Kansas trip, August 2 - 6, 2006
KMMV-KLGU approx. 35 gal., 3.6 hours, 570 nm, WOT at 11,500 feet, 6300 engine RPM, 2900 prop RPM >> 9.7 gph, 16.3 nm/gal, 18.7mpg, 158 knot average ground speed. The Hobbs meter might be slightly off as the GPS indicated 165 to 175 knots ground speed most of the trip.
KLGU-KGGF approx. 30 gal., 3.2 hours, 473 nm, WOT at 11,500 feet, 6300 engine RPM, 2900 prop RPM >> 9.4 gph, 15.8 nm/gal, 18.1mpg, 148 knot average ground speed.
KGGF-K61 approx. 15 gal., 1.5 hours, 185 nm, 7,500 feet. Flight was too short to get useful stats.
There was a slight tailwind most of the trip. The engine is still running rich best power mixture of about 12.5:1. Leaning to 17:1 would give mpg in the high 20s.
On the return trip I flew south of the forest fire TFR between LGU and BYI. Quite a sight.
There were slight headwinds going back to the west. Compared to the trip east, the days are 4 hours longer: lose 2 hours flying east while flying west gain 2 hours. So there was plenty of time to throttle back a little and take it easy. Fuel burns dropped to around 8.4 gph, which is about what I saw last year on the flight (8.8 gph). I noticed on the O2 sensor monitor that the engine was naturally running slightly leaner at the reduced throttle settings. The headwinds hurt the mpg numbers so they are similar to the numbers on the trip east.
K61-KLBF approx. 10 gal. 1.2 hours, 153 nm, 6,500 feet.
KLBF-KLGU approx. 31 gal., 3.7 hours, 519 nm, 12,500 feet, 6000 engine RPM, 2765 prop RPM >> 8.4 gph, 16.7 nm/gal, 19.3mpg, 140 knot average ground speed.
KLGU-KDLS approx. 30 gal., 3.6 hours, 477 nm, 10,500 feet, 5800 engine RPM, 2673 prop RPM >> 8.3 gph, 15.9 nm/gal, 18.3mpg, 133 knot average ground speed.
KDLS-KMMV approx. 6 gal., 0.9 hours, 93 nm, 8,500 feet.