Range Map

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1

Tank-dry, where fuel runs out at catalogue's stored cruise burn.

Excludes reserves: range beyond the dashed circle requires a leaner cruise than what we store. Great-circle, still air, book cruise. Estimates only: always verify against the POH.

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

nm

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.
full tanks
Available Range / nm
Mission capable. This load flies with full fuel.
Fuel reduced by . left aboard for nm range.
Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant.

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Mission Profile

Used market Only available used
Experimental Amateur-built, no type certificate
278
KTAS
Cruise Speed
1,090
nm
Max Range
29,000
ft
Service Ceiling
4
Occupants
1,010
lbs
Wet Payload
Endorsements & ratings:
  • High-Performance
  • Complex
  • High-Altitude
Lancair IV landing at Oshkosh, 2012. Photo by FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Lancair IV landing at Oshkosh, 2012. Photo by FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Lancair IV

Overview

The Lancair IV is a four-seat, retractable-gear composite kit aircraft, the unpressurized base model of Lancair International’s high-performance IV family, built from kits from the early 1990s into the 2010s. A 350-hp twin-turbocharged Continental TSIO-550 on a carbon-fiber airframe gives it cruise near 278 KTAS, performance that exceeds most certified piston singles on similar power. About 110 unpressurized IVs had flown by 2011, alongside the more numerous pressurized IV-P.

As an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft, every IV is individually airworthiness-certificated and reflects its builder’s workmanship; there is no type certificate, and equipment, build quality, and resale vary by airframe. Buyers choosing the IV over the pressurized Lancair IV-P trade cabin pressurization for roughly 200 lb more useful load and a simpler, lighter airframe. It is a fast, slick airplane with high wing loading that rewards a current, disciplined pilot.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • 350-hp twin-turbocharged TSIO-550. Continental’s six-cylinder fuel-injected engine on a constant-speed propeller drives cruise near 278 KTAS at altitude.
  • Composite airframe, 90-gallon fuel. Carbon-fiber construction with 90 gallons standard (110 with extended tanks) supports long legs at high true airspeeds.
  • Useful load near 1,550 lb. Without the pressurization structure, the base IV carries roughly 200 lb more than the IV-P.
  • High-altitude capability. A 29,000-foot service ceiling, flown on supplemental oxygen in the unpressurized cabin.

Trade-offs

  • Experimental Amateur-Built, not type-certificated. Each airframe is individually certificated and reflects its builder’s work; there is no factory POH, and insurance, financing, and resale all reflect the experimental category.
  • Unpressurized cabin. High-altitude legs require supplemental oxygen; buyers wanting a low cabin altitude step up to the pressurized Lancair IV-P.
  • High wing loading and a demanding speed envelope. A slick airframe with a high sink rate on power reduction; the NTSB has noted a high accident share across the Lancair line, and recurrent type-specific training is strongly advised.
  • TSIO-550 ownership. The twin-turbocharged Continental carries a published TBO around 1,600 to 1,800 hours and the maintenance discipline of a high-output turbocharged piston; overhaul and upkeep are owner-borne with no factory program.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 30 ft
Height
8 ft
Length
25 ft
Parking area (ft²2)
1,206 ft²
Max Takeoff Weight
Source: manufacturer figure 3,550 lbs
Max Landing Weight
3,000 lbs
Useful Load
Source: manufacturer figure 1,550 lbs
Fuel Capacity
90 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
Source: third-party reference 278 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: third-party reference 274 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: third-party reference 220 KIAS
Approach Speed
81 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
69 KIAS
Range
1090 NM
Service Ceiling
29,000 ft
Rate of Climb
3000 fpm

Engine

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Similar to the Lancair IV

Similar Pistons

Lancair IV-P

Cruise
278 kts
Range
1090 nm
Seats
4
Compare

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