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The fastest IFR-tourer SEP, practical or not

Thread picked up from here

Well, Michael with respect I have to question that the Columbia is the fastest certified civilian piston 4 seat aircraft.
Where is that data from?
The Cessna TTX comes second to the fastest civilian 4 seater piston aircraft, the Mooney Acclaim type S.
(Source flying mag 2014 September)
This is likely due to less drag, as it’s a retract!

Last Edited by complex-pilot at 14 Feb 11:25

Yup, flown the Columbia 400 and by the way Cessna 400, too.
Very nice and fast aircraft.
Not the fastest though.

Last Edited by complex-pilot at 14 Feb 12:16

Flying Magazine article :

The Acclaim had a certified top speed of 237 knots true at FL250. That put it in close competition for speed champ among production piston singles with the then Columbia 400, which is a fixed-gear composite airplane. After much public back and forth, Mooney dropped the gauntlet and introduced the Type S less than a year later in September 2007. With a certified top speed of 242 knots true at flight level 250, new 400-type certificate holder Cessna has been forced to accept second place on the speed board.

I’d say it’s a very close race

PIREPs say the 400 is actually faster at just about all regimes .

Last Edited by Michael at 14 Feb 12:33
FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

I would agree that a Columbia 400 is practically temperature limited to 170-175 knots.
That’s my own observation.
That’s also my observation in a P210.
How about the Acclaim?

Last Edited by complex-pilot at 14 Feb 12:39

complex-pilot wrote:


I would agree that a Columbia 400 is practically temperature limited to 170-175 knots.
That’s my own observation.

Then you observed an aircraft which something was seriously wrong. The two specimen I flew all achieved 205-210kt cruise, in line with the book; temperature only became an issue when I took one up to FL240 just to see how fast it would go. The owner of that aircraft asked me not to fly lean of peak, so enriching the mixture a bit took care of the temperatures, albeit at a higher than book fuel flow. That was at ISA plus something…

Last Edited by Cobalt at 14 Feb 12:48
Biggin Hill

Cobalt,
Sure, it goes faster.
The post got moved by Peter.
It was written in response to a post by Peter of using no oxygen mask.
Don’t know where that bit went.
Also the point was to achieve that speed with CHT’s inline with today’s knowledge that are viewed as good operating technique. Not POH sales specification.
I assume, but can’t be sure, Peter was thinking of:
Temps below 380F for CHT’s and oil temps around 200F.
On a normal day.
Operating either very ROP, or LOP.

Last Edited by complex-pilot at 14 Feb 13:50
I would agree that a Columbia 400 is practically temperature limited to 170-175 knots.
That’s my own observation.

As stated above, something is very wrong.

Geez, my NA 300 will true 185K TAS with little effort and no problem with temps.

FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

Any TAS figure is meaningless without

  • altitude
  • ISA +/- ??

I would also suggest it is meaningless without the fuel flow, because even my slow TB20 will do 165kt IAS at say 1000ft AMSL, at a completely useless 23 USG/hr.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

BTW: I’m still waiting for challengers that want to race … including retracts

Last Edited by Michael at 14 Feb 13:41
FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

Michael,

Can P210 Silver Eagles compete with your Columbia?

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