IO-550

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awash2002
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IO-550

Post by awash2002 »

I am now flying behind the IO-550 300HP engine and I don't know why I didn't switch to the 550 from the start. The fuel flow is higher but so is the True Airspeed it makes it a 180 knot aircraft
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Scott - A2A
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Re: IO-550

Post by Scott - A2A »

But you can still get the same fuel economy with the 550, maybe even better than the 520 when traveling at the same speeds.

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Scav
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Re: IO-550

Post by Scav »

Scott - A2A wrote:But you can still get the same fuel economy with the 550, maybe even better than the 520 when traveling at the same speeds.

Scott.
Agreed. I'm not sure why my initial reply was in the form of a PM to the OP (probably a case of PEBCAK), but I've rediscovered recently that the 550 is quite the beast and makes climbs to cruising altitude quite effortless and enjoyable. I'm equating that to spending less time in takeoff/climb power, and I've been able to really dial it down to 65% or less MCP while still enjoying 140-160+ knots ground speed depending upon prevailing winds.

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awash2002
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Re: IO-550

Post by awash2002 »

All this plane needs now is engine plugs and a custom plane cover and a TIO-550 315HP
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Paughco
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Re: IO-550

Post by Paughco »

I've always used the IO-550. I mean, why go Eco-Boost when you can have the V-8?

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AKar
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Re: IO-550

Post by AKar »

I think 550 is quite good engine. Based on my very limited sample size, I'd still vote it a better engine than either Continental IO-470 or IO-520.

-Esa

awash2002
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Re: IO-550

Post by awash2002 »

what are the fuel flows you all are getting?
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ilya1502
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Re: IO-550

Post by ilya1502 »

Shouldn't IO-550 sound differently? I cannot hear any difference in sound between 520 & 550...

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AKar
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Re: IO-550

Post by AKar »

ilya1502 wrote:Shouldn't IO-550 sound differently? I cannot hear any difference in sound between 520 & 550...
I doubt there would be noticeable difference. The engines at the same speed, and with the same number of cylinders sound pretty much all the same as much as I can tell, albeit it has been very rare to me to be in the same airplane with two significantly different engine models, so my sample size is fairly small. Anyways, I'd say the airframe makes the biggest difference to the internal sound. And propeller, in many cases, to the external sound.

-Esa

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ilya1502
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Re: IO-550

Post by ilya1502 »

AKar wrote:
ilya1502 wrote:Shouldn't IO-550 sound differently? I cannot hear any difference in sound between 520 & 550...
I doubt there would be noticeable difference. The engines at the same speed, and with the same number of cylinders sound pretty much all the same as much as I can tell, albeit it has been very rare to me to be in the same airplane with two significantly different engine models, so my sample size is fairly small. Anyways, I'd say the airframe makes the biggest difference to the internal sound. And propeller, in many cases, to the external sound.
Okay, thanks Esa.

I wonder why A2A didn't include any prop options with the Bonanza. They always include prop options, even when they are not very widespread in real life like with the C182. Bonanza, on the other hand, had 2-blade prop as a very widespread thing. 2-blade prop would be cool (instead of those stupid curtains :lol: ).

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AKar
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Re: IO-550

Post by AKar »

ilya1502 wrote:I wonder why A2A didn't include any prop options with the Bonanza. They always include prop options, even when they are not very widespread in real life like with the C182. Bonanza, on the other hand, had 2-blade prop as a very widespread thing. 2-blade prop would be cool (instead of those stupid curtains :lol: ).
Watch your mouth there, I like the curtains! :mrgreen:

Two-blade propeller and a big-bore Continental = screeeeeeaaaaaaaammmmmm as the airplane takes off over you.....and your airfield's permit is done for. :mrgreen:

-Esa

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Re: IO-550

Post by Scav »

AKar wrote:Two-blade propeller and a big-bore Continental = screeeeeeaaaaaaaammmmmm as the airplane takes off over you.....and your airfield's permit is done for. :mrgreen:
-Esa
This. :)

The first time I rode in a Bonanza, the drop to 2,500/25" was done very quickly after liftoff. It was explained that we needed to do this anyway . . . but the sooner we were able to do this, the better because we wanted to be good neighbors (there was no being that guy that day). I had little idea back then how absolutely loud some of our more high performance aircraft were until I took a job at an airport and heard my first Skywagon blasting away from the grass runway.

Ahh, music. :)

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AKar
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Re: IO-550

Post by AKar »

Scav wrote:
AKar wrote:Two-blade propeller and a big-bore Continental = screeeeeeaaaaaaaammmmmm as the airplane takes off over you.....and your airfield's permit is done for. :mrgreen:
-Esa
This. :)

The first time I rode in a Bonanza, the drop to 2,500/25" was done very quickly after liftoff. It was explained that we needed to do this anyway . . . but the sooner we were able to do this, the better because we wanted to be good neighbors (there was no being that guy that day). I had little idea back then how absolutely loud some of our more high performance aircraft were until I took a job at an airport and heard my first Skywagon blasting away from the grass runway.

Ahh, music. :)
My kind of favorite SEP GA, the Cessna 185, was notorious for the prop scream it made. Powered by Continental IO-470, or IO-520 in later models, it was often equipped with two-blade McCauley propeller. It was usually operated as a floatplane or sometimes amphibian around here. Over silent lakes, the howl of the propeller was carried into significant distances.

Depending on what one is doing, sometimes used trick is to leave the throttle all-in but carefully lower the RPM a little when airborne but still over the runway at sufficient height.

-Esa

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ilya1502
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Re: IO-550

Post by ilya1502 »

Hm :roll: Interesting... And why 2-blade props are so noisy while 3-bladed are not? How does it work?

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AKar
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Re: IO-550

Post by AKar »

ilya1502 wrote:Hm :roll: Interesting... And why 2-blade props are so noisy while 3-bladed are not? How does it work?
Larger diameter and therefore higher propeller tip speed in a two-blade prop. While radial velocity of the prop tip is generally "only" high-subsonic, the local flow can easily reach the speed of sound in higher-powered powerplants that have larger diameter propellers.

-Esa

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