233 Kts, FL230, 26 Minutes From Brake Release... Wow!
The general aviation
industry, for the last few years, has been nothing if not
innovative. The extraordinary progress we’ve seen in an
industry that has heretofore been populated by derivations of
older, staid designs marks an amazing change in pace and direction
for our industry. Pilots all over the world are just beginning to
appreciate how significant this revolution has become. And…
you ain’t seen nothing yet.
While Cirrus and Diamond have been out there for a number of
years pumping hundreds of high-quality, high-performance,
next-generation airframes into the GA Pipeline, the folks at
Lancair have been promising to take over the top of the
aero-food-chain in terms of speed and capability… and it was
ANN’s time to see if the hype was up to the reality. ANN was
the first publication to get a hold of a certified Lancair Columbia
400 and make it breathe heavy to see if the bird could deliver on a
pretty-arrogant 235 knot promise. Here are our impressions of the
Columbia 400... from the lofty heights of FL 230.
The Lancair Columbia is the third production bird developed from
Lance Neibauer’s highly regarded Lancair ES series of
SportPlanes. A composite single-engine, fixed tricycle gear, low
winger; the high-performance Columbia 400 is currently billed as
one of the world’s fastest production S/E birds (if not THE
fastest). It carries up to four people at speeds of up to 235 kts
at altitudes up to 25,000 ft. The C400 is an all-electric bird,
with two distinct electrical busses and no vacuum system.
That’s right -- NO vacuum system -- even the backup AI is an
electrically driven gauge. The Columbia 400’s two independent
electrical systems sport a “cross-tie” capability.
During a failure of either alternator, with dual batteries, dual
Alternators and Regulators, this pumps up the ability to start the
engine from either battery (or both, during cold weather). The
essential bus is automatically fed from either system, as is the
avionics bus. A dual pointer ammeter displays either battery or
alternator.
The 3600-pound C400 has an average empty weight of 2600 pounds,
and stands 9 feet tall. It has a 36 foot wingspan (from nav light
to nav light), a wing area of 141.2 square feet, an aspect ratio of
9.2, and a length of 25.2 feet. A useful load of 1000 pounds and a
fuel capacity of 106 gallons (of which 98 are usable) means that if
you tank this baby up that you’re going to be hard-pressed to
carry more than two people unless they’re official greeters
for Munchkinland. The Columbia 400 totes a wing loading of 24 lbs.
per sq. ft. and a power loading of 10.97 lbs. per hp.
The motive force that leads the C400 to such lofty speeds and
heights is a single Teledyne-Continental TSIO-550-C, boasting 310
HP, driving a three-blade 78” Hartzell prop (that seems very
well suited to this aircraft). Teledyne-Continental’s lovely
six-banger is a twin-turbocharged, direct drive, air-cooled,
horizontally opposed, fuel-injected, six-cylinder powerplant with
over 550 cubic inches displacement. The mill is rated at 310 HP for
take-off (2600 RPM, 35.5 in) and max continuous power (at 2600
revs), and some 262 HP for max climb (2600 RPM) and cruise 2500
RPM).
She’s a beautifully powerful beast to lay eyes on -- she
exudes speed and “attitude,” ample proof of
Neibauer’s beginnings as a graphic arts wiz before the
airplane bug bit him (hard). I’m looking forward to seeing
more of these things in the air, as they provide a fluid contrast
to the boxier designs that proliferate our airspace. Sleek lines
also belie a stocky aspect that promises that this is a bird that
can handle the rigors of heavy-duty use. One thing I get a kick out
of, with the current generation of composite birds is the solid
“thunk” they make when poked, banged, and prodded
versus -- the hollow ‘tin-can” sound many metal birds
make. While hardly a true measure of their structural integrity,
that aura of solidity is just the thing that will make an aviation
novice feel a little more comfy as you head aloft.
Outwardly, there are few things that distinguish a C400 from its
normally aspirated brethren… the few tell-tales show in the
enlarged cooling inlets in the rakish cowling and a subtly enlarged
set of tail-feathers (as well as a ventral fin) necessary to deal
with the vagaries of high-altitude ops.
Overall; the first certified Lancair Columbia 400 looks a lot
better than the first-off version of most birds has a right to
look. A few years of manufacturing Lancair Columbia 300s and 350s
is obviously teaching these folks well. The “blemish
factor” was surprisingly low on our test-bird, N48PD.
Lancair Columbia 400
Engine, Propeller and Airframe Data
|
Engine |
TCM
TSIO-550, |
HP |
310 hp |
Propeller |
Hartzell 3 Blade |
Length |
25.5 ft |
Height |
9 ft |
Wingspan |
36 ft |
Wing Area |
141.2 sq ft |
Wing Aspect Ratio |
92 |
Wing Loading |
24 lbs/sq ft |
Power Loading |
11.61 lbs/hp |
Maximum Fuel (US Gallons) |
98 Usable |
|
Lancair Columbia 400
Weight Data
|
Takeoff Weight (Maximum) |
3600 lbs |
Ramp Weight (Maximum) |
3612 lbs |
Empty Weight (Approximate) |
2500 lbs |
Useful Load (Approximate) |
1100 lbs
|
Landing Weight (Maximum) lbs |
3420 |
Baggage Weight (Maximum) |
120 lbs |
|
Lancair Columbia 400
Speed Data
|
VO Maximum Operating Maneuvering Speed
(3600 lbs gw) |
158 KIAS |
VFE Maximum Flap Extended Speed (Full Flaps) |
119 KIAS |
VFE1 Maximum Takeoff Flap Extended Speed
(Takeoff Flaps) |
129 KIAS |
VNO Maximum Structural Cruising Speed |
181 KIAS |
VNE Never Exceed
Speed |
235 KIAS |
VSO Stall Speed in the Landing
Configuration |
60 KIAS |
VS1 Stall Speed (Takeoff Flaps) |
65 KIAS |
VSN Stall Speed (No Flaps) |
71 KIAS |
|
|
Lancair Columbia 400
Cruise Data
|
Maximum Power Speed (FL180) |
230 KTAS (265 mph) |
Maximum Recommended Cruise Power Speed (FL250) |
235 KTAS (270 mph) |
Maximum Range (65 %Power,
FL180, 200 KTAS) |
908 Nautical Miles* |
Maximum Endurance
|
6.4 Hours* |
|
Lancair Columbia 400
Performance Data
|
Takeoff Distance (Sea Level – Standard Temp)
Ground Run (No wind at 3600 lbs gw) |
1200 ft |
Over 50 ft Obstacle (No wind at 3600 lbs
gw) |
1800 ft |
Landing Distance (Sea Level – Standard Temp) Ground Run
(No wind at 3400 lbs gw) |
1900 ft |
Over 50 ft Obstacle (No wind at 3400 lbs
gw) |
2350 ft |
Maximum Rate of Climb |
1300 fpm |
|
*Includes climb, descent and 45 minute
reserves
|
To Be Continued...