What is the single-engine small plane with the best range?

On 16-Feb-2004, (Bob Miller) wrote:

My M20C with a couple of speed mods gets 145 ktas at 8 gph. At 54
gal, that's 6.75 hours of flight time....1000+ no-wind nm. You'll
find that the 15 knots start adding up when flying into a
headwind....the comment about icing was a good one, need to ask
yourself potential of having to delay for a day. Another question is
how you will really like the 7 hour flights? That's a long time.


The longest flight leg I've made in the Arrow was a shade under 6 hours.
Had almost 2 hours of fuel left onboard when we landed. The flight (with my
wife aboard) seemed pleasant enough. Autopilots earn their keep on flights
like that one.

I've flown in an M20C, and by comparison the cabin of the Arrow IV feels
like a limousine. An 870 nm flight in your M20C at 145 kts (which is a
GREAT speed for this airplane, by the way) would take 6 hrs. I am sure that
the 6.5 hours it would take in my Arrow (at 135 kts) would be more
comfortable.

That said, your Ranger is certainly one efficient airplane, something I
happen to appreciate.

--
-Elliott Drucker