New (to me) '61 250

[trmckn]

[Ben Ayalon]

[trmckn]

[9089P]

[trmckn]

[Chief]

Tom,

We are at similar points in our ownership. I've had our 250 since March. I love it. All planes have their flying styles, but Downwind, Base and Final, it is as solid as they come! Make corrections quick. When it tells you something, act, but make corrections smooth and easy. If that makes sense.

I'll probably end up in the grass tomorrow, but my early impressions are, awesome, solid, predictable, fun.

Comanche veterans are the best also!!!! They give great advice and help.

Brett

[SPNA]

My thinking is that the only legal POH is the one for 61 250. Changing to Fuel Inject and the top horsepower didn't change the V speeds or weight and balance. Interesting to see how this is resolved.

[trmckn]

Hi SPNA,

I'm just going to go with the easy answer and get both. Legally you're right...it's the '61 250 that's the "correct" one. According to Webco, there should have been a notation someplace in the paperwork (logbook or otherwise) at the time of the engine upgrade which indicates the appropriate combination of POH's...but that wasn't done so far as I can tell. I've got the original weight and balance (and subsequent ones...and it's been measured recently) and the owner's handbood has most of the appropriate speeds and other info to at least be considered legal, but I'd like to have the power curves associated with the upgraded engine.

And nice to make your acquaintance Brett. It'll be interesting to compare notes as we get a little more comanche time under our belts...

Tom

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

Tom,
The correct way to go about this is to get the 61 250 book. In order to make that book legal for your aircraft you need to add all of the appropriate weight and ballance data, as well as a current equipment list data. Also, any STC's or field approval 337's for major mods must be added, as well as the appropriate flight manual suppliments for those items. Your avionics/ autopilot need a suppliment, any change from limitations, procedures or instrument markings (such as the change from 2550 rpm red line to 2700) must be included as a suppliment, and it would certainly be smart to enter a notation in the main limitations section to reference the new limits...however, you cannot change the original limitations section as it is the FAA approved baseline flight manual for your aircraft, you can only ammend the baseline.
-Zach

[trmckn]

Hi Zach,

Thanks for the help. If I understand things correctly though, I believe that I'm currently legal. Currently, I have the original Owners Handbook (not a modern style POH) and the original equipment list with the original weight and balance. Also, I have all of the 337s, all of the updates to the weight and balance (including a recent physical measurement), all of the STCs, all of the correct markings (I think)...with all of the paperwork packaged up as a supplement to the what was originally provided with the aircraft (to the best of my knowledge). All of this is fine, but I was hoping to try to take advantage of the newer style POH that the ICS has put out just because that's a much more straightforward presentation of the information from what I understand... and am trying to sort out functionally which is the most appropriate. The way that I was viewing this is that I wouldn't legally need the POH that I'm ordering since I theoretically have all of the paperwork that I need. So, the plan wasn't to make the book that I'm ordering legal, but to get the book just as a supplement. Let me know if I've jumped the tracks with this train of thought though... Thanks,

Tom

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

Tom,
The original owners handbook is advisory in nature, and is not a required document. The original Aircraft Flight Manual was a stapled 7-8 page document. It had a limitations section, and emergency proceedures section, a placards section, equipment list and weight and balance section. This is the necessary flight document, and you probably have it, and as such you are legal with the rest of the documents you list. I would suggest however that if you get the new ICS AFM/POH, that you get it unbound, and then punch it, and install it in a 3 ring binder, add labled tabs, and add all of the suppliments and documentation as necessary. Also make some copies of the W&B pages and equipment list pages while they are still blank, so that you can change them out if you ever do mods. If you ever get ramped, or you go through an FAA inspection, it will really help having all of the stuff in one book. Also, remember that all of this must be easily accessible to the pilot during flight, from his designated flight station...can you get at all of this info while strapped into the pilots seat? Asking the back seat passenger to try and reach it from the hat shelf or baggage area doesn't count ! Keep the old original dog eared sheets and owners handbook in a file at home. Use the new book in the airplane. Just my opinion (and what I practice).
-Zach

[trmckn]

Hi Zach,

I'm afraid that you've got dead to rights with the "hat shelf" comment Sounds like a rational approach though, that's what I'll do. Thanks again for your advice (and for pointing me to a great instructor for checkout.) I'm starting to really enjoy this new-to-me traveling machine...

Tom

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

Tom,
You are quite welcome.
-Zach