Quote:
Originally posted by larrysb
Thanks for the information, that was actually helpful to me.
Let me rephrase the above ramble: 
Would like to find some pointers to reliable performance data, such fuel burn and real-world cruising speeds, useful load and so on.
If anyone has a W&B chart they can share, I'd be interested in seeing the CG range on an actual plane.
I'm also curious about insurance requirements, I have about 300hrs, but no IR or multi ticket yet.
Thanks.
(hopefully, that was better)
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Some comments. Weight and balance is a good thing. I used to do it all the time, when I flew something else. I had my bro-inlaw, my sister, my mom, and I, 1/2 tanks, flew from DAL to ABI. Put some in at ABI, flew back. My bro-inlaw said "Is weight going to be an issue, because between the two of us, we are a shade over 600 pounds." It wasn't. My empty is 3000, and my plane is heavy, with old radios, radar, deice boots. My max to is 4500. That's a lot of room for people and fuel. My tanks hold 132, with 128 useable. I'll scan a w&B for you tomorrow.
I burn just about 22 GPH, at about 155 kts. de-ice planes are slower than no-deice. radar pod, which i have, slows some more.
Ah, insurance.
What I did was buy a plane that was owned by a corporation, and bought the corporation. It's only asset was the plane. The insurance the corporation had in effect continued in effect, just the stock holder changed. I did not mee the open pilot requirements, but my instructor did.
When we decided that we were going to buy a skymaster, I went to dallas, to MEI, got my conventional multi engine rating. Then I bought the skymaster, and worked on my instrument. by the time the insurance ran out, I had lots of time in type, my ME and Instrument, so insurance wasn't an issue.
If you go and buy a 337, make sure you get your ME before you do, else no one will touch you. Get a reliable instructor, and get your Instrument in the plane you will, at that point, own.
I heartily recommend taking a week, and getting the ME at an accelerated school. In my personal opinion, it is the best way to do it. You are focused, the school is focused, you get it done. None of the stuff of showing up, oh the plane is broke. The school I went to had 4 travelare's, and they were all the same. The instructors all taught from the same book, the same way. It is uniform, you get your rating, and you are out the door and on your way.