Sundowner Spec's

A reader asked about the Beechcraft Sundowner Specifications so I gathered some info and put this list together.

Beech C 23 Sundowner performance and specifications:
Horsepower: 180
Gross Weight: 2450 lbs
Top Speed: 128 kts
Empty weight 1650 lbs
Useful load 800 lbs
Cruise Speed: 116 kts
Fuel Capacity: 57.00 gal
Stall Speed (dirty): 51 kts
Range: 565 nm

Takeoff/Landing:
Ground Roll: 1130 ft
Ground Roll 703 ft
Over 50 ft obstacle: 1955 ft
Over 50 ft obstacle: 1484 ft
Rate Of Climb: 792 fpm
Ceiling: 12600 ft

I only have maybe eleven hours in our new bird but here are my numbers. On our trip home from Texas I burned 11 gallons an hour. With the new engine (55 hours) I didn't want to run to lean and I tried to keep a close watch on Exhaust Gas Temps(EGT)and Cylinder Head Temps (CHT). The first leg from T31 Aero Country to KHZD, Huntingdon, TN was around 450 miles. Start up to shut down was 4 hours so the simple math says that's an average of 112.5 miles per hour or 100 knots. I fought a head wind for some distance but did see ground speeds of 135-140 knots when we were heading east with the tailwind. The second leg was 465 miles from KHZD to WV62 Windwoood Resort in Davies, WV. This leg, start up to shut down was 3 hours 45 minutes. A quick calculation figures the average speed to be around 124 miles per hour or 110 knots. If you want to dig a bit deeper and knock off 15 minutes for start, taxi out, run up, taxi in and shut down you knock off that 15 minutes. This makes a slight change but maybe more realistic numbers bringing the avg speeds to 110 knots on leg one and 115 knots on leg two which reflects what we were seeing in ground speeds and resembles what I flight plan for at 110 knots.

I have been reading so much about lean of peak, rich of peak that my head is spinning. As I become more familiar with the JPI engine monitor I will save more fuel when I start to feel comfortable with leaning a bit more. For now it's pull back until rough then advance mixture to run smooth.