PA12 Performance Specs

[Phil]

I am considering the purchase of a PA12 with 0-320 150 HP . What should I expect max cruise, climb, useful load, fuel burn to be ? Specs I have seen all refer to 0-235 engine. Phil Stewart

 

[n4873a]

Phil - A lot depends on what prop you have and how much big stuff you have hanging out in the wind. With a Borer prop pitched at 42 and 31" bushwheels, mine cruises at about 95 mph at 2400 rpm. I live at about 4500' elevation and even on a warm day it'll climb out at around 700 fpm. Mine weighs 1160 empty so add 216 for the fuel and I come up with 374# of legal full fuel useful load. I was about 100# over on my trip to AK last year but never really felt too heavy. You living at sea level should see lots of performance. I plan for 8gph at this elevation and 9gph at sea level. I assume whatever you are looking at has flaps and hopefully pa18 gear under it and Cleveland brakes and sealed struts and VG's and........

 

[MikeJ]

We just finished a PA-12-150 with stock landing gear and small tires. We're running a Sensenich 74 58, and we're getting 121 mph at 2450, 128 mph at 2700, and 1000 fpm climbing at about 75 mph. It doesn't leap off the ground, but it's not bad. We're down in Dallas, TX, so no real need to get radical.

Mike J.

 

[Cub junkie]

I like to hear about hear about the 12s keep it comming.

 

[behindpropellers]

Just out of curiosity. What does a stock -12 run with an 0-235?

 

[Alex Clark]

I burned 8 per hour with mine in cruise at 2300 to 2350. 9 per hour at 2450.
When I had a speed prop I could get 110 or so in level flight IF I pushed it with 26 inch tires and Atlee Dodge PA-18 type gear legs.

With a 82 inch long bore prop at 42 pitch I would get 85 mph in cruise in the cold part of the year and 80mph on a hot day.

With the big flat prop I found that I could just throttle back to 2200 and putter along at 70 to 75 mph and only burn 7 per hour.

At sea level to 400 foot elevation with 3/4 tanks , me and my hunting backpack-gear I could get off the ground in 100 paces, so I guess about 300 to 350 feet.

With a full load and a fat miner in the back we got off in 425 to 450. At sea level or close to it.

At a mine location at around 5000 ft we took LOTS, LOTS more to get out.

The flat prop kept me from ever going much over 8000 feet. I zoomed up to 10 thousand with the speed prop.

 

[PA12driver]

Mine is so slow it hasn't left the hanger in a while! Actually it is a pretty good performer when light. It has a 0320/160 41pitch Borer, and 6" extended 18 gear and 31 in tires, 18 flaps, VG's, Hendrix tips, squared window, extended baggage and highly modified fuselage construction. all that drag really slows the plane down, especially when loaded. cruise is about 90 at 2450 and I can lean at 4000 ft and with the JPI-fs450 computer it averages 7.2 gph. (last 4 months it has burned .0001 gph so if I average that into the trip to Alaska last summer (142hrs of flying) I am getting really good fuel consumption).

The plane is fun to fly and does about 99% of what a Supercub similarily equiped will do.

Tim

 

[RobW56]

Hey Tim, whats going on with the 12, how come its stuck in the hangar?

 

[PA12driver]

Hello Rob,

Nothing serious, I have been pre-occupied Scuba diving and two wimpy to work in my unheated PNW damp winter hanger! How is that for an excuse?

Tim

 

[RobW56]

Yeah I know how the unheated hangar thing goes, thats no fun at all. We don't have heat in our hangar either... we don't have electicity either, just an extension cord. So the hangar is pretty dark most of the time too. No fun working in those conditions.

 

[FlipFlop]

Hello Rob,

Nothing serious, I have been pre-occupied Scuba diving and two wimpy to work in my unheated PNW damp winter hanger! How is that for an excuse?

Tim

I think there's a double reverse here... Scuba diving (very wet) = good, damp hangar (not so wet) = bad?...

 

[PA12driver]

David,

Is that an aerobatic move??? I am not that talented. To top it off I looking for a boat to dump $$ in, it that a triple reverse or just nuts!

Tim

 

[FlipFlop]

David,

Is that an aerobatic move??? I am not that talented. To top it off I looking for a boat to dump $$ in, it that a triple reverse or just nuts!

Tim

Hmmm...

Sounds like a Lycoming powered SeaBee in your future...

 

[K.S.]

Tim,

If you need another target to throw your money at I'll take some...

 

[PA12driver]

I was thinking a 180hp cub on Anphibs? and, and, ----------nah, to high to climb up to the door!

Tim

 

[FlipFlop]

I was thinking a 180hp cub on Anphibs? and, and, ----------nah, to high to climb up to the door!

Tim

Yeah, you can roll into a Bee...