P337
I am the proud owner of P3370196, my second 337 the first was a 65 s/n0028. I am also an A&P/IA and do as much of my own work as I can. The earlier comments on performance are right on, my numbers are close to what was reported. You do need to treat the engines properly including cool down and proper application of power.
The airplane is very difficult to work on. It has numerous systems all crammed into a tiny space so systems must be removed to get at other components needing maintenance. Pressurization brings a whole new level of care requirement when penetrating the pressure bulkhead. Having said that the system itself is pretty much maintenance free. Vibration remains a concern on all Skymasters. Check the rear spinner bulkhead and rear cowling and baffles for cracking. For some obscure reason, Cessna riveted the center floor board access panel on the later models replacing the screwed on system on the earlier aircraft. This add a whole new challenge to routing wires, or even inspecting the landing gear hydraulics. I replaced the rivets with nut plates and screws on an FAA field approval.
A key point which has been made earlier is that all Skymasters are cheap to buy but expensive and time consuming to maintain. A low first cost may mean that the aircraft was not well taken care of. Better to pay a little more and get one that has been taken care of.
Still love the airplane and would (or will) do it again.
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