New 260 Owner Speed Mod Questions

[Reginald White]

I am a new member and this is my first post. I am also a new pilot as well as a new Comanche owner. I purchased my 1965 260 on December 30th, 2015 and actually completed the last half of my flight training obtaining my PPL on March 16th, 2016.
The main reason I went with a Comanche is because I was in search of an efficient, fast and relatively inexpensive single engine that my wife and I could use to make frequent trips (maybe once a month) from where we live in Louisiana, up to Iowa where we are from and both of our families still live (a little over 700NM). My Comanche accomplishes this with ease . I now have a little over 65 hours in my Comanche and still, every single time I go up in her I say to myself....I love this plane !

My 260 is a high time airframe but it has been well maintained. The gentleman I bought it from owned it for the last 34 years!!

I have been looking at some speed mods that are available to try to make my long cross countries a little more efficient. The speed mods installed currently are the Metco-Aire tips, one piece windshield, Knots 2U wing fillet and rudder fin cap, and Slimline tail and strobe fairing.

I am looking at flap and aileron gap seals, nose gear slipper (Lopresti), wing root fairing (Knots 2U), flap track fairings (Lopresti), and main wheel fairings (spats).

Can any of you give me some guidance on any of these as to whether some of these mods aren't worth the money or effort? I am also on the fence between the Lopresti and Knots 2U gap seals and spats. Do you recommend one over the other?

Thank you for your time and I sorry for the length of this post.

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

K2U gap seals for flaps and ailerons, loPresti spats and slipper, and any wing tip that isn't stock are all very worthwhile. Root fairings are worthwhile with a 3 Bld prop, but not really a speed mod as much as noise and vibration mod, fillets help tame the landing, and flap track splitters don't do anything but keep mud out of the flap track.

Zach

[N3322G]

Congrats on buying a great plane!

Re - going faster

Nothing quite like having more fuel on board to make fewer stops for a faster trip - may not be applicable for your normal trips but tip tanks would do this.

Also check your rigging to make sure it is spot on for less drag - personal favorite is to count the bugs on either side of the tail - if the numbers aren't roughly even, rigging needs work and plane will fly faster.

Gear tucked up to service manual specs makes a difference - use Comanche Gear flatter gear door bumpers is good also.

Obviously, keep the bugs off.

Make sure weight and balance hugs the forward end of the envelope.

Less weight makes you go faster 100 lbs generally causes a 1 kt speed loss.

And my personal free favorite - fly at altitude where the tailwinds are.

All learned at the elbow of Mom, Marion Jayne, Hall of Fame cross country race pilot.

[Reginald White]

Thank you for your Input Zach and Pat!! I am due for annual in June so we will take a good look at the rigging as well.