Source of Comparative Aircraft Data ?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Shoreham
Source of Comparative Aircraft Data ?
Does anyone know of somewhere I can easily compare performance data on specific aircraft, eg MTOW, empty weight, fuel capacity, endurance, speeds, MTOW take off run etc etc
I am considering buying a non complex SEP and may be looking to share with 1, possibly 2 max. All my time thus far has been on a Warrior, which I hire from my club. I find this slightly limiting and my initial thought is to go for an Archer. But what else is out there that I might want to consider? 4 seats and very good load carrying is more important than range.
On paper, a Robin DR400/180 looks to be a very worthy contender, but I am not convinced about a stick rather than a yolk, having flown one yesterday for an hour or so. It also felt very very light compared with the solid Warrior. I will have another go in it next week before counting it out though.
Comments and suggestions would be welcomed, and if anyone is in a similar situation and could be interested in an aircraft based at Shoreham, then let me know
Thanks in advance
Lysander
I am considering buying a non complex SEP and may be looking to share with 1, possibly 2 max. All my time thus far has been on a Warrior, which I hire from my club. I find this slightly limiting and my initial thought is to go for an Archer. But what else is out there that I might want to consider? 4 seats and very good load carrying is more important than range.
On paper, a Robin DR400/180 looks to be a very worthy contender, but I am not convinced about a stick rather than a yolk, having flown one yesterday for an hour or so. It also felt very very light compared with the solid Warrior. I will have another go in it next week before counting it out though.
Comments and suggestions would be welcomed, and if anyone is in a similar situation and could be interested in an aircraft based at Shoreham, then let me know
Thanks in advance
Lysander
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,784
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From: Savannah GA & Portsmouth UK
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Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
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From: UK
Try getting hold of a book by Alan Bramson called "the book of flight tests".
Failing that, wait about 3 years for the next book I'm writing after the one that's about to come out (assuming that a certain aviation publisher pulls it's finger out), and the one that's 3/4 written
And never fly an aeroplane by the yolk, you'll get egg on your face. (But, except possibly for long touring, you'll find that most pilots who have flown a fair bit with both much prefer a stick to a yoke).
G
Failing that, wait about 3 years for the next book I'm writing after the one that's about to come out (assuming that a certain aviation publisher pulls it's finger out), and the one that's 3/4 written
And never fly an aeroplane by the yolk, you'll get egg on your face. (But, except possibly for long touring, you'll find that most pilots who have flown a fair bit with both much prefer a stick to a yoke).
G
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
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From: EuroGA.org
No such thing as comparative data 
Almost everything you see is a fiddle in some way.
One firm quotes IAS. Another quotes TAS at 10000ft. Another (with a turbo) quotes TAS at 25000ft (omitting the small detail that the endurance of the oxygen system at 25k will be considerably less than that of the fuel tanks).
Then you get onto range. Even more permutations there. Some are zero reserve, some (usually N-reg) will be with legal IFR reserves. Then you get range at different power settings. Most planes will deliver best range at slightly over Vy (best range is actually at Vy but the engine isn't efficient at such a low power) but nobody will want to fly that slowly.
Operating ceiling is another one. It can be defined at different climb rates.
Some of it one can work out backwards (using common "universal" corrections) to arrive at comparable figures, but the basis for a lot of it remains a mystery.
And a plane whose engine is operated lean of peak will beat another run as per the POH by a good margin. Amazing to see an old bent-metal machine beat a modern composite one when doing this.
Almost everything you see is a fiddle in some way.
One firm quotes IAS. Another quotes TAS at 10000ft. Another (with a turbo) quotes TAS at 25000ft (omitting the small detail that the endurance of the oxygen system at 25k will be considerably less than that of the fuel tanks).
Then you get onto range. Even more permutations there. Some are zero reserve, some (usually N-reg) will be with legal IFR reserves. Then you get range at different power settings. Most planes will deliver best range at slightly over Vy (best range is actually at Vy but the engine isn't efficient at such a low power) but nobody will want to fly that slowly.
Operating ceiling is another one. It can be defined at different climb rates.
Some of it one can work out backwards (using common "universal" corrections) to arrive at comparable figures, but the basis for a lot of it remains a mystery.
And a plane whose engine is operated lean of peak will beat another run as per the POH by a good margin. Amazing to see an old bent-metal machine beat a modern composite one when doing this.
