I bought a 303 a year ago. It has been exactly what I had hoped and expected. Like all planes, it has strengths and weaknesses.

The engines are still being produced new by Continental. I have had no problem getting quotes for engine overhauls with new cylinders, cams, and lifters. The airframe parts are the worry.

In terms of performance - I cruise 175 KTAS at 8,000 and the speed increases from there as I climb. Fuel flow to get that speed is 26 GPH. Right now I'm operating rich of peak because I have factory engine gauges with a single point EGT. When I do the engines this winter, I'll put in the EI CGR-30P. At that point I'll be comfortable operating lean of peak so I expect fuel efficiency to increase substantially.

Virtues: the plane is a short and soft field monster. I can routinely get down and stopped in 1,000 feet without killing the tires. Lift-off at gross is about 1,400 feet. And handling, while not nimble like a Baron, is exemplary. Vmc is funcitonally non-existent.

I came out of a (very hopped up) Twin Comanche. So that colors my perspective. I bought the 303 because I wanted known ice, the cabin size, and cargo storage ability. It has fit that mission well. I also wanted a plane my 80 year old father, with two artificial knees, could easily get in and out of. He's 6'3" so he doesn't fit in the back of a Baron - nor do I.

It's about 12 knots slower than a B58 on the same fuel flow below 10,000. Above that is starts to make good on its promise. I do have the STC that allows continuous operation at higher manifold pressures. That produces 190 KTAS at 10,000 at 30 GPH. I don't operate there - but we'll see what the temps are when I get the new engine instrumentation.

The ramp presence is terrific - for a little plane. At Oshkosh you could easily see the 303s in the mass of planes in the North 40 because the tails poked up.

I think the plane would be exceptional with a pair of IO-550s. But with our fleet size I don't think that's likely.

When I wanted to replace my plane, I looked at all the likely candidates - 310R, B58, Seneca. I also looked at the baby Navajo. For my mission, the 303 was the best combination.

Zeke

Congrats Zeke, Love to see some pics of your 303. Who does the power increase STC? We would like to have it done on ours as well.

Anthony

Can't wait to hear more about the Crusader. The T303, that is.

The power STC comes from Putlaw Aviation in Clarkesville, TN. It's a new fuel flow gauge and new cruise performance charts. I hint its $2,500 or so.

I'll get some photos to you next week.

Zeke

Outlaw Aviation or Putlaw Aviation?

There's a pretty good argument that with poor instrumentation that you're better off running LOP than ROP. ROP, it takes just a small variation of fuel flow (dirt in injector) to put a cylinder smack in the middle of the red box without any outward indication (so you could run the engine flight after flight in that regime). Same thing happens lean of peak and you'll pick up the vibration (from uneven power output) and do something about it.

By all means, get the multi-cylinder engine monitor, but if you're flying ROP, make sure you'll well ROP (and how can you be sure without the engine monitor?).

FWIW, ERAU used to run 303s as their multi trainers back in the day...

Best,
Rich

Jim,

You're right - if you're on the boarder, LOP is safer.

But with a single probe factory set-up, when LOP I have no way of knowing if I have one cylinder that's at peak and so forth. Same problem, didn't side.

Yep - I'm in a race to get the monitor installed.

Zeke

There are more failure modes in an injected engine that will provide too little fuel to one cylinder and fewer that will provide dramatically too much fuel to one cylinder. If you pull to the tone change (and yaw in a twin), you're pretty sure to be safely lean of peak.

You're dead right, of course, that you don't know *how far* lean of peak you are, but if you slowed by 3-5 knots, you're far enough and very, very likely far enough on all 12 cylinders. You have a good handle on things, and congrats on the new bird! A buddy of mine a few hangars down has one; looks like a nice family airplane for local flying (which is exactly what he bought it for, sort of his mini-402 for flying out to the nearby islands).

Jim,

We're down at PVD if you every want to visit. Ask for the Horizon Aviation ramp.

There are a bunch of us, including the 303, that are meeting at PYM tomorrow for breakfast at 10. Some Swifts, including the nicest one in New England, maybe a gorgeous Marchetti 260, and a buddy with a nice PA30 and Suk 29. Who knows what will show up.

Feel free to join us.

Zeke

You better start looking, my friend. My '80 A36 had a/c and that hurt UL but we ran out of space as well. I went with a 58P and it's great. The nose baggage makes a huge difference

Sharp plane.

One of my favorites, beautiful!

Cool airplane, looked on controller to see the price range on them and there was two on there but sure enough "call" for pricing.