That Price CAN'T be right quiz?

 Racing is inherently more expensive than just cruising around to go see Grandma or visit a pancake breakfast with other aviation enthusiasts. The Mooney J aircraft is one of the most efficient general aviation aircraft ever built. Typically a comfortable cruise at altitude of around 150 knots (172 mph) will sip 100LL AVgas at around 11 gallons per hour. Slowing up a bit to 140 knots (161 mph) will drop that figure to under 9 gallons per hour and extend Sight Seein' Mooney's range close to a 1000 miles or 6 hours without refueling - or very uncomfortably no bathroom breaks.

So let's roll that calculation in the other direction and let you guess what the team's fuel consumption is for the Mooney M201-J when the plane is configured for maximum performance and race horsepower?

Is it 160 knots (184mph) at 16.5 gallons per hour  OR  175 knots (201 mph) at 18 gallons per hour? 

...drumroll please ... the answer is: You could be forgiven if you assumed the 175 knots was the top speed as that WAS Mooney's marketing pitch for years and even built that MPH tested maximum speed into the naming of the aircraft model - the Mooney M201- J. The problem is that it is NOT possible for an aircraft with multiple people on board or normal equipment or at typical flight levels with lots of fuel in reserve. With that added weight it makes it very hard to push an all-metal airframe with a 200 HP engine to deliver over 1 mile per hour per 1 horsepower. Further to achieve that speed the plane would have to be very close to sea level with just enough fuel and a small test pilot with no interior improvements and minimal avionics. 

SO, the correct answer is 160 knots or 184 miles per hour. Sight Seein' Mooney will have to take advantage of every whisp of wind, weather, pilotage, and luck to exceed this figure by enough to win the race. To further complicate the matter, when the plane flies just 12 miles per hour slower, it has a range of 700 miles with over 4.5 hours of endurance but that WON'T be enough to win the race. To be competitive, the plane must be pushed to maximum performance which consumes over 5 gallons of fuel more per hour of flight just to go 12 miles per hour faster. With an hour of reserve fuel for emergencies that cut's the Mooney's effective range to around 500 miles and 3 hours of flight time. - and get this, the average price of Aviation low lead gas will be $5 -$7 per gallon so to go 12 miles per hour faster will literally BURN up over $70 extra per hour of flight time in fuel while in race configuration. 

There's 'no crying' in racing because that IS the game and it is governed by physics. To gain speed, fuel consumption must grow at a near exponential factor. It is a key management issue for all of the race teams. More combustion creates more friction and more friction creates more heat. The engine components must be carefully managed to prevent damage by monitoring rising temperatures. Engines are cooled by adding yet even MORE fuel or changing altitude for efficiency and the scales and results all shift again and the process repeats. Now I bet you love your car a little more with its amazing economy to propel you at 70 mph for a miserly 3 gallons of $3 gas per hour - now THAT's a right price!

So just for fun, a bonus quizlet for you to ponder ...

Guess what a typical set of spark plugs costs for Classic Racer #9's Four cylinder engine ?

- $10, $100, $1000 or None of the above. (A) None - There are 8 spark plugs on a 4 cylinder aviation engine for complete redundancy of the ignition system. Sight Seein' Mooney uses Fine Wire plugs at a cost of over $230 each, or with taxes a staggering $2000 per set - Ouch! ... that price CAN'T be right? - this thing would be better left PARKED!

-ed-







 


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