something seems amiss here?

I typically see 7-8mpg with mine.

14gph x 2 x 12mpg = 336 kts. That’s one smoking A*. Or if you are talking about only one engine that’s 168 kts... one really slow A*... something seems amiss here?

I typically see 7-8mpg with mine.

In the Aerostar maintenance school years ago they made a point of explaining the gear should only be extended in straight and level flight. We see so many cracked gear leg doors I can understand why.

Years ago I attended Aerostar maintenance school in Lock Haven. They stressed the gear should only be extended in straight and level flight due to side loads that could be imposed on the gear leg doors. We have seen many cracked doors so perhaps they were correct.

I was taught it must be extended in coordinated flight; which straight and level is the easiest to guarantee you are perfectly coordinated.

BWTHDIK

Tim

Rescue flight last week to KBKE. Flew high to catch the tailwinds on the way there,sipping fuel, then low at high throttle to avoid the headwinds on the way home. Love that flexibility. Fostering mom & 9 pups, all doing great.

1000mn with no aux tank? You're doing just fine.

1000mn with no aux tank? You're doing just fine.

I’d like to do 1000 into a headwind - 5 hours plus reserve. That’s only happening with an aux tank.

Really the plane is fantastic. A couple finishing touches like a G600TXi with EIS, aux tank, STec 3100, 750xi, and maybe a high end interior to match the paint and I’ll have it perfected

How’s yours?[/quote]

Bruce,
A Bridges cap or one of the modern equivalent(s) plus a slam full on the wings, will give you 5+ reserve.
Aux tanks are for 700s.
Just saying.

Redoing the panel in my Aerostar, getting closer to being finished. Replaced all the plastics and overhauled steam gauges. Put a new vacuum AI on copilots side since the vacuum system isn’t going anywhere thanks to deice boots.

Removed 72lbs of crap, installed 750/650xi, dual GI-275s, GTX345 and GMA350C.

Bruce,
A Bridges cap or one of the modern equivalent(s) plus a slam full on the wings, will give you 5+ reserve.
Aux tanks are for 700s.
Just saying.[/quote]

Ha - that was fast Forrest. I don’t think my cap’s internally machined face works for the latest Parker version and so am looking for one of those other overfill caps. Have asked Jimmy Mullen. Not sure where else to look for one. Which one do you have? I always push up on wings to fill if I need the range. Agreed it seems to hold more like the original spec of what, 175 gallons?

Before the Aux tank STC, there was a top-of-the-tank mod. It was named after the guy who made/invented it. The STC has been rescinded or expired somehow, so can no longer be put in. I can't remember how many gallons it added. But if you had that, and the STC'd Aux tank, you could do like 2000nm in the 601P, easy.

Long follow-up answer to my previous comment.

Here is the deal with extra fuel on the Aerostar:

1. Usable fuel is 165.5 used to be more, with the correct rocking (right wing, fuselage tank, left wing, right wing) another 9.5 gallons is possible.
BUT legal usable fuel is 165.5.

2. Bill Bridges of the Flight Shop in Brigham City, UT developed a cap for the fuselage tank that allowed another 20 gallons to be added bringing total fuel to 185 gallons, not counting whatever extra can be squeezed into the wings.
Using the cap required a FAA field approval, which was no big deal to obtain until someone at the FAA thought about the additional 120# in the fuselage tank that had not been part of the certification process. Existing field approvals were not withdrawn but no new approvals and no transfer to unapproved airplanes was allowed. Installing a Bridges cap required removing the restrictor ring in the neck of the fuel fill. These caps do show up on the used market when planes are scrapped or an aux tank is installed, they are not legal to install without a field approval for that specific airplane.

Some years back, an AOA member who owned a machine shop in South America did a run of 20(?) caps that were similar to the Bridges cap in that they allowed an additional 20 gallons to be added to the fuselage tank. I believe, installing the new style caps did not require removal of the restrictor ring, and that the FAA was not involved in the new style over-fill caps.

3. AAC developed an aux tank that goes behind the existing fuselage tank that brings fuel capacity to 210 gallons. It works by feeding fuel into the fuselage tank. Drawbacks to the aux tank are that it takes up space in the baggage compartment and it has to be removed to service the autopilot servos. The AAC tank system is well designed with two pumps for redundancy.
Pilots who have the aux tank can pump 20 gallons into the fuselage tank before topping off the aux tank, putting 230 gallons aboard. (Fill fuselage tank, put 20 gallons in the aux, turn on electric aux tank pump(s), when transfer stops, top off aux).

4. Factory Piper 700s have a different aux tank, (maybe it was a Nyack), my memory is that it isn’t as big as the AAC tank, and takes up less room in the baggage compartment.

5. Putting extra fuel in the fuselage tank has a practical challenge; IF you go beyond 20 gallons, due to the design of the tank vent system, you will start a syphon that will dump a couple gallons out the tank vent in the belly, it’s a good practice to keep a bucket handy for the times this will happen.

6. This post was intended to provide some history and background on the options Aerostar owners have (had) to add extra fuel capacity to their airplanes.



Be safe.

Follow the rules.

Don’t be a jerk.

Right. Just the basics.

My Aerostar? Oh, we don't talk about that.