Westwind Fuel Burn

[runtofthelitter]

Can anyone tell me what the average fuel burn for the Westwind (I or II) is, for planning purposes.

1st, 2nd and 3rd hrs etc...

Any Westwind drivers out there? How do you like the plane, good, bad or so-so, also how is this bird on long trips coast to coast?

Just intrested,
Runt

 

[AV8OR]

Been in Westwinds for the last ten years. Here ya go.

Fuel burn:

Hr. 1=2000lbs
Hr. 2=1700lbs
Hr. 3=1500lbs

Figure about 200lbs for Taxi if on both engines.

Long range cruise avrg constant speed is about M.70.

2000lbs is a pretty standard IFR reserve with about 1800 being a VFR reserve.

Will do ATL to SFO non-stop once the winter headwinds die down. With a 2000lbs reserve at constant M.70.

However, you'll need the runway to do a flaps zero T/O due to the lack of second segment climb performance on the warmer (above 85F) days if you're at or above 1000ftMSL and maybe if you're at SL. The two has better second segment climb performance and slightly better top end speed, and also, most carry an extra 200 lbs of fuel which can make or break how you feel about a bingo point for a fuel stop. The II also has a tendency to do a slight "wing rock" once at altitude and it's just something you kind of have to get used to.

It has a high max gross landing weight at 19000lbs and also higher Vref speed for an approach, 131, at MGLW. This can cause a problem for legally flying some instrument approaches because it places it in the Cat D box. Most of the time, if that throws a wrench in the flying the approach in IMC, you might want to reconsider doing it anyway. Generally, 5000' min runway length for landing.

The Westwind flys "heavy" but is a stable platform. I think it tends to to fly like older, larger aircraft. Also, they are starting to get a little older and having more and more maintenance issues, in particular some issues regarding the vertical stab. Just have to make sure maintenance is thorough. Also, RVSM is going to be expensive, and a fuel burn below 290 would be ridiculously brutal.

Bottom line, there's not a better long range/high payload aircraft for the money. Lear 35, Falcon 10, HS700 don't have the range, and in some cases, the performance, i.e. "high and hot".

Hope this helps. Best of luck. I've enjoyed flying it.

 

[justApilot]

Good stuff AV8OR...

The 3 Westwinds (serial # 405, 208, 297) I flew burned 1800, 1600, 1400, 1200, 1200...but it depends on how tired your engines are.

BTW...how many nicknames can you come up with for the Westwind? These are the ones I remember:

Please excuse my incorrect spelling of any or all of the following:

Hanukka Hotrod
Bagel Bomber
Jewey Jet
Rosh Hashanah Rocket
Tel Aviv Torpedo
Jew Canoe
Yom Kippur Clipper
Kosher Kite

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Just dont be one of those people who try and fly it high then chug along at a whopping .70 and get in everyones way!!!

I always prefered going lower and faster and stopping that pig for fuel, same trip time and you dont have to sit in the uncomfortable beast for 5 hours.....

I second that reccomendation of careful scrutiny of MX on westwinds, they have had some stab problems, a few I flew also had fuel indication and balancing problems....and that Oxygen situation.....theres a good one for ya....although I think even the most backwoods operators now know to never shut off that oxygen bottle...just let it slowly leak (if it does) and refill it. I have heard all the IAI guesses at the problems with that. I dont believe a single one....

 

[AV8OR]

Hey G200 is right about that .70 stuff. It's gonna come down to whether you tanker out of your own fuel farm as to whether you want to be the "fly in the buttermilk" at FL390 or stop for steaks.

As for all the variants on the ethnic "slurs" on the Westwind, hey, no way am I gonna go down that on a public forum. LOL I've seen pictures of the ole WW with hardpoints and armament!!

 

[Ty Webb]

I thought it was a very good airplane . . . Ugly, but it's slow!

The safety record has been excellent, the only fatals up until last year involved:

1) Wake Turbulence
1) Radar inop into CB
1) Improper MX procedure (it's the horiz stab, not the vertical, BTW

1) cause unknown, still under investigation . . . .


Although safe in the air, it can be a handful on the ground, though . . . think taildragger, especially on a contaminated runway with a quartering tailwind, it can get dicey.

Other concerns- single mains could be bad news with a blown tire . . . Crude systems, including the cabin pressurization require finesse. Low redline onthe WW1 (.765) means you've got to slow down before you go down, and don;t pull the power levers back to fast above 330, or the cabin altitude will bump very noticeably, in other words, you have to be smooth and think ahead . . . .

Pluses- generous exterior baggage. Boots do not have any performance penalty for takeoff in icing conditions. The airplane will scoot down low- VMO is 360. You can still do 440 KTAS at 330, 430 at 350 and 417 at 410, when you can get there. My plane burned 4800# for the first three hours, and 2000 was a good IFR reserve, 1500# for VFR.

Enjoy.