padraig@utastro.UUCP (Padraig Houlahan) (11/03/85)
How significant is the age factor when purchasing an aircraft? For instance how does one decide that a larger, but older, aircraft is a better buy than a younger but smaller one, or vice versa? What are the reasons for choosing one over the other? This has always fascinated me because I have heard that hulls can survive for decades which to me indicates that assuming the engines have acceptable lifespan remaining, and ignoring some wear and tear on the upholstry, the way to go would be with the more powerful or larger aircraft. On the other hand do people ever say "yes both aircraft cost the same, however watch out for the older one because .... "? Padraig Houlahan.
cfiaime@ihnp3.UUCP (J. Williams) (11/12/85)
In article <21@utastro.UUCP> padraig@utastro.UUCP (Padraig Houlahan) writes: > >How significant is the age factor when purchasing an aircraft? For instance >how does one decide that a larger, but older, aircraft is a better buy than >a younger but smaller one, or vice versa? What are the reasons for >choosing one over the other? > Airplanes literally last for decades with the proper care. You may need to occasionally rebuild systems, change engines, or spiffy up the cabin, but the basic airframe often will last for better than 30 years. May I be so bold as to make a suggestion. The 1953 Turbo-Barnburner 408A (for those of you who read Richard Taylor) may be available for under $10,000. The 520 horse Belchfire Geared-Supercharged-Turbocharged- Turbocompound-Constant speed O-256 engine, however, requires over $48000 to overhaul, with a TBO of 1.3 hours. All kidding aside, if an airplane was once expensive, it will always be expensive on maintenance. That's where the rub comes in, not the purchase price. Let's face it, Mark Clark in Rockford, Illinois has a Douglas A-26 Invader available for less than a good, late model, 310. But, what is the cost of operation? An R-2800 burns between 60 and 90 gallons per hour (fuel) at cruise. Add bunches of oil. Overhaul costs are around $35,000 per engine. Add several hours of maintence for each flight hour. You are better off in the 310, and pocket the operating expenses. Don't be afraid of an old airplane just because of its age. Do, however, research the airplane before buying. Some, like the Beech 18, may need expensive modifications to continue flying. But, there are some real bargains, some good, fun airplanes out there. Lately I have been flying a 1942 Fairchild PT-19 (and an open cockpit at 40 degrees is COLD), a 1946 Cub, a 1944 DC-3 is in the offing when the propeller is replaced, and am restoring a 1940 Funk. jeff williams ihnp3!cfiaime
hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE) (11/13/85)
Does anybody know anything about Beech Staggerwings? (Are they a good buy, etc ?) -- Howard G. Page AT&T HO 3D-534, (201)949-0366, ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp
reha@orion.UUCP (R.GUR) (11/13/85)
Airframes comparisons should be based on TTAF (or total time on the airframe). In Europe there are mandatory airframe limits after which an airplane can not be flown. The limits are on the order of 8000 ~ 10000 hours. With average use (about 200 hrs /year) This translates into 40 years of useful life. The important thing to remember is that stress on the airframe is cumulative. If you are buying a old used plane then have a mechanic look over the entire plane not just the engine for sign of stress. reha orion!reha
cfiaime@ihnp3.UUCP (J. Williams) (11/13/85)
In article <468@orion.UUCP>, reha@orion.UUCP (R.GUR) writes: > > The important thing to remember is that stress on the airframe is cumulative. > If you are buying a old used plane then have a mechanic look over the entire > plane not just the engine for sign of stress. Two observations. First, the worlds high time DC-3 now has over 90,000 hours on it. Second, if you buy a light plane, stick with wooden spars. But watch for termites :-) jeff williams ihnp3!cfiaime PS: on the Funk, with all wooden wings, the AI would joke that part of the annual was an inspection by Orkin.
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (11/15/85)
> if you buy a light plane, stick with wooden spars.
That is, IF you can easily inspect the spars. Planes like the
wood-wing Mooney (and to a lesser extent the Bellanca 14 and 17
series) are a maintenance disaster.
Of course, you can always find someone to illegally sign the plane
off without actually having done the inspection, and take your
chances that your wing spars haven't rotted.
Somebody once said that owning a wood-wing Mooney or a Beech 18 was
"like marrying the FAA".
--
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!dougdoug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (11/15/85)
> Airframes comparisons should be based on TTAF (or total time on the airframe). > ... > The important thing to remember is that stress on the airframe is cumulative. > If you are buying a old used plane then have a mechanic look over the entire > plane not just the engine for sign of stress. A more day-to-day significance of TTAF: Like a car with 150,000 miles on the odometer, a light plane with 3000 hours or so TTAF is very likely to be a maintenance hog. Buying a plane with a high TTAF is a good introduction to how planes are put together, because you're always learning about some part that you never even knew existed that has to be replaced :-) Before I get too badly flamed about this, let me back-pedal a bit and say that a lot of folks (including yours truly) own high-TTAF planes and really enjoy them. But you should know what you're getting into. (In July I learned that the cost of engine cowling latches for my C-120 has gone up from $100 to $175 in the couple of years since I last had to replace one; this month I'm learning about aileron hinges...) -- Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug