Been Slow...

[Ranch Dog]

So my wife asks me, what do you want for your 65th birthday? I answer "a new ride." That surprised her as she knows that I want to end up having the oldest truck in the county. The next thing she asked was, "do I have to get it?" I told her that I would handle it. So, for several months I would tell her that I was going to look at a "new ride" and off I would go. If she knew how far a fellow that has airline passes could travel in a day, she would have passed out. Anyway, I found what I was looking for and told her we were going to go and pick it up today. She asked me "what is it we are picking up", and I said "a grandkid getter."

[Ranch Dog]

It's a 1977 Super Skymaster 337G.







On the way home. thoutThis view is over Sabine Pass, TX



[BBvideo 560,340][/BBvideo]

The good news was that G'ma was as tickled as you can get. With all our kids at the ends of the Country, we need to go when we want to, and without walking through an airport terminal.

[GasGuzzler]

What's the range?

[farmerjim]

Congratulations on your New Ride. I have never been in a skymaster, but they look like fun to fly with the high wing and push pull configuration.

[Ranch Dog]

What's the range?

It depends on the power settings used, the range is 1,470 miles with 55% of max power through 1,070 miles with 75% max power. This is an hour of reserve remaining with those figures.

The range was a huge consideration. Our destinations from Texas would be Long Island, Norfolk, St. Paul, and Jacksonville. I had considered a single, but none had the range for a non-stop except for the Piper Comanche; the 260Bs with the tip tanks and the 400. In considering twins, it came down to a Twin Comanche with tip tanks or the Skymaster G. Having flow both, the Twin Comanche can be handfull maneuvering an airport on single-engine, but not the Skymaster.

[Ranch Dog]

Congratulations on your New Ride. I have never been in a skymaster, but they look like fun to fly with the high wing and push pull configuration.

During 1978, I flew one on pipeline patrol for the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline. I think once you have flown one, you are hooked as it is a very comfortable airplane. If you have flown a 182 or a 210, you are good to go. The difference over those two singles is the view. With the fronts seads ahead of the leading edge of the wing, the view out the window is spectacular. It's like you are in this unsupported pod out in the atmosphere.

The cabin is configured for up to six seats, but most operate the airplane with four or five seats as there is no space for baggage. The airplanes useful load will allow for all six-plus bags, but in practice, you run out of space. Cessna offered a baggage pod where everything could be taken, it costs about 3 knots of performance and no loss in single-engine performance.

An outfit, RT Aerospace, makes a composite pod which would be better than the original Cessna pod.

cargopod-1.jpg

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cargopod-3.jpg

[larryw]

[Macd]

Congratulations. Enjoy.

[Dan 444]

Nice ride, RD!

Dan

[Ohio3Wheels]

The O-2 drivers I knew in Asia really liked them. They were a bit Spartan and crammed with radios and of course you can't forget the rocket pods.
Nice looking, RD.