question on horsepower requirements

[Flyguy5432H]

Hello all,

i've been looking into getting checked out in a Ryan L-17B for my Commemorative Air Force Wing but had a question:

at this time i don't have an endorsment for high performance airplanes. the engine in the L-17B is a Continental E-185. it's rated for 185hp@2300RPM, but is also listed in the manual as developing 205hp for takeoff. i've asked a couple of the guys at the hanger and get different opinions on if the aircraft is really high performance or not and would require the endorsement.

i read through FAR 61.31 paragraph F pertaining to high performance aircraft but it doesn't specify which number would be correct for what is listed in the aircraft manual.

any info is appreciated...

 

[acabello]

From what I understand it is what the aircraft is rated at not what it could potentially produce for take off. That engine is rated at 185HP so that is what the FAA is concerned with. A plane that is rated at, lets say 210HP naturally aspirated at sea level, will not produce that power at altitude it would drop below 200HP. This plane is still a high performance plane though, because once again the FAA is concerned with the HP rating at sea level.

Hope this helps.

You can search on the FAA website in the Advisory Circulars for more info.

 

[n101cs]

Hign performance ...?

I'd have to agree with acabello on this one, but Flyguy, just get that high performance endorsement anyway, it won't hurt you, especially if you are now working on your cfi ratings.

Blue skies and tail winds

N101CS

 

[Flyguy5432H]

thanks for the replies. seems to still be a gray area as some say the 205 is what the FAA considers the true horsepower, others say it's the 185.

i flew a mooney 201SE during my commercial training but it was the schools policy not to give high performance endorsements in the aircraft since it was only 201hp.

i'm going to get checked out in a 182 at the end of the month anyways and won't have to worry.

 

[A Squared]

>>>>>i flew a mooney 201SE during my commercial training but it was the schools policy not to give high performance endorsements in the aircraft since it was only 201hp.

The mooney 201 has a 200 horsepower engine, that's why your school couldn't give high performance endorsements. I'm not a mooney expert, but I believe that the "201" refers to its top speed in mph? Can some mooney buff out there confirm this or correct me?

 

[Flyguy5432H]

that might be correct A squared. we just used a Mooney M20J POH so i don't actually have the specifications here at home.

one instructor told me they used to give high performance endorsements cause the engine was 201hp but stopped when the FAA said wasn't considered high enough horsepower. he BS'd me on several other occasions so that might have just been another tidbit of misinformation.

 

[acabello]

The regs say it has to be over 200Hp so this garbage about 201 not being enough is a bunch of crap.

 

[Flyguy5432H]

unless he's right that the 201 designation really means top speed and not horsepower, i tried looking it up online but haven't found a definitive answer as to what the 201 really stands for.

as i stated, the instructor i had for my commercial was not the brightest of the bunch and would BS his way out of things he didn't know. so i'm leery about really believing his version of the 201 designation now.

 

[Douglas H]

The Mooney 201 uses a Lycoming IO-360 producing 200 hp.

It is a complex only a/c given it does not produce over 200 hp.

The "201" refers to the 201 mph top speed or 175 knots. It is a marketing program hype and (not a realistic) its highest top speed is 175 kts is only attainable at 93% power 2,000 ft and 2,300 lbs. Realistic cruise speeds run from 155 kts to 160 kts from 65% to 75% power at 2,740 lbs and 6,000 to 8.000 ft.

My take is that your school did not understand the definition of high performance and whether the Mooney M20J's rated hp met the definition.

Hope that helps.

I love Mooney's and have over 260 hours in them.

 

[Flyguy5432H]

thanks for clearning that up doug H

it wasn't the school that told me that, just the instructor. said that i'd get my complex endorsement but they don't give the high performance anymore.

he was wrong, so i'm not surprised.