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Calculating Maximum Range without a Fancy Panel Gadget

Just remember, garbage in, garbage out. Make sure you initialize with the correct amount of fuel, make sure the fuel you initialize is what is actually in the tanks, (a lot can go wrong there like units conversion etc) and always be aware there could be a leak. If that leak is in front of, or behind the flow meter makes all the difference in the world. Look up Air Transat 236 or Air Canada 143. Had all the fuel flow meters in the world but still ran out of fuel.
 
I used to just figure my known fuel burn from experience and figure the hours of fuel I had on board using my watch bezel.
13 gallons an hour. 70 gallons (out of 80) that I was willing to burn. At 100 knots eco-cruise on floats. So 5.3 hours, or 530 nautical miles in eco cruise.. And then add another safety margin and I had 475 NM as a max range leg for the C-180 on floats.

BUT, then I started using a ECI fuel burn totalizer.... religiously. That was when I found out how much I was burning by taxiing around on the lakes, and take-offs, and power climbs over mountains... Once I managed to dial in the fuel flow sensor, it is right-on for accuracy.
 
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