This requires the use of micrometers, calipers, thickness gauges, and other measuring equipment to ensure that all parts meet the tolerances required by the engine manufacturer. The Rajay system essentially had a second throttle wastegate control the pilot used to manually set boost at altitude. With practice and with the gear down, finals for a precision approach can be flown at 130 knots and, with the gear up, even faster. Has built-in WAAS GPS receiver, diversity (requires top and bottom antenna installation), tablet interface requires Flight Stream wireless Bluetooth module, ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot app. The cabin itself is roomy and comfortable with good width, if a bit drafty and noisy, say some owners. Grass Lake, MI USA Compare. Those first few years are even more challenging. -Scott Sherer, In the last three years of aircraft ownership, a lot of people stop maintaining their aircraft. They need to see the wiring and the antennas, and if the upgrade includes an engine display, theyll want to eyeball the engine bay. Posted by Rocky Landsverk | Sep 13, 2022 | Comanche Restoration Series, Upgrade & Refurbish. Engine SMOH: 998. Weve covered this system extensively, and most recently in the May 2019 Aviation Consumer where we installed one in a Piper Cherokee to see if it really was the worlds easiest ADS-B upgrade as the company claims. Even heeding all of my advice, expect to spend money to acquire and keep an aging Comanche. I wanted to do something like I saw in the EAA Museum, where they have a display of every aircraft engine ever built, on stands. General Tiger with fixed gear goes just as fast and another contemporary retractable, the Mooney M20C or M20E, will outrun the 180. This means in those applications there is limited rewiring required. That's why some 2,155 Twin Comanches were sold during the airplane's 10-year (1963 to 1972) production run. What kind of paint do you use to repaint a Piper engine? The 250 and 260 are better performers. MSFPhover = They build and 100% test the harness for installation. *$4495 with Flight Stream 210 (built-in AHRS), version for helicopters. [parts], [*parts In its basic form, a single G5 attitude indicator can be installed as primary. Also note that this engine has some really cool colors. Piper Comanche. Counter rotating with Tip Tanks, complete interior 2021, lots of upgrades and STC's. More Info. This beast had a normally aspirated, fuel-injected, eight-cylinder Lycoming IO-720-A1A fitted with a three-blade prop. This assumes that you have wheelpants on the airplane; if you don't, subtract 2 knots. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry product pricing from the time of the original review. That didnt mean he went cheap. WE LIKE ALL OF THEM, ENGINE OVERHAUL Two-piece system, requires WAAS GPS input, compact. I guess that explains why I have had the same plane for 30 years! Greg was flying during this flight, with his friend Joe Cumbey co-piloting, and (not seen) dog Beau is piloting from the back seat. Also installed was a new glare- shield and a metal panel. I used the company Approach Fast Stack to build the wiring harness for the entire panel, he said. With the TXi, you can interface your analog KX155 nav radio, as one example. Click here or above for a free download: Cherokee guide OR free digital issue. Connecting the G5 directional instrument to third-party autopilots and earlier GPS navigators requires the $699 GAD29B nav interface module. // -->. It offers an excellent blend of speed, fuel economy, control feel, and range. I get approximately 200 feet per minute in climb increase and 15 knots in cruise. These mods are available for all Comanches except the 400. Oh, and it looks good, too. We had requirements, in our MIL specs, that our avionics must communicate with the established protocols. Get it approved in advance.. But for the lucky 400 owners the cost of admission is worth it-most big-engined Comanche owners say that with speed mods, 200 knots is a way of life. Use the downtime to hit the pilots guides. In flight, the Comanche is smooth, stable and tight, with a climb rate that is impressive and difficult to prevent. // -->