Friendship Flight '97: The Aircraft

Bill Signs will complete Friendship Flight '97 in N90MB, the same aircraft used in Friendship Flight '96. Under Signs' hand, N90MB has flown around the world, landed on all 7 continents, and visited Russia, among other endeavors.

As Signs is a licensed aircraft mechanic, he personally keeps N90MB in top operating condition.

Below are N90MB's specs.

1974 Cessna 210L Centurion

Engine: Cont. IO-520-L
Gross Wt: 3800 lbs.
Power Output: 300hp
Max. Overweight: 4750 lbs
Total Fuel: 350 gal in 8 tanks
Std. Fuel: 90 gal in 4 tanks
Fuel Burn (Cruise): 13 GPH
Avg. Cruise Speed: 180 mph
Total Range (miles): 4200 SM
Total Range (hours): 27 hrs
Avionics:

  • Flight Instruments by Sigma-Tek
  • Trimble 2000T IFR-Certified GPS
  • Trimble TransPac GPS (Handheld)
  • BFG Aerospace Stormscope WX-900
  • King KX-197
  • King KX-80 RNAV
  • Kind KX-155 Nav/Comm
  • LT-76A Transponder
  • KR-87 ADF
  • Shadin Fuel Totalizer
  • Altitude Alert System
Systems:

  • Wet Vacuum Pumk by Garmin for dependability
  • Pricise Flight Standby Vacuum System (operates off engine induction system)
  • Walker Air-Oil Separator
  • Auxilliary Oiling System (using a mercury outboard bulb-type primer -- 4 qt/min transfer rate, 1 qt/12 hr std. burn rate)
  • Due to very high/very low operating temperatures, Friendship Flight uses Phillips 20w50 X/C Oil
  • 2 Wing Fuel Tanks
  • 2 Flint Tip Tanks
  • 4 Ferry Fuel Tanks