31 Oct 2025, 07:00 [ UTC - 5; DST ]
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Post subject: Fairchild Merlin  Posted: 18 Oct 2025, 12:44 |
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Joined: 11/25/19
Posts: 234
Post Likes: +120
Aircraft: Aerostar 601P, AS350
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Sold my aerostar and ended up purchasing a Merlin IIIB! Any other Merlin owners on here?
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 18 Oct 2025, 13:38 |
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Joined: 02/03/11
Posts: 10644
Post Likes: +3296
Company: Gee Bee Aeroproducts
Aircraft: hang glider
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Someone not long ago asked me to duplicate is IIB door seal great aircraft, door is bulit like a mu2 door I stock Mu2 door seals 
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 19 Oct 2025, 08:31 |
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Joined: 08/03/20
Posts: 113
Post Likes: +92
Aircraft: Citation Mustang
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A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline.
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 19 Oct 2025, 10:00 |
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Joined: 05/23/13
Posts: 8498
Post Likes: +11045
Company: Jet Acquisitions
Location: Franklin, TN 615-739-9091 chip@jetacq.com
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Username Protected wrote: A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline. That would have been the Metro (Metroliner). Affectionally called the “San Antonio Sewer Pipe” an homage to Swearingen’s base and the extremely long, round tube.
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 19 Oct 2025, 11:59 |
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Joined: 05/21/15
Posts: 1601
Post Likes: +1769
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Username Protected wrote: A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline. Pffffffffft, back when the “San Antonio Sewer Pipe” was found at every major airline hub the saying was, “First Officers are cheaper than autopilots.”
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 19 Oct 2025, 15:51 |
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Joined: 06/07/19
Posts: 472
Post Likes: +1007
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Username Protected wrote: A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline. Are the metros short-legged? I thought merlins had insane range (2000nm?)
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 19 Oct 2025, 16:12 |
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Joined: 11/15/17
Posts: 1173
Post Likes: +607
Company: Cessna (retired)
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Username Protected wrote: A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline. That would have been the Metro (Metroliner). Affectionally called the “San Antonio Sewer Pipe” an homage to Swearingen’s base and the extremely long, round tube.
I flew in a Metro once out of Roswell, N.M. It was a water injection takeoff and we all held up our feet.
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 19 Oct 2025, 21:07 |
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Joined: 03/14/15
Posts: 227
Post Likes: +182
Aircraft: Piper Cheyenne II
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Username Protected wrote: A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline. Are the metros short-legged? I thought merlins had insane range (2000nm?)
Yes they do have insane range... I seem to remember something like 4,000 lbs of fuel. It's been a long time..
My Merlin was an absolute champ. Super reliable and heavily built.
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 20 Oct 2025, 10:56 |
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Joined: 02/09/09
Posts: 6510
Post Likes: +3222
Company: RNP Aviation Services
Location: Owosso, MI (KRNP)
Aircraft: 1969 Bonanza V35A
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Username Protected wrote: A friend flew a longer one (III?) long ago. He said it did not have an autopilot. I don’t recall if that’s because it was not equipped or broken. He regularly talked about range issues. It was a commuter airline. Are the metros short-legged? I thought merlins had insane range (2000nm?)
It depends on the particular model. I used to top off in Lansing Michigan and head to Denver. I always joked that I could file Lansing as the alternate for Denver.
The II's and III's had 4342# IIRC and burned 500/600 respectively enroute. There was a smaller tank in a few of the long body Merlin's and possibly the Metro's. We had 3712# on the long body Merlin (IVa) that I flew.
How I remember that after two and a half decades is beyond me!
I only seen two autopilots in a long body airplane when I was flying them. Our Merlin IVa had one and a corporate IVC that we flew from time to time had one. Otherwise, the other 17 in our fleet never had them.
You'll find two types of pilots that flew the Metro/Merlin.... Those that loved it and those that hated it. Those that hated it never learned to fly the airplane and fought it their entire time in it. Those that loved it really learned how to fly it and found that it was an airplane that once started, it would get you home. However, It has to be flown with a professional mentality. If you don't, it will eat you for lunch and what it spits out are not big pieces.
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Post subject: Re: Fairchild Merlin Posted: 28 Oct 2025, 00:12 |
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Joined: 03/31/18
Posts: 294
Post Likes: +328
Aircraft: 1959 D50B
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I flew Metro III’s for a couple years. If I was in the market for such a plane I’d buy a Merlin in a heartbeat. It didn’t handle sporty but it was super stable. Was the first plane I ever flew with a tiller. I really enjoyed my time flying it.
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Cheers,
Mark
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