G'day everyone,

First post on here and looking forward to being part of the community.

I recently decided to sell my Beechcraft B19 Musketeer and get in to a more capable mountain platform. The C205 is in my price range and fits the family hauling mission on paper. I'm wondering if anyone has any real world feedback specifically on fuel consumption and cruise speeds at mountain DA's?

My airfield in Bend (KBDN) is at 3500ft and my musketeer was not up to the climb challenge. It struggles to get 300-500fpm and feels a bit underpowered for this area which isn't optimal particularly when trying to make it over 8000+ passes. On paper the C205 will cruise at 140KIAS at all altitudes within its range and is supposed to get 965fpm at sea level. Is anyone seeing close to that at higher altitude take offs? I'm also curious if the average of 14GPH is somewhat accurate in real world.

For reference it has a factory rebuilt motor, 3 blade McCauley prop & a STOL leading edge kit but is otherwise pretty stock. I'm also stuck on the C205/C206 sized platform due to the hauling required (a 182 etc wouldn't be big enough). Any real world advice would be appreciated.

You didn’t say which motor you have, but assuming IO-470 -burn at 9000’-10000’ will be around 12gph or so. (19-20” and 2400rpm)Speed will be in the 130-140kt range -IF the airframe is straight and properly rigged. If you are at max gross weight or more, it will be on the slower end of the envelope. Just the price for hauling loads.GAMI injectors will allow you to run lean of peak smoothly. So if you really want more economy, that would help and in general tends to improve overall operation along with an engine analyzer. A 205 is a quite capable airplane with some basic mods some of which you appear to have already. I highly recommend your list of mods should be BAS seat belts installed first and then engine monitors followed by GAMI injectors. Don’t go overkill on tire size. If your operating off of average farm type strips, improved Forrest service strips and pavement, you don’t need huge tires. Don’t get caught up in the big tire ego thing.

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Edit, added this paragraph: I don't agree with the above, 14gph sounds right ROP. Keep in mind, it all depends on degrees rich or degrees lean of peak. You could get 12gph (that's about peak), or 13gph (that's about 50 degrees ROP), or 14gph (that's like 100 degrees ROP), so it really depends. That said, in my experience, running between 12-13gph is too hot - CHTs around 380+, so I usually run leaner (and have been playing with richer lately).

In my 205, with GAMIs at 10,500 running about 19" and 2300RPM, I can either get 137 knots true around 110-125 degrees ROP at just over 14gph, or 121 knots true at 40ish degrees LOP and 11.5gph. I was just playing with this last weekend carefully, so it is very recent data (this is is with 8.50 mains, 8.00 on the nose, airglass, and sportsman STOL). The speed ROP really surprised me, to be honest - I might convert back!

It's an incredible platform. The only thing I'd ever consider upgrading to is a turbo 206, but those are 3x the money and the only real gain there, for me, is a handful of flights a year that are at extremely high DA with heavy loads. Admittedly, the longer flaps and bigger horizontal would be nice. Keep in mind a heavy load to a 205 is like 1,100 pounds or more, which, when you really figure out how much stuff that is, is a LOT. In terms of operating costs, I would say it is the exact same as a 182, no more no less (non-owners will probably disagree, but I have owned both).

I don't think I've ever had my plane to sea-level, but a light weight load around 4,000' DA will yield just shy of 1,000fpm (I'm talking light - that's usually me by myself with less than half tanks, and that kind of performance needs a climb angle that is slower and steeper than most will use for normal ops), and last weekend with a 2,900-3,000 pound gross weight (roughly 1,000 pounds of gear and fuel) and 7,500 DA on grass yielded a 1,300' roll (you could do less, I was just letting it fly off), and 400 or maybe 500fpm climb once established, which can feel a bit shallow, by the way, because you're climbing out at like 105mph.

Happy to answer other questions. I'm sure Grassstripilot will be along shortly.

Ummmm, guys, read his post....he’s quoting Cessna numbers. He hasn’t bought the airplane yet.

It’ll be a great airplane. That said, you’re talking some serious density altitudes there, and if a 182 won’t carry what you need, I assume you’re going to be maxing out in weight. Very few airplanes are going to have much climb capability at 8000 DA.

There are two primary keys to getting ANY airplane to work at high DA: Pilot knowledge and skill, and patience. If youre lacking either, you may need to look into an F-15.

MTV

mtv wrote:Ummmm, guys, read his post....he’s quoting Cessna numbers. He hasn’t bought the airplane yet.

It’ll be a great airplane. That said, you’re talking some serious density altitudes there, and if a 182 won’t carry what you need, I assume you’re going to be maxing out in weight. Very few airplanes are going to have much climb capability at 8000 DA.

There are two primary keys to getting ANY airplane to work at high DA: Pilot knowledge and skill, and patience. If youre lacking either, you may need to look into an F-15.

MTV

I realize that. I was responding to the idea that 12gph should be right in an IO-470. You can run there, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Welcome. I've got a 205 with the IO-470 in the Southeast Washington. I've been to Bend in it in the middle of summer, and flown around Mt. Washington to Eugene near Black Butte a couple of times.

The 205 is a real performer when it is light. I comfortably get 1000 FPM down low. CHT temps limit how hard I can climb in a practical sense, and the climb angle does feel shallow as mentioned when you are climbing at 110+ to keep temps down.

It is a totally different story when heavy, and especially when it's hot outside. I get about 500 FPM near gross, even down low, usually trying to keep things cool.

My cruise fuel burn is either about 11 LOP or about 14 ROP, for ~120 knots, or ~130 knots, at 2300 and whatever MAP I can get, which is usually about 21" somewhere between 6500 and 8500 where I fly during the summers. I've got a 700 nose and 800 mains, and VGs. I've got 600s on the shelf for all three wheels which make it perhaps 5 knots faster, and wheel pants for tiny tires that would presumably make it even faster.

Most of my trips are between 1 and 2 hours, and the speed isn't that important. In order to keep CHTs down (below 390) I have to dump fuel into the engine in climb. As a result, my average hourly fuel burn is perhaps 13-16 GPH. If you fly a lot of long legs or down low, you could do better. I've never enjoyed bouncing along in the high desert in the middle of summer, so I climb until it is either cold or smooth, hopefully both.

The 205 is a fantastic plane for 4 real people and whatever they want to bring. My rearmost seats sit in the hangar most of the time, and
my wife and two daughters can load it to the gills and we are still under gross.

Because the CG is so wide, it flies profoundly differently at each end of the range. When I fly solo I carry about 30 lbs of tools and 7 gallons of water in the back, just to be able to get a decent flare with the trim at the stop.

If you need more baggage volume there is an extended baggage mod for about $1K. We also have a 205 Facebook group that is very helpful. Cory (Grassstrippilot) was immensely helpful, and did my transition training for me. Worth every second.