expedition e350 - pilot getaways | adventure travel for aviators

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YOUR FLIGHT PLAN FOR ADVENTURE!YOUR FLIGHT PLAN FOR ADVENTURE!YOUR FLIGHT PLAN FOR ADVENTURE! JULY/AUGUST 2007JULY/AUGUST 2007JULY/AUGUST 2007

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STURGEON BAY – ADVENTURE NEAR AIRVENTURE

Expedition E350NEW FOUND EXCITEMENTExpedition E350NEW FOUND EXCITEMENT

SKYKOMISHGrass Strip, Small Town,

Big Mountains

SKYKOMISHGrass Strip, Small Town,

Big MountainsREPRINTED W

ITH

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PILOT GETAWAYS

Expedition_v4.qxd 9/25/07 2:10 PM

O n one of my first really longexpeditions in a general aviationairplane, I invited three friends

on a two-week,3,500-nm trip with stops forsailing, island hopping, and scuba diving.Anticipation was running high until I gotout my calculator and announced that eachperson could take only 20 lbs. of luggage.“My cosmetics case weighs that much!”

exclaimed one of the passengers. I pre-vailed and my friend managed to

scuba dive without hermakeup on. The trip

happened to

include my birthday, anddue to my strict enforcementof the weight limits,my friendsresorted to smuggling a plastic,inflatable birthday cake onboard,which was funny but not as tasty asthe real thing.

Many pilots have to choose between tak-ing friends along or filling the tanks. Whilethis isn’t a problem for those with nofriends, the rest of us are left with a dilem-ma. Pick the passenger you like the least. Istaking him or her really worth leaving20–40 gallons of fuel behind? One airplanethat doesn’t force you to choose is the newExpedition, an airplane that is low on com-promises and high on performance.

Launching the ExpeditionFo r d e c a d e s , Fo u n d A i r c r a f tCanada Inc. has made strong utility

airplanes that could tackle awide variety of applications.

The Found BushHawk has earned a rep-utation as a workhorse for hauling peopleand equipment to glaciers, lakes, and back-country strips throughout Canada and Alaska.Though the company tested a nosewheelaircraft in the 1960s, operators at the timedemanded tailwheel landing gear, so a nose-wheel model never went into production.

But times—and pilots—have changed.More and more private pilots, as opposedto commercial backcountry operators,havebeen turning to Found for their personalaircraft needs. Feedback indicates thattoday’s customers want something rugged,

2 • JULY/ AUGUST 2007 • PILOT GETAWAYS

by John T. Kounisphotos by George A. Kounis

Expedition E350Tastefully RuggedExpedition E350Tastefully Rugged



yet refined, with more power. Many alsoprefer tricycle landing gear for easierground operations.

Drawing on years of customer feedbackon the Bush Hawk-XP, Found incorporatedmany design improvements into the nextgeneration of Found aircraft: the ExpeditionE350, based on the Bush Hawk-XP. The air-craft boasts more horsepower, a widercabin, popular Bush Hawk options such asvortex generators and extended wingtipsthat have been made standard, and a choiceof tricycle or tailwheel landing gear. TheE350 is the tricycle gear model, while theE350XC is the tailwheel model suited tobackcountry operations.

The last Bush Hawk recently rolled offthe line and the company is now concen-trating on production of the Expedition. To

produce the new airplane, Found launcheda new division, Expedition Aircraft. “Anexpedition is an extended trip by a groupof people,” says Andrew Hamblin, directorof marketing and sales,“and that is a perfectname for the airplane.”

A gross weight increase from 3,500 lbs.to 3,800 lbs. yields a 1,550-lb. useful loador 962 lbs. with full tanks—enough forfour 200-lb. people and more than 150 lbs.of gear. At 75% power, the aircraft has nearlyan 800-nm range with IFR reserves whilecruising at 160 kts. True to the BushHawk’s backcountry roots, STOL perform-ance is not compromised. Takeoff distanceover a 50-ft. obstacle at gross weight is1,215 ft. At 2,700 lbs., the 50-ft. obstacletakeoff distance decreases to 650 ft., deliv-ering phenomenal short-field capability.

The tailwheel model comes standardwith a basic interior suited to the air-craft’s utility application. The nosewheelmodel is what Andrew calls “tastefullyrugged,” and comes with a more refinedinterior with fabric and fiberglass trim,more suitable to a traveling aircraft forfamilies. Nevertheless, either interior canbe ordered as an option.

The time and cost of certification, typical-ly the bane of new aircraft manufacturers,were minimized since both aircraft have thesame basic airframe and thrustline as theFBA-2C2 Bush Hawk and are thereforebased on the same type certificate. The E350carries the type designation FBA-2C3, andthe E350XC is the FBA-2C4. Ninety-fivepercent of the parts are interchangeable,reducing parts and inventory costs.

PILOT GETAWAYS • JULY/ AUGUST 2007 • 3



Exploring the ExpeditionThe Expedition starts out with a welded

4130 steel fuselage, based on the BushHawk design. “Our welding shop is one ofour strengths,” says Andrew; the durabilityof Bush Hawks in the field attests to thatfact. For corrosion proofing, the inside sur-faces of the tubes are coated with boiledlinseed oil, then the frame is pressurized to80 psi (for easier crack detection), sealed,primed, and painted with a two-partepoxy. All aluminum parts are coated withtwo-part epoxy primer before installation.Carbon fiber replaces aluminum and fiber-glass in much of the secondary structure,such as the doors and belly pan, improv-ing strength and decreasing weight. Theuse of carbon fiber reduces noise too,since panels like the belly pan do not “oilcan” in flight. The carbon fiber compo-nents are not primary structures, so theycan be painted any color.

“If you pay over $400,000 for an air-plane, you should be able to choose whatcolor you want,” says Andrew, “so there isno standard paint scheme.” Bush Hawksand Expeditions are delivered in a widerange of colors and styles. Yellow is themost popular color; other styles haveincluded metallic silver or red with aHawk’s Head painted on the nose. The topof the cowling on the test airplane waspainted flat black to minimize glare.

The fuselage and flight controls havebeen streamlined for drag reduction.Among the changes, the doors and doorseals have been redesigned to be flushwith the fuselage, flush door handles havebeen installed, and smooth skins havereplaced the Bush Hawk’s corrugated flapsand aileron skins.

The redesigned cowl sports round cool-ing inlets, similar to those on most modernaircraft including Cirrus, Columbia, Piper,and Cessna, as well as LoPresti after-marketcowls. “Up to 25% of the drag on a light GAairplane can come from cooling,” explainschief engineer Bill McKinney. “Older air-planes cool the engine through a largeopening in the front and a large cowl flap

on the bottom that produces a vortex, gen-erating a lot of drag. By shrinking the inletsand moving them forward, closer to the pro-peller, they are in a higher pressure area,increasing cooling efficiency and reducingcooling drag.” Cowl flaps are electricallyactivated by a switch on the panel; deflec-tion is indicated by a digital LED indicator.

The cabin is 50 inches wide and 50inches tall—it feels BIG. The rear seatsaccommodate three across with ample legroom. During photo shoots, our photogra-pher riding in a Bush Hawk commentedthat he had a lot of space between thefront and rear seats to spread out his gearand maneuver from side to side. TheExpedition cabin is even six inches widerthan the Bush Hawk he used.

Cargo can be loaded through four doorsthat can easily be removed with quickreleases to accommodate bulky items.The doors swing 180 degrees to lay flatagainst the fuselage, greatly improvingegress, especially on floats. The rear seatscan be removed without tools, creating acavernous, 98.5-cu-ft. cargo area. (As acomparison, a 2007 Ford Explorer has amaximum cargo volume of 85.8 cu. ft. withthe rear seats folded down.) Once removed,the rear seats are designed to fit into thefloat compartments. The squared-off fuse-lage permits items as large as a 55-gallondrum to be carried both vertically and hor-izontally. If the rear seats are installed, youcan access the 36.7-cu-ft. baggage areabehind the seats by folding them forward.There is no outside baggage door, althoughit would be a nice improvement for loadingsmall items. The rear baggage area is limitedto a generous 250 lbs. plus 25 lbs. for the4.2-cu-ft. hat shelf. Empty weight is 2,250 lbs.,which is about the same as a Cessna 206,but the maximum gross weight is 200 lbs.more, at 3,800 lbs.

There is a lot of flexibility where youload passengers and cargo, but you mustplan your load carefully. With a baggagearea that is 38 inches deep and rear seatsthat can slide ten inches fore and aft, fourpeople and 200 lbs. of baggage could

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The Expedition has its roots in the Bush Hawk XP. The tricycle-gear E350 offers easierground operations while still delivering STOL performance and good prop clearance.



exceed the aft limit if the seats are allmoved aft and you load too much at therear of the baggage area. Cargo tiedownanchors are installed throughout the air-plane, and you can install additional cargohooks on the seat tracks to prevent cargofrom shifting. Even with just one or two ofthe rear seats removed, you have a nearlyeight-foot-long space for carrying items likeskis, mountain bikes, and surfboards farenough forward to remain within CG limits.

Safety has to be a priority for a companythat builds aircraft to land on glaciers, lakes,and backcountry spots that would be astretch to call “airstrips.” The slow 51-knotstall speed minimizes the total energy onlanding (a 10% reduction in speed hasmore than a 20% reduction in energy). Thewelded steel tube airframe provides struc-tural integrity in case of a crash, and thefour doors provide rapid egress—a criticalfactor, particularly for float planes. Flapextension does not inhibit opening of anydoor. The front seats are articulating andreclining with four-point harnesses, andthe rear seats have three-point harnesses.For fire protection, header tanks for thefuel injection system are under the floor,sealed away from the cabin.

The tricycle-gear Expedition sits ontapered steel tube main gear; another steeltube connects the left and right gear legs forshock absorption. Rather than using a nosestrut, which can be prone to maintenance

issues, the nose gear uses polyurethanepucks for shock absorption that the com-pany claims work well as low as -40° F.The result is a firm, stable feel on landingand while taxiing. The nosewheel is notsteerable, so steering is accomplished withdifferential braking. To prevent the nose-wheel fairing from getting to close to thepropeller, the castering nosewheel is limitedto about 300 degrees of travel. This limita-tion is not noticeable when taxiing, since itis impossible to use more than 180 degreesof travel while going forward, but youwill need to use the towbar when pushingthe airplane backwards to keep the nose-wheel straight.

The standard tires are 6.00 x 6 mains anda 5.00 x 5 nosewheel. The company antic-ipates approval in 2008 of 29-inch AlaskaBushwheels paired with an oversized nosefork that can accommodate an 8.50 x 6nosewheel as an option. Aerocet 3400 andWipline 3450 amphibious floats, as well asAerocet 3500 and Wipline 3450 straightfloats are also approved.

A larger Lycoming IO-580 rated at315 hp replaces the Bush Hawk’s 300-hpIO-540. Dual exhaust further increasesrated power up to 3%. Total fuel capacityis 100 gallons, allowing up to 5 1/2 hoursendurance at 75% power, and 7.5 hours atlow power settings.

Many features demonstrate the company’sattention to real-world needs. One of the

1. The nosewheel casters through 300degrees; differential braking is usedfor taxiing. The rounded cooling inletsin the cowl minimize drag and increasecooling efficiency.

2. The unique split cowl design permitseither half to be removed for maintenance.

3. Polyurethane pucks are used for shockabsorption on the nose gear.

4. Four doors provide easy access for pas-sengers and cargo. The front doors swingnearly 180 degrees. Flap extension doesnot inhibit operation of the rear doors.

5. The circuit breaker panel has room for alarge number of push/pull circuit breakers.

6. Glass fiber wingtips, which wereoptional on the Bush Hawk XP, are stan-dard on the Expedition.

7. Dimmer controls, the Avionics Masterswitch, Fuel Pump, and other switches areon a backlit switch panel on the ceiling

8. The “six-pack” instruments and anMVP-50 digital engine monitor comestandard. Annunciator lights for StallWarning, Over/Under Voltage, Aux FuelPump, and “Check Engine” are across thetop. Wing flaps and rudder cowl flap con-trols and indicators are to the right.

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SAFETY HAS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR A COMPANY THAT BUILDS AIRCRAFT TO LAND ON GLACIERS, LAKES, AND

BACKCOUNTRY SPOTS THAT WOULD BE A STRETCH TO CALL “AIRSTRIPS.”


SPECIFICATIONS

PERFORMANCETAKEOFF GROUND-ROLL 725 FTTAKEOFF OVER 50-FT OBSTACLE 1215 FTRATE OF CLIMB, SEA LEVEL 1,250 FPMMAX LEVEL SPEED, SEA LEVEL 170 KTCRUISE SPEED @ 75% @ 8,000 FT 160 KTFUEL BURN @ 75% 18.5 GPHENDURANCE @ 75% 4.75 HR (WITH 45 MIN RESERVE)MAX RANGE (55% POWER) 962 NM LANDING OVER 50-FT OBSTACLE 1,394 FTLANDING GROUND-ROLL 610 FT

LIMITING AND RECOMMENDED AIRSPEEDS (KIAS)VX 70VY 85VA 118VNO 153VNE 189VS0 51VS1 60

ALL SPECIFICATIONS ARE BASED ON MANUFACTURER’S CALCULATIONS. ALL PERFORMANCE FIGURES ARE BASED ON STANDARD DAY, STANDARD ATMOSPHERE, SEA LEVEL, GROSS WEIGHTCONDITIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT EXPEDITION AIRCRAFT, RR 2, 95 AIRPORT RD, PARRYSOUND, ON P2A 2W8, CANADA, (705) 378-0530, WWW.EXPEDITIONAIRCRAFT.COM.

most common complaints on airplaneswith 28-volt electrical systems is that youcan’t run automotive accessories fromthe lighter outlet. The Expedition on theother hand utilizes a 10-amp converter topower a 12-volt lighter outlet on each sideof the panel.

The airplane owes much of its docile fly-ing characteristics and STOL performanceto the thick, one-piece, cantilever wing.The high-lift wing is a NACA 23016 airfoilthat has proven itself on a wide range ofairplanes from the DC-4 and DC-6 to theP-38 Lightning. The maximum thicknessis 11 inches, so it is strong enough that itdoes not need to be strut-braced, improv-ing visibility, ease of loading, and drag.It takes ten days to make a wing in thelarge jig that dominates the center of thefactory. Glass fiber wingtips increase thewingspan from 36 ft. to 38 ft. 9 in. Vortexgenerators are standard, and reduce stallspeed by 2–3 knots. Hard points are builtinto the bottom of the wing for attachingcameras or antennas.

Smooth skins have replaced the corru-gated skins on the flaps and ailerons.The high-lift electric fowler flaps increaselif t al l the way up to their maximumdeflection of 30 degrees, delivering strongSTOL performance.

The basic “six-pack” IFR instruments,an Electronics International MVP-50 glasspanel digital engine monitor, an IFR-approvedGarmin GNS-430 GPS/Nav/Comm, GTX-327transponder, and GMA-340 audio panel arestandard. Beyond that, the expansive panelis designed for versatility, so it can becustomized to accommodate a wide range ofavionics options and instrument placement.For example, the MVP-50 can be installedin four locations. This versatility took morework than it appears. Designer Chris Jacksonsays, “They’ve thrown a lot of variations atme, and they haven’t stumped me yet.” Toaccommodate some of the possibilities,airframe tubes needed to be moved sothey wouldn’t obstruct deep radios anddifferent combinations had to be tested foroverall fit. For better readability, the panelis tilted eight degrees.

The Found Aircraft company has a small,capable, and enthusiastic team. The over-whelming impression I had after touringthe facility was that there was a buzz ofexcitement fueled by innovation, andeveryone was happy to be a part of it. Forexample, Chris was hired in 1998. “Eventhen there was a sense that somethingspecial was going on,” he says. About hisjob designing panels, electrical systems,and some sheet metal design, he adds,“From a tech geek’s point of view, this isheaven.” This prevalent attitude translatesto pride and attention to detail that is clearin the final product.

Flying the ExpeditionThe Expedition we flew was just finishing

final flight testing and was still outfitted

FBA-2C3 EXPEDITION E350BASE PRICE: $459,000 U.S.

The new Expedition E350, has greater power, cruise speed, and rangethan Found Aircraft Canada’s previous models. Its 1,550-lb. useful load and160-kt. cruise speed make it well suited to traveling with family, friends, andgear. Both tricycle gear and conventional gear models are available, increasingthe airplane’s versatility and suitability for a wide range of applications.


FBA-2C3 EXPEDITION E350

SPECIFICATIONSPOWERPLANT 315-HP LYCOMING IO-580-B1ARECOMMENDED TBO 2,000 HRPROPELLER HARTZELL 82-IN 3-BLADE, CONSTANT SPEEDLENGTH 26 FT 2 INHEIGHT 10 FT 3 INWINGSPAN 38 FT 9 IN WING AREA 185 SQ FTWING LOADING 20.5 LB/SQ FTPOWER LOADING 12.1 LB/HPLANDING GEAR FIXED, TRICYCLESEATS 5CABIN WIDTH 52 INCABIN HEIGHT 50 INSTD EMPTY WEIGHT 2,300 LBMAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT 3,800 LBMAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT (FLOATS) 3,800 LBMAX USEFUL LOAD 1,500 LBMAX PAYLOAD W/FULL FUEL 912 LBFUEL CAPACITY, STD 98 GAL USABLEOIL CAPACITY 12 QTBAGGAGE CAPACITY:

BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT 36.7 CU FT / 250 LB AFT CABIN WITH SEATS REMOVED 98.5 CU FT / NO WEIGHT LIMIT SPECIFIED

PERFORMANCETAKEOFF GROUND-ROLL 725 FTTAKEOFF OVER 50-FT OBSTACLE 1215 FTRATE OF CLIMB, SEA LEVEL 1,250 FPMMAX LEVEL SPEED, SEA LEVEL 170 KTCRUISE SPEED @ 75% @ 8,000 FT 160 KTFUEL BURN @ 75% 18.5 GPHENDURANCE @ 75% 4.75 HR (WITH 45 MIN RESERVE)MAX RANGE (55% POWER) 962 NM LANDING OVER 50-FT OBSTACLE 1,394 FTLANDING GROUND-ROLL 610 FT

LIMITING AND RECOMMENDED AIRSPEEDS (KIAS)VX 70VY 85VA 118VNO 153VNE 189VS0 51VS1 60

ALL SPECIFICATIONS ARE BASED ON MANUFACTURER’S CALCULATIONS. ALL PERFORMANCE FIGURES ARE BASED ON STANDARD DAY, STANDARD ATMOSPHERE, SEA LEVEL, GROSS WEIGHTCONDITIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT EXPEDITION AIRCRAFT, RR 2, 95 AIRPORT RD, PARRYSOUND, ON P2A 2W8, CANADA, (705) 378-0530, WWW.EXPEDITIONAIRCRAFT.COM.


with three airspeed indicators and a largerack of test equipment in the back. Sincefinal tweaking was not yet complete, ourperformance measurements are preliminary.Performance will likely improve onceengineers determine the correct speedsand make final refinements.

As a Cessna 185 pilot, the only surprisefor me during the preflight is that thereis no strut to stand on when I checked thefuel, so a small stepstool is required. Afterpreflight and pre-start checklists werecomplete, the Sky-Tec high-torque starterturned the engine over surprisingly fast.If the engine didn’t start, I almost thoughtI could taxi by leaving the starter engaged.Clever placement of the air vent intakebehind the propeller meant that cool airblew on my face during taxi.

For our test flight, we had 550 lbs. ofpeople and gear plus 83 gallons of fuel, fora total load of 1,050 lbs. This resulted in atotal weight of 3,200 lbs., 600 lbs. belowgross. I routinely fly my Cessna 185 at thisweight, so I expected similar performance.But on the first takeoff, acceleration andclimb were so impressive that they startledme. By the time I pushed in the power androtated, we were already accelerating wellpast Vx of 60 KIAS and I had to pull thenose up to a steep deck angle that ended upat a dramatic 20 degrees. At lighter weights,the deck angle increases so much thatthe slip indicator (the ball at the bottomof the turn & slip indicator) ceases to workwell. (On the test airplane, additional slipindicators had been attached to the paneltilted back at various angles for test pilots’use during extreme deck angles.)

In a maximum performance takeoff froma grass strip at 800 ft. elevation on a 91°Fday, the airplane lifted off in 400 ft. Underthe same conditions, my Cessna 185 requiresroughly double that distance, which seems

to contradict the fact that the publishedperformance numbers of the two airplanesare similar. Andrew explained that yousimply cannot compare book figures be-tween a 1980 airplane and a 2007 airplane.The measurements in 1980 could be madewith a test pilot lifting off as soon as possible.However, the measurements for theExpedition and the Bush Hawk wererequired to be made with rotation at 10%over stall speed and acceleration to 20% overstall speed at 50 ft. AGL. With the restrictivetakeoff technique imposed on late-modelairplanes creating somewhat pessimisticperformance figures, it’s likely that a profi-cient pilot can extract better-than-bookperformance out of an Expedition.

After takeoff, we pitched to Vy of 85 KIASand the climb rate settled in between 1,200and 1,600 fpm. It was bumpy, so preciseclimb rate could not be determined, but thepublished figures indicate a climb rate of1,500 fpm with standard atmosphere. Sincewe were about 35°F hotter than standard,observed performance was in line withbook figures. With the cowl flaps closedthroughout the climb, the engine did notbreak a sweat despite the high temperatures,and cylinder head temperatures were inthe 300–334°F range. Cooling capabilitiesclearly exceed the requirements, so thecompany is currently modifying the cowldesign to reduce drag and perhaps eke outan extra knot or two of cruise speed.

We leveled off at 4,500 ft. to do some airwork. Setting 25 inches of manifold pressureand 2,450 RPM produced 72% power and140 KIAS (about 153 KTAS). The rudderis identical to that on a Bush Hawk, whichnormally cruises 15–20 knots slower, soit is very effective at the high Expeditioncruise speeds. It took some finesse to easeoff the rudder and just tap it slightly tocoordinate turns.

After acquiring a feel for the rudder,I tried some steep turns. Elevator forces aresimilar to my Cessna 185, so it required ahefty pull to maintain altitude. However,while pulling 2 Gs, it was impossible to trimnose up, presumably because the linkageand fittings were all brand new and rathertight. I finally learned to crank in somenose-up trim while rolling into the turn,before placing a heavy G-load on theairframe. Electric rudder and pitch trim willbe standard on the production models,likely eliminating the problems with stiffmanual trim.

Stalls in any attitude and configurationwere docile. Chief pilot Ted Dirstein hadme try a turning, climbing departure stall,one that typically kills pilots when they

The tapered wing reduces drag, whiledelivering better lift and STOL capability.

HORSEPOWEREXPEDITION E350 315Cessna T206H 310Columbia 400 310Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 310Mooney Ovation3 310Maule MT-7-260 260Cessna T182T 235Diamond DA-40 180

BEST CRUISE SPEED @ 75% POWER (ktas)Columbia 400 198 (12,000 feet)Mooney Ovation3 197 (8,000 feet)Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 194 (12,000 feet)EXPEDITION E350 160 (8,000 feet)Cessna T206H 150 (10,000 feet)Diamond DA-40 150 (6,000 feet)Cessna T182T 148 (12,000 feet)Maule MT-7-260 143 (altitude not specified)

STALL SPEED @ GROSS WEIGHT - FULL FLAPS (KCAS)Diamond DA-40 49Cessna T182T 49EXPEDITION E350* 51Cessna T206H 54Columbia 400 60Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 61Mooney Ovation3 66Maule MT-7-260 Maule does not supply this number

BEST USEFUL LOAD (lbs)EXPEDITION E350 1500Cessna T206H 1255Mooney Ovation3 1107Columbia 400 1100Cessna T182T 1025Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 1004Diamond DA-40 890Maule MT-7-260 804

RATE OF CLIMB - SEA LEVEL @ GROSS WEIGHT (fpm)Columbia 400 1400Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 1304Mooney Ovation3 1300EXPEDITION E350* 1250Diamond DA-40 1120Cessna T206H 1050Cessna T182T 1040Maule MT-7-235 Maule does not supply this number

TAKE OFF PERFORMANCE - GROUND ROLL @ GROSS WT (ft)EXPEDITION E350 725Cessna T182T 775Mooney Ovation3 900Cessna T206H 910Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 1020Diamond DA-40 1027Columbia 400 1300Maule MT-7-260 Maule does not supply this number

MAXIMUM RANGE WITH 45 MINUTE RESERVE (nm)Mooney Ovation3 2400Columbia 400 1300Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 1000Cessna T182T 971EXPEDITION E350 962Diamond DA-40 785Cessna T206H 713Maule MT-7-260 Maule does not supply this number

AVAILABLE FUEL WITH FOUR 200 lb PASSENGERSAND 100 lbs OF BAGGAGE (USG)EXPEDITION E350 98Cessna T206H 59Mooney Ovation3 35Columbia 400 33Cessna T182T 21Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 17Diamond DA-40 Over GrossMaule MT-7-260 Over Gross

CABIN WIDTH (inches)EXPEDITION E350 52Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo 49Columbia 400 48.2Cessna T1206H 44Mooney Ovation3 43.5Cessna T182T 42Diamond DA-40 42Maule MT-7-235 42

*1400 fpm @ 3300 lb

*1400 fpm @ 3300 lb

EXPEDITION E350 – PROVEN PERFORMANCE



make a low pass and then pull up abruptlyinto a climbing turn. When we stalled ina 60-degree bank, the airplane instantlyrolled level and recovered into a climb assoon as the backpressure was released.

I hesi tated when Ted suggested Iapply full right aileron in a power-on stall;

it seemed like a perfect way to enter aspin. But he finally convinced me—he isthe chief pilot after all. The aileronswere effective throughout the stall andfull aileron deflection produced no adverseeffects. The ailerons have two degrees ofwashout, so they do not lose effectivenessin a stall. In fact, the ailerons can evensteer the airplane out of a spin in mostconfigurations (the flight manual stillrecommends the safer procedure of stoppingthe rotation with the rudder, though).

It seems that no part of aviation iswrought with exaggeration more than cruisespeed, so I was curious to see if the claimedcruise performance of 160 knots wouldactually materialize. We climbed to 7,500 ft.to measure it for ourselves. Setting powerto 23.7 inches / 2,610 RPM, the ElectronicsInternational MVP-50 digital engine analyzer

indicated we were producing 75% powerwhile burning 18.5 GPH. True airspeedsettled in at 163–164 knots, verified bythe Garmin GNS-430 GPS by averagingupwind and downwind groundspeeds—a tad higher than the 162 KTAS predictedby the flight manual.

The substantial performance improvementover the Bush Hawk became apparentduring our photo shoot, when we flew anExpedition in formation with a Bush Hawkthat was cruising at a high power settingof 24 inches / 2,400 RPM. At the end ofour photo shoot, I firewalled the throttleto head for the airport, and the Expeditionpulled briskly away from the Bush Hawk,leaving it in its wake, despite the factthat both aircraft were already cruising atabout 120 KIAS.

The high flap extension speed of 115 KIAShelps you dissipate all that speed whenyou need to land. Unlike my airplane,which balloons on flap deflection, pitchchange is neutral in the Expedition.Although I prefer manual flaps, the electricflaps deployed quickly, so it was not ahandicap. Maximum flap deflection of

30 degrees reduces stall speed to 51 KCASat gross weight. At light weights, stall speeddecreases below 50 knots.

During our test flight, a 10-knot crosswindcomponent blowing through trees besidethe runway created unpredictable gustsand burbles. The Expedition handled itwell with no surprises. With higherapproach speeds required by the gustfactor, the shortest landings we made thatday were in the 600–800-ft. range. In calmwinds, landings shorter than 500 ft. shouldbe possible.

AvailabilityThe Expedition will debut July 23–29 at

Air Venture 2007 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin,at an introductory price of $459,000 (U.S.dollars). Deposits of $10,000 to secure adelivery position will be accepted at theshow. Transport Canada and FAA certifica-tion should be received in the spring, andproduction should start soon thereafter.

Who Needs an Expedition?Dur ing th ree days o f f l y ing the

Expedition from Toronto’s Class B airspaceto the remote coastline of Georgian Bay,from grass strips to paved strips, andfrom 50-knot air work to the 160-knot-pluscruise, the Expedition showed unmatchedversatility. It is truly a 160-knot STOLairplane, and performance shines at bothends of the spectrum. With a useful loadof more than 3/4 ton, you won’t have toenforce strict baggage allowances like I didwhen I first flew my friends on vacation.I would recommend the airplane to anyonewho likes to travel with a bunch of gearand has more than one friend. �

AT THE END OF OUR PHOTO SHOOT, I FIREWALLED THE THROTTLE TO HEAD

FOR THE AIRPORT, AND THE EXPEDITIONPULLED BRISKLY AWAY FROM THE

BUSH HAWK, LEAVING IT IN ITS WAKE.

With a 160-kt. cruise and a wide variety of avionics options, an Expedition is just as at home in busy terminal areas as it is in the backcountry.

©2007 AIRVENTURE PUBLISHING, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • Repr inted from Pi lot Getaways • 877-PILOT-GW • www.pi lotgetaways.com


expedition e350 - pilot getaways | adventure travel for aviators

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