Partenavia numbers
 

I have been looking at the price of fuel lately (1.99 @ Kingaroy, for example) and wondering how the hell anyone can operate a Baron or C310 on Charter

...is the 160 kts and 70 lph claimed by the Partenavia people for real?

If so, why aren't there many many more out there? :confused:

Is there anyone out there with "real" numbers or even better, a digital copy of the POH?

edit: have found the Redcliffe Aero Club's handout (couldn't download the ACFT Manual dammit :ugh: ) and it says 140 kt/80 lph :eek:

If you meant P68 then I'd doubt it... Back when I did my MECIR we used 40 litres per hour per side and a cruise speed of N0135.

Its all relative, isn't it!

If Avgas costs more, then so does petrol and kero, so it will cost the punters more to drive and more to fly with an airline - if one happens to be going that way.

A reality check in the airline industry may actually make GA charter and business flying more viable.

Dr :8

P68
 

I did many hours in a p68, and the magic numbers we got were 155kts(tas) at 77 litres per hour.

Same here as bushy. planned 155Kts and 80Lts. mostly averaged out to being 145 Kts though.

We have two Charlie models and one Bravo model.

We plan on 80 litres per hour but can get that figure down to 65-70 with a corresponding TAS of around 140-145.

A lot of people aren't too keen on the Partenavia because of it's slower speed but to operate over a 250 mile leg one would take 1.8 hours in the PN68, compare that to a Baron for instance and you are looking at 1.4 hours. They both operate with a similar loading capacity.

For fuel that works out around 135 litres for the PN68 and about 170 litres for the Baron.

Anyone can do maths and it may not seem like much. Do that leg return four times per week for a year it works out $32,000 extra in fuel. (ouch)

PN68 (C) has an excellent range as well. (about 700 miles)

The reason more people aren't using them=

Terrible maintenance support. Ring Vulcan air and ask for part XYZ, they will tell you that part XYZ does not exist. Because they re numbered all parts and re structured the parts manual about 15 years ago. (Which is extremely helpful, let me assure you).

They are a good horse and have got me my 500 multi. :)

Correct
 

Same as Bushy and the Wizard. Numers are spot on.

BP.

"I have been looking at the price of fuel lately (1.99 @ Kingaroy, for example"

AVGAS is $2.27/Lt here!

Parto weights are

MTOW 1990
MLW 1890
No MZFW
Empty around the 1200mark depending on whats fitted to it.

Speeds are 155-158 between 7 - 9000 burning about 73-76lt/hr.

Once had a full load in one and it climbed all the way up to 9000feet quite well.

Total fuel capacity is 392Lts some have the long range tanks, which have a transfer pump which transfers the fuel into the main tank, like a C310 fuel system except you cannot select the long range tank you can only transfer that fuel into the main tank.

Big blokes can have a problem getting into and out of it ( i am speaking from experience)

The one i flew had the row 2 left hand seat taken out just to make it easier to get and get out of.

Easy to fly and easy to land, Quite heavy in turns due to the Anti Servo tab on the stabilator.

Overall Gem of an aircraft.

Unfortunately, even though they may be ecconomical to fly, they are not so ecconomical to maintain. As mentioned earlier the parts support is pretty bad and parts from the factory, if available, very expensive. Try $2400 for an air filter shroud!!!!
On top of this the poor quality alluminium that they were manufactured with back in the seventies hasn't held up too well and the Ad's applicable to the type back that up.
I think that the concept was good, and definately suited the role it was designed for but as with most of the GA fleet, probably wasn't meant to be still flying 30 yrs after it left the factory. Will be interesting to see how the re=badged Vulcanair holds up!!!

JS:ok:

twingle
 

Compare the price for a good used 58-310 to a similar age P68C. Compare the seat cost per mile. ie 145knts to 175knts. Compare the useful load. Compare the maintenance parts costs. Bugger to service. (Spars at 8500). Compare the quality. Learn Italian. Game over!!! Great little plane, though a bit 'kit-ish'

BP

J & R Aerospace manufacture approved spare parts from scratch and it is a lot cheaper than getting them straight from the manufacturer.

I met the J&R Aerospace people at the Avalon airshow last year, great people and was actually picking up a spare fuel filter bowl for the partenavia and they gave me 3 free hats aswell.

300

Yep, getting parts in Oz quickly is lousy & J n R are good & there is a mob up Ingham way that seems to be quite knowledgeable on them as well.

From a maintenance pov the engines are pain to work on because their back end is buried so far into the wing. We find we're replacing engine control cables a bit too. Fortunately we aquired some spares from when the Qld aerial ambulance got rid of theirs.

The last 100hrly we did on one the poor owner got a bill for nearly $10k because of the all the things that needed attention. That included a new skytec starter etc. so it was justified, but still not nice.

Cause a C310 lifts more!! especially fitted with a VG kit. Did my initial multi on the party bus and then lots of hours since then in a C310.

Most weigh around 1700 empty, plus pilot say 1800. On a two hour leg you can lift 480kg! (2280ZFW, 2565MTOW) plenty of weight for five pax plus day bags! try doing that in a party bus.....

Also the speed! 385NM in 2.1hrs airswitch, including getting established on track, circuit etc hehehe (yes I had a small tailwind but I did the outbound in only 0.3 more..)


BTW fuel in Borroloola around $2.70lt:ooh:

Pity about the well known defect inherent in this type of jamming fuel selectors. CASA have an AD on this problem which requires operators to write up abnormally stiff fuel selectors - although most people accept it as normal. Cost the lives of a couple of pax in UK when the aircraft lost an engine in cruise over the sea and the pilot was unable to change tanks due fuel selector too difficult to turn. At Essendon a few years back maintenance people had one Partenavia in the hangar to fix a stuffed nosewheel, and found all fuel selectors impossible to move and it had been like that for months but no one wrote it up.

Fuel in Borroloola is $2.56 for AVGAS, $2.40 for Jet A1. Down the road at McArthur River Mine it is $3.10 for Avgas, excluding GST!