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RV-9 travel distance non-stop

grubbat

Well Known Member
Yesterday I flew non-stop from 82IS Landings Condominium Airpark (northwest of Chicago) to KPIM Callaway Gardens (northeast of Columbus Georgia). Total distance was approx 585 Nautical miles (670 Statue miles) and took a little over 3.3 hours, and burned only 28 gallons of fuel. Had slight headwind half way and slight crosswind over Georgia. Never got a good tailwind but that was ok cause the air was SMOOTH. Hung out at 9500ft all the way.

Thanks again to Vans for an efficient time machine!
 
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That's a nice run Craig I love long legs. :D I imagine what kind of distance Greg could report with his supertanker.
 
That's a nice run Craig I love long legs. :D I imagine what kind of distance Greg could report with his supertanker.


Hoping to report KHAF-PHTO one of these days...:D
And eventually KMAF-KMAF, the long way.
 
They are just amazing planes, regardless of which model.

Now, the fact that you built the best (RV-9 taildragger) version there is, goes without saying.
 
gallonage

The RV9 is sure efficient at cruise. The standard tanks are smaller than the 7-8 part of the family. I wonder how high the fuel capacity of a 9 has been taken with aux tanks, and what sort of endurance that provides in the extreme.

Has anyone built an RV9 with the O-235 that Vans put into the original factory build? I wonder what speeds and range they have found.
 
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Has anyone built an RV9 with the O-235 that Vans put into the original factory build? I wonder what speeds and range they have found.

There are some and the thing has some LONG legs with the small engine.

I know one O-235 powered -9A that would fly non-stop from KOKC to KHKY non-stop, 793 NM and land with six gallons on board. That is an hour of fuel for that little engine.

When I asked him about those flights, he would say, "Yes, I am going slower but since I don't stop for fuel, I make the trip faster than I did in my O-320 powered -6A that I used to have."

The "small" tanks on the -9 really isn't an issue.

One thing I have noticed with mine is that with the tail down, I can get almost an extra gallon of fuel in each side, bring my total up to 38 gallons.

Craig, have you noticed that?
 
Has anyone built an RV9 with the O-235 that Vans put into the original factory build? I wonder what speeds and range they have found.
There's an RV'er up Watts Bridge way that installed an IO-233 O-235 in his, in part to keep the weight down under 1320lbs MTOW for the RAAus category, but that's the only one I know of.

From his post here:
Retired Racer said:
Our 9a with a 115 hp 0-235 C2C. With duel PMags RotecTBI and 1 1/2" Vetterman pipes. Two blade 78"x 62" Catto.

Between 4500" & 8500" 2400 RPM = 120 - 125kts IAS (138 - 145 kts TAS), 5.3 GPH by Dynon fuel flow. Fuel tank top up shows 5 GPH. ROP.

Bob
By comparison, I true out at 145KTAS, 2400 RPM with my O-340, burning 24.2LPH or 6.4GPH... :(
 
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Buffalo to Florida

This past mid-October moved my 9A to Central Florida from Buffalo for the season during a nice (except the last 90nm) VFR day.

KBQR(Buffalo)--KOKV--KEQY(Charlotte)
505nm, 3:25, 26gal, 8500, 5kt headwind to start, then neutral

stopped at KEQY for ~ and hour; snack, head call, fuel, walk around the field

KEQY(Charlotte)--SARDY--AMG--GNV--KGIF (Winter Haven) Took long route to avoid east coast weather though, still had to deviate around weather from Ocala down.
445nm, 3:05, 21gal, 8500, 7kt headwind

Sure is nice to be able to leave Buffalo at a reasonable time (8:30) and be parked in Florida by 4:00.

Carl
 
Last month we made a trip in the RV-10 from Pennsylvania to central Kansas for a weekend of Pheasant hunting. Trip home, Great Bend Kansas to Clarion Pennsylvania, 1046 statue miles, nonstop in 5.2 hours. 12 gallons of fuel left onboard upon landing (60 gal tanks). RV?s are amazing travel machines.
 
I?ve flown from 07TS - KMAI non stop a couple times 639 NM.

Of course I needed a pretty decent tail wind to do it.

Burned about 31 gallons.

-Dan
 
My longest (time) flight leg was from Evanston, WY to Ramona, CA. About 575nm in under 4.5 hours. Landed with with an hours fuel left (7 gallons). That's about as far as I ever want to push the fuel window. Always have an hours worth of fuel. Filled up with 29 gallons.

Longest (distance) flight leg was from Ramona to Logan, UT 585nm, but we had a nice tailwind and got there in 4.25 hours.
My preference is to look to land every 2-3 hours. Nice to get out and stretch the legs, bio break, eat something.

Longest day of flying has been Ramona to Ankeny, IA on the way to Oshkosh. 8+ hours can be quite tiring, so I don't recommend much more than that.

Who's got the Iron Butt award here for longest flight time in a single day (in a -9)? Vlad?
 
I can see a lot of people are not leaning very aggressively for cross country?s.
My longest flight was Portland, OR to Santa Maria, CA; 775 SM, 4 Hrs 48 min, burning 5.5 gph during cruise at 10,500 ft. Ran WOT, 2300 RPM, running LOP, 165 mph TAS. Still had 6 gal left.
Man I had to go pee when we got there!
 
RV9A Cross Country

I flew yesterday from BMG (Bloomington Indiana) to GMU (Greenville SC)at 7,500 with 18 Kts tail wind. It took 2.1 hours 388nm used 14.1 gallons. I fly this trip often. The RV9A is so nice and stable. I flew this back 2 years ago form Kelowna BC where I bought it. Our longest leg was 688nm with a 45 kt tail wind just over 4.3 hours!! Just love this plane!
 
720 NM at 159 KTAS while burning 5.2 GPH.

Yep, they have long legs.

That flight was up at 17.6' DA and running LOP. I trued out at 159 but had a good push.

When I ran the numbers, I could have made it and still landed with well over an hour's worth of fuel had there been no tailwind.

The -9 really likes to go high!

Here's the link to that flight, with pictures.
 
As a long time lurker here those numbers are really making me jealous. Can’t wait to someday get a 9A. I fly a 182 now, lots of room but a bit harder on the pocketbook.
 
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