Please excuse a little bragging. Steve Alderman and I flew my Lancair 360 to the Copperstate
fly-in SW of Phoenix and competed in the Fuelventure efficiency competition. The planes are weighed with fuel onboard. Payload [pilot
passenger and baggage, up to 200 lb per seat] is weighed separately. The planes fly around a 383 mile course. Timing is from
liftoff to overflight of midfield on return from the course. The planes and
payload are weighed on return to determine the mass of fuel burned. The score is calculated using the latest CAFÉ formula; Café score equals payload raised to the 0.7 power, times,
miles per gallon, times, average speed in mph raised to the 1.7 power. This formula puts a strong emphasis on speed, reflecting
reality in the evaluation of cross country aircraft. Steve is an experienced CAFÉ racer having obtained a remarkably
high level of performance from his KR2 under an earlier CAFE formula. He even
outperformed Lance Neibauer flying the first Lancair 235. http://cafefoundation.org/v2/pdf_cafe_cafe400/86CAFE400.pdf
Steve let me know when I was a degree or two off course and
kept track of our ground speed and true airspeed. Our average speed around the course was 188.9 mph at 36.58
MPG, [5.16 GPH] Our CAFÉ score was 1,223,333.2 second to Klaus Savier’s highly developed
VariEze. http://www.fuelventure.org/documents/2010_results.html To my knowledge it is the highest CAFÉ score by a Lancair using
the latest formula. The engine is a stock Lycoming 360 A1A, with 8.5:1
compression ratio, two magnetos and a carburetor, swinging a Hartzell prop.
Empty weight is 1,015 pounds. Steve is building a Lancair 360 of his own, and plans to
kick my a## next year. It is good fun, a test of planning and flying skills, and a
great way to meet a group of friendly, interesting, like minded people. I
recommend that everybody give it a try.
Regards, Bill Hannahan |