Should I get an old 337?

[stratobee]

I hear ya all and I'm taking it in.

But in the 70-100K range, I'll have to wait another 2 years to have that kind of money saved in cash, and where's the fun in that?

To be honest, I've mostly flown steam gauge aircraft and am happy doing that. No need for a fancy panel. And a shiny paint job or a cream leather interior isn't the most important thing either. However, safety and reliability of the engines, electrics and hydraulics is important, of course. So if that's achievable at this price level or slightly higher, then that would be interesting.

Two follow-up questions:

1. In your experience, do the engines run much past TBO?

2. Is the 5000hr wing AD something that's quite expensive (as if anything involving aviation isn't)?

Thanks again.

[CO_Skymaster]

I hear what you're saying. I bought my 1966 Cessna 337A for about 45K. I knew I would have to fix it up, but I figured I could fly it while fixing it up. What I've found is that I've put about 10K per year in it over the past three years. I had to troubleshoot the systems and had various other small problems fixed. The good thing about that is that I learned about the aircraft systems and how they work. I've flow it around the area, taken some people back into the Rocky Mountains, and flew cross country to California. My aircraft systems are all working now, although its aesthetics leave much to be desired. I'll fix that in time.

As everyone is saying, if you buy at a low price, you're probably going to end up fixing a lot. Be prepared for problems to manifest themselves for sometime. The more you fly it, the more you shake out the problems. I found it is expensive to fix aircraft components and it seems to take forever to get fixes done.

Now that I've had many of the systems fixed, I'm glad I made the purchase. Although, I admit, I cursed at my airplane a lot over the past three years. If I had to wait another 3 years to save the money to buy a more up to date aircraft, I would have lost interest and continued renting or bought a less complex single engine aircraft.

Karl

[Roger]

I am not a proponent of buying an airplane that stretches your budget. When money gets in the way of necessary repairs and maintenance, you are playing with fire. This doesn't just go for Skymasters, it is for all aircraft.

If you buy a beat up Skymaster, your dollars will be going to not only maintenance and repairs, but also you indicate that you plan on various upgrades. Those items may eat you alive, and or cause thing to "not get done".

Better to know up front your deamons, then just keep findng them and putting them off. These are not cheap aircraft to keep in "prefect" order, and especially not cheap to get them there once they have fallen victim to disrepair.

[Ernie Martin]

Been away for a week.

There is a whole "sticky" thread for those considering buying a 337 -- make sure you read it.

In the earlier responses no one is suggesting a middle road. Such a thing can be found. It's a well maintained 337 in the $60s to $70s with all ADs done, with mid-time engines (and with good compression and oil chemical analyses consistently in the "normal" range), but with older avionics and average-or-worse interiors and paint. Just be patient.

It took me many months to find my second 337, which I bought in the low $70s seven years ago. It had been meticulously maintained by the Ohio State University FBO (the same people who maintain the University's fleet of trainers) for an owner who used the airplane in his business. Interior was below average, exterior above average. The owner had installed avionics upgrades which I simply refused to pay for (told him to yank them out, but he didn't). It can be done.

Ernie

[Cole5Oh5]

Times a wasting
You want a plane, go buy one. Can't find what you want, keep looking, it'll show up sooner rather than later, as long as your looking. Don't look, you wont find it.

[Cole5Oh5]

Barnstormers has 1 listed
heres another
http://www.skymaster.com/aircraft.asp?control=40

[John Hoffman]

The hours on these engines of the plane for sale should answer the question someone had re. will they make TBO?

[stratobee]

What about the 5000 hr AD? I can't find anything about it in the sticky.

EDIT. Sorry, found a separate thread about the subject. Doesn't seem like a biggie.

[Jay Lessen]

Check out 66 337 under flyinjb in aircraft for sale 1900+ tt 4/10 annual call 217 -732- 2605 for engine times mid time i think ? can be had for around 60's ready to get in and fly away. Great plane, excellent paint, good interior, updated radios ,update front 102 SOH rear 812 SOH

[dwbomber]

I would recommend focusing on airframes, engines, and avionics. Paint & interior will not get you up or down, and can be upgraded at your pace and budget. I also believe that if you study the performance charts, you might choose (Like me) to only go with a Turbo model. The turbos were first installed on the "C" models in 1967. Also, do not buy a Skymaster thinking that they are inexpensive to maintain. They are complex, and finding a IA that really knows them can be pricey...But, I would not ever fly anything else. Once you get comfortable in a skymaster, you will understand. The reason they are so safe, is that right off the runway (again I mention the Turbos) you blast through single engine Vx & Vy. So with a Turbo System Super Skymaster, there is no "Critical" time to lose an engine. I am happy to fix any "Airworthy" problem, because that means that I caught it on the ground, and I will not put a price on the safety of my passengers or myself. I am befuddled why pilots,(most are kinda smart) do not flock to them....JIM

[stratobee]

Can I ask another question?

As a low time pilot working on my instrument ticket - could I get insurance if I bought one before I completed the ticket? Ad how much ballpark are we talking about?

[Roger]

Depends on hull value. Figure aprox $3500- for a $150,000 hull. An instrument ticket saves you about 10%.

[Ernie Martin]

In my case I could not get insurance without an instrument rating, despite trying virtually all sources.

That was 10 years ago, with low times like you. I had good reasons for not wanting to get an instrument rating*, so I simply self-insured (i.e., don't carry insurance).

Ernie



__________________
* Because I had just retired and all my flying was going to be done in good weather; because in Florida IMC is virtually always thunderstorms, not benign conditions like lake-effect fog; and because I was already experienced in flying in IMC, having accumulated thousands of hours in IMC on simulators over many years before I took flight lessons.

[edasmus]

My insurance last year was $2446 for a $90,000 hull, $1,000,000 liability with the standard $100,000/person restriction. I have about 2300TT and about 600TT in C337 with instrument rating. My insurance has been dropping every year by about $100 to $150 since I purchased the airplane in 2002 with no time in type and 15 hours total multi-engine time when I started.

Ed