Saratoga SP

Todd LeClair

Can someone verify the proper powe settings for flying both an instrument approach as well as flying the pattern for a Saratoga SP.

TIA for any help provided and experience shared.

jacobsja

Please pardon my ignorance in the possible apples to oranges response.

At these phases of flight, am not sensing much difference in settings to the normally aspirated PA-32 from around the same time period. So with that here is the N/A perspective for runways over 3,000':

VFR Pattern

- 2,300 RPM until on final.

- 18" on downwind to maintain altitude

++ Gear-up / flaps up, trim to 100 - 110.

++ Gear-down, trim to 90 - 100 (white arc is likely up to 100), start extending flaps.

- 15" to descend, trim to 90 and stabilize, extend flaps more if appropriate.

- RPM full forward on final. Should not notice any change in RPMs. Extend flaps to full if appropriate. Adjust power as necessary to control sink rate.

- Trim to 80 - 85 on short final and do another GUMPS.

IFR Approach

- 2,300 RPM until after FAF

- Just prior to IAF: 18", gear up, trim to 100 (if you can get that slow). Try 17" if the plane does not want to slow down while clean.

- FAF (or other descent point if no FAF): gear down, 15", flaps 25*, RPM full forward, maintain 90 kts, monitor sink rate (3* is just under 500'/min) and tracking on the glide slope.

Give the above a try and feel free to share any adjustments.

Unit74

https://piperowner.org/talk/discussion/156098/saratoga-sp

You should be flying airspeeds, not “book settings.” What does your POH say about speeds?

jacobsja

Agree.

The only big difference that I am seeing between OP's plane and mine is is charged air. Am sure that there are other minor nuances. Even with that, and in the absence of inputs from somebody with a Saratoga SP, the referenced power settings and configurations should help the OP with a starting point on getting to the speeds. Better yet, work with a CFI to get a good configuration from both the POH and actual flight (like I did).