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New Power to the Commander

Super Commander
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Super Commander conversion" is a new FAA-approved Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) designed to significantly upgrade older Commander 114/115 aircraft.
  • This conversion replaces the original Lycoming IO-540 engine with a more powerful Lycoming IO-580, dramatically increasing cruise speeds (up to 180 knots) and climb performance (over 1,500 fpm).
  • The upgrade transforms the Commander, historically criticized for being too slow, into a high-performance aircraft competitive with modern designs, despite its age.
See a mistake? Contact us.

We were headed back toward Austin’s Class Charlie airspace from our demo flight out to the west in a Commander 115, though it wasn’t just any Commander 115. At the time it was the only one like it in the world. The frequency was pretty quiet. We were at 5,500 feet, about 25 miles out when one of the Austin Approach controllers gave us a call, “N115CE, say type of aircraft.” “N115CE is a Commander 115.”

“Uh, roger, is that a single-engine or a twin-engine aircraft?”

FLYING Staff

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