Lj-55 Long Range

[FO4life]

How far and how long have you flown the 55.
I'm trying to see what the A/C can really do instead of always going high speed or normal. I got the numbers down pat for normal. Please share!

 

[CFIcare]

Best I've done with a straight (non ER) 55 was 4 hours 20 minutes, landing with 1400#.

First I piss the line guys off by asking them to fill the wings first, then do the fuselage over the top. I've been able to cram the published 6690 in there that way as opposed to single point 6540. Every pound you can stuff will make the difference if you get descended early or vectored halfway to Hawaii going into LAX. Then I give the line guys some beer for their trouble.

Anyway, here's what I used to do. Climb at 250kts/.70 to 390 or FL400 and accelerate to .76. If they hold you down and level you off low throughout the climb, pull the power back to about 750-800pph assuming they don't need you fast.

Once you get to cruise alt. check the temp and weight to see if/when you can get to FL430. You are going to trade TAS for altitude, especially if you go up early, so no rush right away. I know the long range figures are M.73, but if you are fighting 80kts on the nose trying to go west and you are at .73, you are really not doing yourself a favor.

If you can make 430 and accelerate, do it. you should be more than half way through the trip at this point and once you are up there you ought to be doing around 550-600pph. If the winds die down and you are making good groundspeed, you could try .73 for a while and see if that helps. If you have a rockin' tailwind, yeah pull it to .73 and let the wind do the work.

I noticed that by climbing to 430 at the right time, you will save about 200-300 pounds of gas at .76M.

One the descent, don't come down until they yell at you, and if they bring you out of altitude 250 miles from Vegas or some crap just keep .76 on the descent and whatever power setting gives you the minimum rate like 1000fpm unless ATC wants something specific.

If they level you off low and far out, don't go 350kts thinking you'll get there faster. You'll be sucking down 1400pph at that clip and you've just eaten all of your fuel savings. Just do whatever gives you 850-900 pph. Should be about 275kts if I remember right.

Now, this is if you are trying to save every drop kind of stuff. I look at the FMS about 1.5 hours out, and barring a radical change in wind, if I just don't like the numbers and I know we are going to get screwed on an early descent or lots of vectors, I'll just stop for gas and tell the pax that before we leave home.

I never had to stop though. I did STL-SEA, STL-SFO, STL-CRQ/LAX. All can be right around 4.2 hours depending on the wind.

With the extra 359# of gas in the LR55-ERs you can get about another 25 minutes or so and land with reserve.

Interestingly, the LR-45 carries 500 pounds less gas than the 55, has the same MTOW and engine output, but it can go straight to FL450 and then step to 470. (The wing doesn't quit at 430 like the 55.) The fuel savings offsets the loss of TAS and we end up being able to match the range of the straight 55, and land with similar reserves.

 

[FO4life]

Here is what I am trying to do. Got a flight from BFI to RDG. and it is an ER. 7049lbs. By looking at the charts. doing a step climb with the weight change. starting out at 350 at 21000, .72 and going up 1000ft per 1000lbs of gas to 410 and .74 I should get 1100/hr.. I have been playing with this and getting about 100 to 150 lbs/hr extra fuel compared to normal cruize. but I never go that far. more like 2 hr flights.

 

[CFIcare]

Ok I ran it on duats, and my burn numbers there I have tweaked to within 100# on landing assuming you get what you file.

Assuming the winds in place if you left BFI tomorrow at 0600, it would take you 6062# and 4:28 and you'd be landing with a grand total of 990#

I ran it for 410, assuming that they wouldn't give you wrong way 430.

IFR reserves in the 55 are around 1100, and my personal mins are 1400 unless it's severe CAVU.

With the flight plan saying 990#, without the factors of less than forecast tailwind, different route than expected, early descent and possible weather...you might want to just brief that you'll be making a refueling/bathroom break halfway (like Rockford, Cleveland etc.) and then if you luck out and get a 100 knot push and the FMS says you'll be good, then just tell the pax it look like we can go all the way if they'd like.

Plus, a quick turn fuel stop with the descent, turn, and climb ads maybe 45 minutes to the total day, which may be less of a pain in the a$$ than watching the numbers on the FMS fuel for hours and sweating it.

When I've planned stuff like this and it was giving me a low number like that, in the best of circumstances we landed with around 1200 and it was CAVU at the destination and there were no delays or deviations to the planned route. Usually though, stuff just doesn't work out as perfectly planned.

Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[FO4life]

Thanks, the flight is next week and I will let you know

 

[CFIcare]

I forgot to include this, but my duats hourly burn #'s are 1700, 1400, 1200, 1200 with a cruise TAS of 450kts.

For some reason I could never get fltplan.com as accurate with planned versus actual burn in the LR55, even with the exact same performance parameters. It's right on with the 45 though.

 

[ultrarunner]

When the numbers are that close, you can almost ALWAYS beat the non-stop block time by hauling ass to LNK, etc, getting a quick-turn, and pressing on.

But, if the folks in back have the big egos and don't mind "trying" to be in that little tube for almost 5 hrs, have at it!

 

[arewethereyet]

Do the best you can but have the fuel stop already picked out and a flight plan filed then if it looks like the winds aren't as shown you'll have a quick option at hand.

 

[FO4life]

Did not make it. Stoped in FAR.

 

[CFIcare]

Yeah...I thought you probably wouldn't be able to go non-stop unless you had a ridiculous tailwind. I'm sure the pax loved beautiful Fargo. I hear it's lovely this time of year. Tell them that if they got a CL-300 (and hired you to fly it) they could say hello to Fargo from FL410.

 

[FO4life]

It should have been done in the 850XP, but I just drive. thanks for your input.