As some of you know I bought a 2003 Glasair III with 250 hours TT on it. The builder was an engineer and did some fabulous work. He bought a brand new Lycoming Parallel valve engine and prop along with (at the time) the best avionics you could buy. He never painted the plane so got to choose my scheme and colors.

Something these planes lack is range, so I did something about that. I had the short wingtips removed and longer tips with fuel tanks installed. I then had a portable tank installed in the baggage compartment with quick release fittings. Useful fuel is now 82 gallons. I also have all the small fuel caps replaced with larger caps that will facilitate pump nozzles better.

The next step is gutting the panel and installing dual G3X, along with digital autopilot, engine monitor, ads-b etc. The panel will basically be two screens and a 530W along with a panel mounted iPad.

Looks great. What did adding the wingtip tanks do to any spin/stall limits if any?

Looks sharp! In Wickenburg for paint?

Stall speed will decrease, TAS increase at altitude, slow speed handling better, roll rate will be slower. Spin is pretty much a non-issue. Plane stalls very gently and gives you plenty of warning. If you spin one you probably should not be flying anything as it flies so easily.

Love it! Glasair is one of my favorite kit plane manufactures. Been following them for 20 years. Great choice Todd.

I think so, Good Ole' Gus is painting it.

If you can spare the room in the panel, I'd go GTN750 over 530W, even if you have to go to remote audio panel or remote TXP. I happen to like the remote audio panel and wish I had remote TXP as well, but some prefer hard buttons.

I have the 430Ws in N2271L and the 750/650 in the Bo, and while I can use the 430s just fine, the x50s are night and day better, IMO. Other than a small delta on purchase price, I can't see paying to install a 530W in a keeper airplane.

Of course, keeper airplane to some is much shorter than to others...

Jim,

For what I am getting out of the 55x, 430w, transponder, etc I am getting my G3X remote transponder, autopilot audio panel, and #2 Comm pretty much with little out of pocket. The 530W will have voiceflight as well. I will wait to see if Avidyne has anything or the next great box from Garmin. Spending another $10k on a GPS is not ideal. Furthermore, I have read about too many failures of the 750 to buy one just yet and I really don't need another big moving map.

b e a u t i f u l !

Congrats !

dang sweet flying machine...

love the paint, looks great!

Beautiful paint and plane!

Todd,

What is the range with the added fuel?

Mike

Really nice, Todd.

Using 15 GPH (actual is about 13.5 GPH in cruise at 215 knots) you have a 5.5 hour range to empty. Figure 4.5 Hours for safe IFR reserve. That is just short of 1000NM no wind situation.

The tip tanks are directly connected to the interconnected mains and the fuel switch is simply on/off/header. The additional baggage tank has a facet fuel pump that you turn on after 30 minutes of flying. I will then pump 11 gallons back into the mains. The header tank is another 10 gallon tank tank that gravity feeds to the engine. The idea is to use it as your reserve. If you are on header tank you have 45 minutes.