AOA and Specific Range

[cart]

Just started flying a Falcon 10 with an AOA indicator. What AOA yields the best nm/lb? Trying to reduce fuel costs. Your thoughts, please.

 

[rice]

First off I have never flown the 10. However I have flown the 20, 20C-5, 20F-5, 50, 50EX, 900B, and 900EX. For all of these aircraft, Dassault has published, in the performance manual, the best range charts which will give you the information you seek. I ASSUME (that's a disclaimer) that they have done the same for the 10. The charts are very accurate and I've found the aircraft to usually do a bit better than book values. That being said, I do not believe Dassault references AOA units anywhere in the range charts.
Now here comes my soap box.
I'm not trying to tell anyone how to operate their aircraft but I really don't see the advantage to what your asking, considering real world ops. You can crunch all the numbers, hawk the power for the entire flight, and fly three different speeds per leg (which eventually will make even the most enjoyable trip an anal retentive exercise (just my humble opinion)) and watch it all go out the window because of a hold in the climb, an early let down on arrival, vectors for traffic, etc. Typical LR cruise speeds in the 50 were .75 and the 900 does best around .78 but going slower means longer legs which eventually adds up to pulling 150hr inspections etc. earlier (when put up against cycles) and yeah I know I'm stretching here but I'm trying to illustrate a point. If .78 is typically the best LR cruise for 10 then just set it and forget it, enjoy the view, play funny jokes on your CP, and buy the first round when you finish the day.

 

[pilotpair]

Falcon does not refrence AOA in the manuals. The DA-10 charts I have found to be very accurate.

If you want to save the boss money explain the inspection program, ie. the longer you are in the air the more maintenance money you are spending. Fuel is cheap compared to that, especially on a Falcon.

Fly the thing as fast as it will go and get there.

 

[G100driver]

No distrespect to the original question, but WHO CARES!!!

It is a Falcon 10. The airplane was designed to make 2.0 hour flights at speeds of .80M or above. Pirior the the Cit X it was the fastest thing around. Enjoy the the airplane, it is a great airplane to fly. Burn those dinonsours!! They are cheaper than the labor on a 25+ year old airframe

 

[Hugh Johnson]

I'm with the majority here, a FA10 is a 3:30 plane with reserve, distance depends on winds. West coast requires a stop no matter what. Its not an over water airplane, so who cares. If you're RVSM, file for the mid 30's and run it at max cruise.


For 10 operators, the big question is maintenance. This is a thirty year old airframe with only about 250 unis produced based on the military model of "Go like hell for an hour, work on it for three."

 

[Bandit60]

I dont fly the Falcon but I do fly other types of corporate jets and my feelings about long range cruise is the same as the posts above. Fuel is much cheaper than maint.

Not to long ago I was flying from Florida to Las Vegas and the other pilot insisted on using long range cruise so that we could make it non-stop. I know with the winds that it wasnt going to happen but he insisted we try. Not only did we not make it but we added about a half hour to the trip. Thats alot of time on maint that could have been saved. I think most of my fustration was that if you go fast and stop you will still make it to your destination just as fast if not faster.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I also agree...unless hopping big oceans and large continents where you DONT want to stop (africa) - run as fast as possible and plan smart quick turn fuel stops. Going slow does not pay off.

does your boss know you are going slow to reduce fuel costs??

Its almost like spending $2 to save $1..

 

[THE Flying Ace]

I agree with everybody else, go fast. But in the Citation II, .35 on the AOA is max range. That speed is way too slow!

That's my .02