Even Garmin doesn’t have a presence here anymore. I love my BT buddies, but as a group we DO NOT represent or influence the market.

I was thinking of the average of 65-70gph, which if you're paying retail prices, dials in around $6 a minute.

I think it was about 750pph for takeoff. But I don't have the book and don't remember exactly, other than about 1 gallon a minute.


For our typical flight, it would take about 1:40 and burn about 100-110 gallons. Which right now, in the Columbia 400, I accomplish in 2:05 and 37 gallons, on average.

Yeah, 25 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

If had a business reason, or was 'cost insensitive' to that point, I'd line up for one too. Great little go getter. Fun to fly, comfortable.

But at 1/10th the capital outlay, and 1/3rd the fuel burn, and I'm guessing, a lot less to insure and a lot lot lot less to maintain, I think I can live with the 25 minutes.

Then again, I would, if I could.

Just a FWIW, fixing the math....

750 lb/hr / 6.7 lb/gal = 112 gal/hr / 60 min/hr = 1.86 gal/min...

i.e. closer to 2 gallons a minute. Welcome to turbines.

Just a FWIW, fixing the math....

750 lb/hr / 6.7 lb/gal = 112 gal/hr / 60 min/hr = 1.86 gal/min...

i.e. closer to 2 gallons a minute. Welcome to turbines.

Takeoff fuel flow is meaningless, at least not noteworthy. When you start breaking it down to seconds instead of minutes, it doesn't last long enough to have that great of an effect on block burn. Time in the climb is more significant, overall.

Do they still make twin piston planes?

Chip-

Understood, was merely addressing the numbers.

Shhh, it's supposed to be a secret...

Yes, DA-42, DA-62, Tecnam P-2010, Vulcan P68C, Piper something...
I am sure there are others.

Tim

Yes, DA-42, DA-62, Tecnam P-2010, Vulcan P68C, Piper something...
I am sure there are others.

Tim

But realistically.... a good deal of "travel" airplanes have gone to the single engine turbo prop market (plus the Cirrus Jet). There are no more Cessna 421 category aircraft being sold.

I fly a SETP for travel but agree with Tim; both Diamond twins have very long ranges and cruise at close to 200 knots so I would characterize them as travel planes. I like both of those aircraft and would consider them very seriously at some point during retirement if cost and/or medical issues force me to give up my SETP and/or abandon the flight levels.

The Piper Seminole is definitely a training plane; the Seneca could be a travel plane like a Baron but neither Piper nor Textron sell too many of those.

Tecnam actually makes 2 piston twins; the P2006T, which is a training and survey plane although by all accounts its a great plane to fly - with two Rotax 912 engines. They just certified and started delivery of the P2012, which is an unpressurized, fixed-gear commuter aircraft (delivered to Cape Air first) with two Lycoming IE2 engines. Very interesting aircraft but not something anyone here is likely to buy for personal GA travel. The Tecnam P2010 is a single engine, high-wing 4-place piston roughly comparable to and in-between the Cessna 172 and 182.

I did see a Vulcanair P68 twin in Tampa back in January - looks a lot like the Tecnam P2006 with an extra window but I'm not even sure that they are selling those in North America anymore. The one I saw was 1990s vintage I believe. Tecnam and Vulcanair essentially carved up the old Partenavia airframes back in the day, or something like that.

Cessna 421 is definitely at the next level.

Joel,

Thanks for the correction on Tecnam. I was too lazy to look it up.

Tim

Turbines have definitely replaced the piston twin market. I've always contended that the Mustang was the modern-day replacement of the 421 from yesteryear.

Man I wish.
A good friend has a Mustang and I love it. It does so many things better...except space.
With four kids under 12 I don't think we could get everything packed in.