Getting the best range out of a C172 (IF)

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**For SIM use only! Do this in real life, and you’ll send a cylinder out of the cowl (no more engine) **

Here’s a method that I used when flying the C172 around the world (Felt bored) ( Just in IF sadly). I was trying to replicate J.P Schulze and Louis Cole’s world flight that they completed a few years back in a Cessna 210 (Rego: N210EU).

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Only, I didn’t have a high power turbocharged aircraft with auxiliary tanks and an endurance of 14 hour endurance! So I used what the sim’s most suitable aircraft, the C172 (can’t land a Cirrus without ground looping🤣). With a pretty average 5 hour endurance (running rich) and 105kt TAS, I had to stick to an extremely low mixture strength. Here’s how I went about it.

I set the mixture back to 63% (don’t do that in real life😬) and kept the throttle at 83% (normalish for this aircraft type)
This gave me a fuel consumption rate of 7.1 (United States gallons (USG) per hour or 27 LTRs per hour (an approx 7.4 hour max endurance), which meant on a bad day traveling at 95kts I could achieve a range of 703nm and on a good day (135kts) 999nm at a maximum, which sadly meant that I couldn’t fly from KLAX to PHNL like they did in the actual circumnavigation. so my next best bet was PADK to PMDY which was still to far (1043nm)
So I ended up just going through Russia back to AUS.

Hope yalls enjoyed!✈️
(Ignore the spelling mistakes😆)

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Great story

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How long did it take to go, say, 800 nm?

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I loved the vlogs those 2 made, really really cool! Also, very interesting for the 172 in IF, maybe I will give it a try some time!

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IRL, a similar technique is prescribed in the operating handbook of a Cessna, where you kinda use the mixture lever to achieve the maximum EGT (exhaust gas temp) and keep the throttle constant. It’s called “best economy cruise power,” and there are charts provided for each level of power setting.

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Thanks so much, I’ll keep it up!

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800nm divided by a mean cruise GS OF 125kts will take approx 6.4 hrs or, 384 mins✈️

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Yes, correct! In most flight schools the teach you to run slightly rich of ”peak”. However, you can also run slightly Lean of ”peak” with minimal consequence (In some aircraft), But it’s DEFINITELY wise to check the handbook, or even better, talk to an instructor! But since this is in a flight sim, engine wear and tear is irrelevant😆.

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Thanks a lot, I’ll be sure to keep posting!

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