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Old 21st April 2009 | 06:56
  #14 (permalink)  
Johnm
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 939
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From: UK
The POH will give you fuel consumption and capacities, but you'll be lucky if you get book figures. As it happens I do, but I've got a new engine and lean religiously with the help of a EGT.

A good rule of thumb for VFR that I was taught while training for typical trips below 5000ft is:

2 gals taxi and climb, 2 gals descent and land and 10 gals per hour in the cruise and 5 gals (half an hour) reserve. This should be checked against the POH to make sure it's more conservative. You have a maximum of 48 gals usable so at a typical Archer 2 cruise of about 110 kts my arithmetic says that'll take you about 430nm in nil wind conditions.

Oops, just seen that we're talking about a 151 not 181 in which case cruise is going to about 90kts and so range is nearer 350 nm

Personally I always plan around 2 hour legs just for my own comfort.
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