233 Kts, FL230, 26 Minutes From Brake Release... Wow! Part
Two
Thankfully, the folks
behind the current generation of Lancairs understand that two doors
make for a far more agile entry process. Big gull-wing doors offer
excellent access from the wing, after one steps up on the
mid-thigh-high step (which some owners may elect to delete…
they cost the bird a whopping two knots in cruise speed… and
to many that is simply too great a price to pay for such a
“luxury”) just behind the trailing edge of each wing.
While the step-in process can be a bit cumbersome here and there,
Lancair has maximized the efficiency of the process with the size
(33” tall as well as 33” wide) of the doors and the
excellent access offered to the back seats once the front seats are
swept forward (also easy to do, thank goodness… moving some
seats forward these days takes an act of Congress…). After
stepping in, back seat access is plentiful and the back-seaters
will experience little of the claustrophobia seen in earlier
generations of aircraft.
The interior is well appointed… as Lancair has also
learned the lessons I have previously droned on about in terms of
making sure that multi-hundred thousand dollar airplanes LOOK like
they’re worth the money a pilot pays for them. Dimensions are
pretty generous. The 139.6” long cabin (from firewall to the
back of the baggage area) is 48.17 inches wide, and 49 inches tall.
Tall, well-padded seats offer excellent lower back support and
acceptable upper back and head support (an adjustable head rest
would be welcome here… I’ve yet to see any GA
manufacturer do this right… but I have “high”
hopes). Cabin appointments appear to be well thought out with
handhold straps in the appropriate place and few obstructions to
get in the way of a fidgeting/moving pilot or passenger. Seat
spacing (side to side) is generous and with two big guys in the
front (and YOU know who you are…), there is room to relax,
spread out and not feel like you’re getting too friendly with
Bubba, sitting next to you. Door closure is accomplished readily
via pulling down the gull-wing door’s HUGE hand-strap to the
point of mating with the doorjamb, and sliding the throw-over
capture lever to the locked position. Nicely done.
With this done, one spies the first (and possibly, only)
annoying aspect of the Columbia… the inside of the cabin
slopes up and in pretty heavily from shoulder level on up and while
this does not impinge too much on interior comfort, it definitely
hampers your field of vision. The frame that separates the
windshield from the support structure winds up prominently within
the outside edge of one’s peripheral vision. Since the seats
are only adjustable fore and aft some seven inches and the seat
backs require a somewhat involved process to adjust the reclining
angle (with no vertical adjustment… an oversight in our
opinion), dealing with this issue does not always have a
satisfactory solution. In an otherwise beautifully appointed cabin,
this aspect was a true annoyance—though it may not affect
everyone the same way depending on their
dimensions.
Excess Baggage
We got yer baggage area right here! If ya got bags, the
Lancair’s got room. Accessible from the outside right of the
aircraft, a 28” wide swing-up door offers excellent access to
a cavernous baggage area measures 38.5’ wide, 52” in
length and is some 34.5” high. You can load up to 120 pounds
back there (CG permitting) and one of the things I particularly
like is the fact that the baggage area is accessible from the back
seats in that there is no divider between the cabin and baggage
area… for those of you who have to throw something (or
someone…) into the baggage area in flight (and not been able
to do so), you KNOW how cool this is.
Panel Planning 101
The C400 boasts one of the nicest panel designs I’ve seen
in a while. Well laid-out, I’m particularly appreciative of
the way that various control systems have been designed to
mimic/draw attention to their function in terms of their appearance
and mode of operation (note the flap lever, in particular). Due to
the nature of the accomplished Avidyne EFIS system, a lot of the
panel space is vacant… meaning that more of what a pilot
needs to deal with lies closer at hand/eye. While I have my
preference for a landscape presentation for the PFD, I have to
admit that the portrait presentation for the MFD works quite well.
I also STRONGLY prefer that secondary attitude instruments be
located in a way so as to minimize the visual/equilibrium traumas
associated with the IFR to VFR transition. If mounted to low or to
far off to one side, the potential for a loss of control owing to
spatial disorientation induced by aggressive head movement is (in
my opinion) too great a risk to allow. Lancair does a fairly decent
job of positioning the back up gauges… as the electric AI is
positioned at the top of the stack of the backup gauges (AI,
airspeed, and altimeter in descending order), between the PFD and
MFD.
The far left side of the panel sports a number of
conventional/backup system gauges, whose functions are otherwise
presented on the Avidyne Entegra system. To the bottom left-hand
side of those, a VERY good venting outlet takes up position in area
where it can do the most good… and with all glass in the
C400, you better know that the vent is likely about to become your
new best friend on warm/bright days. A small strip of annunciators
lies between them and the PFD (with the marker beacon
receiver’s indicator lights just above them).
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...