Sleeping beauty??

[Bruce Hamilton]

Just noticed the pictures of the Comanche 400 on the A2A FB page, you guys buying a plane for Captain Jake?

[n421nj]

Im also curious to the nature of the post. Please accusim it

[awash2002]

Is the Comanche 400 larger then the 250?

[Roadburner426]

It was slightly larger yes to offset the heavy engine in the front. Seems like a perfect opportunity to document an original unmodified aircraft. However Scott and others have said in the past even though it has 400hp it really isnt much faster than the Comanche 250, and it burns a ton more fuel for very little benefit. Have to wonder why it was parked with only 20 hours on it though after someone spent all that money buying the plane back then. Cause it was not cheap back then.

[TreeTops]

Fantastic. Now that there will be full access to a 720 we can only hope a Queenair Excalibur enters the production line. What sounds better than one 720 at full cry? Two of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb3iEj9Azss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKLliRI1yOA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qbBEDTmgHg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAVmYCWxsW8

[Bruce Hamilton]

Scott added some more pictures and a short video within the last hour. He definitely bought it, but doesn't mention plans. Might've just bought it to flip.

[AKar]

Jesus...and I thought the 3.2 liter VR6 was anti-Greenpeace...

-Esa

[Roadburner426]

Well I stand corrected then. Guess either this thing was the deal of the century, or its historical significance was to much to pass up. That plane has definitely seen better days though, and can only imagine the amount of things that are going to need to be replaced. One thing is for sure though that he will keep up to date every step of the way. I wanted a Comanche 260TC, but if this thing ever makes it in the sim I definitely won't be passing it up that is for sure.

[William Hughes]

Those 400's really look like a belt notch. It's one of those things you do because you can.

[AKar]

because you can

Interestingly, as per performance data, Lycoming gives us about 16 USG/h at 240 hp (65 %). Google tells me the Comanche 400 does some 180 kts with that.

Now, 1979 Piper Seminole on the other hand, quotes at 65 % some 17 USG/h for "economy cruise" (whatever that means - I seriously question their chart! But let us assume the figures are about correct...), we get mere 160 kts or thereabouts if climbing up to 12000 ft.

So, we'd do twenty knots more while snipping a gallon per hour, basically with single's issues. While this specific plane is an exotic, no wonder why PC-12 gave a hell of a competition to King Air, especially the 200, where able.


Piper's known to do some over-the-top every now and then. I was actually lucky enough to ride in their ultimate a few times (unfortunately, not sitting in row zero): the PA-42-1000, or Cheyenne 400LS. Basically, it is a Piper Cheyenne (the longer one) powered by twin 1000 hp TPE331s instead of 720 hp PT6es. God dammit if that wasn't a rocket from the standstill, then no GA is!

-Esa

[Roadburner426]

Yeah looking up Aerostar videos, and watching other aviation videos I ran across one of the Piper Cheyenne LS where they set the turboprop climb record. Thing was pitched very high up and had the vertical climb indicator pegged for the initial climb, and even after that still maintained a heck of a climb after that till they leveled it off at maximum altitude. I was definitely impressed. For Piper being a company I never heard of before A2A released the Cherokee they made a lot of good looking and high performance aircraft.

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

Yeah - watched that video as well - engine gauges were all pegged in the red as well but if Chuck Yeager is at the controls I guess we can let that slide... Personally I prefer the Cheyenne I and II - just looks like the quintessential turboprop to me...

Regards,
Scott


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AKar]

Yeah looking up Aerostar videos, and watching other aviation videos I ran across one of the Piper Cheyenne LS where they set the turboprop climb record. Thing was pitched very high up and had the vertical climb indicator pegged for the initial climb, and even after that still maintained a heck of a climb after that till they leveled it off at maximum altitude. I was definitely impressed. For Piper being a company I never heard of before A2A released the Cherokee they made a lot of good looking and high performance aircraft.

With dash 1000, what indeed was impressive was its climb performance. That is because its engines are thermodynamically flat-rated from 1645 hp baseline to 1000 hp (mainly due to handling issues, and the gear boxes were for 1250 hp). The engines were close relatives to the ones used in Jetstream 41, only on an airframe half of the weight. They were necessarily de-rated, if for nothing else, then to find the borderline of where an additional engine power in a twin actually increases the takeoff distance .

The simplified climb procedure was basically to put the autopilot to vertical speed, and select 2000 fpm. When passing something around 20000 ft, reduce the climb to 1500 ft. The thing just rocketed along, doing well among commercial traffic.

The ceiling was actually FL410 (!!!), but the props limited the optimal down to low thirties. We were RVSM-limited to FL280, where we did some modestly impressive ground speeds for a GA turboprop (in negligible winds-on-track).



I regret I didn't realize the rarity of that thing and the experience back then! I know I never likely see one again. Even if in that sense, it would be great to have the Comanche 400 Accusim'ed even if just as a collectible.

-Esa

[Roadburner426]

Well going by Facebook Scott flew her home safely without incident. So congrats on the 400, and getting her back safe and sound! Now time to see what becomes of her. Going to guess that the Aerostar annual must be going well at this point since he took time to go rescue an old bird.

[AKar]

Sweet pics indeed! Of course, we expect a full forum post to tell us what this is all about!

-Esa