I may be succumbing to the temptation of the Garrett world. The Merlin IIIC has me intrigued by its fuel capacity and its 7.0 psi cabin pressure differential.

I would like to get a few flying hours in a Merlin IIIC for familiarization and to see if the plane feels like a good fit for me. Erwin K. is a little too far away to do some flying in his plane. Does anyone know any owners or charter operators where I could buy some flight time?

Best bet is to call Merlin One in San Antonio. They have several Merlin IIIs on charter and can provide a lot of valuable insight and probably accommodate you for a flight.

Their number is 210-861-0745. http://www.merlinoneleasing.com

Dan...don't forget to report back here afterwards.

Glenn

A better bet will be to call Sean Fowler. He is based in Phoenix and manages/flies about half a dozen. He is a BT member. There is also a IIIC operator down in Louisiana who is highly experienced and a BT member, Bradley Vidrine.

+1 on Sean Fowler.

You can rent one dual at KJVW (Jackson MS)

I connected with Sean Fowler last week and flew two Merlin IIIB's. They are tall airplanes with a big cabin and phenomenal performance compared to the piston world.

Sean can finesse those birds like a C-150, but it takes a special technique to get a smooth rotation on takeoff - and an act of God to get a smooth landing. Perhaps my trailing link gear has made me sloppy, but my impression is that the Merlin, even more so than a 421, demands a commitment to training and proficiency.

Dan,

Still shopping? I could have saved you a trip. Have 2 IIIC's and a 300 here now for inspection. One of which will make one of you guys a fine plane ... Unless Brad V buys it!

Bruce

The 421 requires just as much commitment to training and proficiency as the Merlin, it just doesn't *seem* like it does.

The 421 is far more likely to put you in a situation where you *need* that training than the Merlin.

Mike C.

I went to FlightSafety in San Antonio for 2 weeks. I now have my Metro/Merlin (SA227) type rating. The Metro sim at San Antonio has a reputation for being miserable. I don't have any Metro time, and am thus unable to say how it compares to the real plane, but my two classmates who having been flying as SICs on freight Metros definitely found it harder than the real bird.

It was a much tougher type rating than the Cessna 560 - but I did the Citation training as a 2 pilot operation. Plus, the Citations have more performance, lower ref speeds, and more honest handling.

My FSI experience certainly underscored the need for serious training on this bird - and explains why the Merlin accident rates were so high before the insurance companies mandated sim training.

In addition to learning the Metro, the sim has no GPS and no moving map. It was a great workout for steam gauge skills and situational awareness.

If you can fly the sim you can handle the real thing. I did most of my training in the Level B at Flight Safety. What a miserable sim.

Dan -

I was going to send you a PM, but decided that others may have the same question!

Why the Merlin? While I'm not shopping right now, I may in a couple of years and 300kts, 1300nm range with at least 800lbs is what I'm looking for. Seems that it's between the Merlin, Commander 840 or 1000, the 441, or a CJ2+ (out of my price range!).

Any reason why you apparently have picked the Merlin?

I read this article a while back and it has scared me away from a Merlin, but I'm sure I could find more than one article that should have scared me away from a 421 (an incredibly easy airplane to fly, btw!).

Robert

Robert,

The Merlin wasn't on my radar until some of Erwin's post caught my attention.

The Merlin has the best pressurization (7.0 psi) and the most fuel capacity (648 gallons), a reasonable maintenance schedule, and a purchase price well below 441s and Commander 1000s.

The downsides are high ref speeds, long runway lengths, an abundance of quirks, and a need for a type rating to operate at 13,230# MGTW. You can operate at 12,500# without a type, but it limits fuel/payload flexibility. The other downside, as the heaviest of the bunch, is that most people operate in the low to mid 20s (no option of sipping fuel at FL350 as Max does), climb rates get low in the mid 20s, and SE service ceiling is lower than most planes. If I keep this up, I could talk myself out of a Merlin.

Dan - if you can live with the Commander 840 or 980's lower 5.2psi cabin, they offer virtually identical range as the 900 and 1000 models (with the 6.7psi cabin) for a fraction of the cost. You can get into an 840 with 474gal tanks for $5-600K. That's good for almost 2000nm until dry.

Thanks Adam. My 421C is 5.0 psi, so I am looking for more than 5.2. But the 840 and 980 are a lot of performance for the money.