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Colemill's Bearcat Changes 310R From "Good To Excellent"
Texas customer says modification increased performance dramatically.
Bearcat 310R conversion gives airplane extra speed and climb. Robert McClure, a top executive with the Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas has a Cessna 310R that he has flown for several years. Not too long ago he decided to have the Colemill Bearcat modification performed on the airplane. He has flown it approximately 150 hours since the modification. So, he has a good basis for comparing the "before and after" performance of the airplane.
"It was the right thing to do and the best thing to do for the 310R model. It increased the performance dramatically - from good to excellent," McClure said.
"Everything Colemill says about the Bearcat they deliver. I got the increase in speed. I got the increase in climb rate. In fact, it's really exciting on those hot days in Texas when I'm coming out of here to have that extra reserve at full gross. I can easily and safely climb at 1200 to 1500 feet per minute."
The Bearcat's extra speed and climb performance are a result of the Continental IO-550 300 h.p. engines Colemill installs on all Bearcat modifications. These are the engines that Continental builds in what is known as the "minimum horsepower concept." That means they produce a minimum of 300 h.p. - never less and usually more. These engines are also built super tough with a heavy duty case and additional cylinder hold-downs to resist case cracking. They feature an altitude compensating fuel system which automatically leans during climbs and enriches during descent. The IO-550 is also the only engine Continental says is okay to run on the lean side of peak EGT.
When McClure was asked how he liked his IO-550s after 150 hours of flying with them he replied, "They are two very good, reliable engines. The perform really well."
McClure added that he was also very pleased with the service he received at Colemill. "I can't say enough about the work the fellows do up there in Nashville. The turnaround time was no time at all, and the support service after was excellent. The after service is outstanding because the people at Colemill know so much about the airplanes," he said.
In addition to the IO-550 engines, each Bearcat modification also includes a highly accurate Shadin Digiflow fuel computer and, if the owner desires them, new three-blade propellers.
While the Bearcat modification is available for only the Cessna 310R model, Colemill offers two other conversions for the I through Q models. These modifications are the Executive 600 and the Executive II.
The Executive 600 includes installation of Continental IO-520 300 h.p. engines. The Executive II gets the IO-550s.
Although Colemill offers three different modifications for the Cessna 310, they all have one thing in common - they dramatically improve the performance of the airplanes.
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