Those figures were from aviation consumer aircraft report for the Comanche...I agree however they're both excellent aircraft...I have not flown a Comanche but a really lovely example pitched up at YRED a few months ago...sexy but no head room was my take from a walk around. I think you might find parts are getting scarce for most old Pipers, Comanches in particular...Piper is not great in that respect...Beech/Ratheon/Hawker Beech, whayever it is this week, are excellent for parts availability...and at the prices they charge they'd fecking well wanna be
Jaba the tip tanks on the Bo give about 300lbs (or might be 350lbs) extra usefull load...fuel or bums...my Bo will happily carry 4 100kg bums and about 50kg baggage with full tanks...the tips would lift the baggage allowance and give 2+ hrs more fuel. 7 x 165kts gives comfortably 1100nm with good reserves
Tips are on my 'to do' list next year...not because I want to fly 1100nm but I will be able to fly to my father's place at Bowral and back without a tech stop at Camden.
Not having to tech stop is a speed mod as much, perhaps more than, Turbonormalising but is cheap by comparison and doesn't raise your operating costs the way pumping the engine full of air/fuel tends to do. As an example I can usually fly YRED -YBCS downwind non stop but have to land somewhere on the way back because I am JUST short of enough fuel to be safe/smart. YRED-YMIG-YRED is not possible no matter what...I would save at least an hour all up with the tips...imagine how much faster I would have to fly to save 60 minutes CNS-YRED or Mittagong-YRED.
Agreed on the beers...it's a draw