Buying and Exporting a Skymaster

[johnnyfalcon]

G'day folks, from Down Under

I'm looking for a P337 to use as personal business transport in New Zealand. I've been watching the market for about a year and done considerable research. Before committing to this venture I'd like to seek your collective observations.

I've been told that 'you don't take the wings off a Skymaster' for export. Could you fly one out here? I know the O-2s were all flown to Vietnam. In NZ Cessna's SIDs are mandatory. It seems to me that this would require a significant amount of disassembly anyhow and may warrant taking the wings off to make the inspection easier. Have many/any Skymaster owners put their aircraft through the SID program? Are there any for sale? I have a maintenance shop here that is just finishing one now and has offered their services. Or it may be easier to have it done in the US first as there are more Skymaster savvy outfits there.

If anyone knows of any well-maintained airframes available for sale, I'd be interested in adding them to my shortlist. Also, if you have any further advice, warnings, or observations, I'd appreciate any assistance. I hope to visit the US in the next month or so with a view to making a decision.

Cheers and beers

Johnny