On 9 Oct 2006 20:05:33 -0700, wrote:


Montblack wrote:
wrote)
Excellent - thanks, all! Consensus (mostly sent offlist) is to buy into an
older twin. I ran the spreadsheet numbers and, while I can't plug in the
"damn, it's sexy factor", the data all support an older, non-sexy twin for
speed, cost and safety: I'd need to fly 2k hours to make up the difference
in buy-in.


Is a new 2006 Diamond DA-42 (Diesel) Twin Star (with two partners) an
option?

I was hoping to call them $450,000/3 = $150K each

http://makeashorterlink.com/?M36324FED
(Same link as below ...wait for it)

http://www.controller.com/listings/forsale/list.asp?Man=DIAMOND&catID=9%20&mdltxt=DA42%20TWIN STAR&MdlX=Contains&notfound=1&GUID=52282B84D989476 78F7D9AFC924A9CEE


Montblack

The fuel burn of 11 gallons for 175 kts also very good.

I don't know about the Twin Star, but a local couple purchased a SR-22
new and put between 600 and 700 hours on it the first year. That's not
a typo.

They figured it cost them between $250 and $300 USD per hour. They
have since purchased a second SR-22. We also have a one of the
fractional ownership programs for SR-22s nearby and I think they
figure the same cost per hour "in addition" to the yearly cost and the
"initial" buy in cost.

Insurance was quoted on the order of $7,000 to $9,000 per year. Yes
that's a bit steep. I was quoted $25,000 a year for a *new* TBM 700
and I'm a zero time turbine pilot. OTOH the initial cost of a new TBM
700 is a little more than the Twin Star or SR-22 even though it is
only a single. Fuel burn is a lot higher.

Initial cost aside the hourly operating cost they estimated for me
would have been maybe a bit more than twice that of the SR-22 OTOH I
hasten to add that this was about 9 years ago.


What about the overall operations cost ? Say the 3-way partnership does
a total
of 200-300 hours/year ?

My guess based on other planes in the same price range would be on the
order of $250 to $300 and hour. Probably not a lot more than an older
58 Baron. OTOH if you look at a the Baron 55 series you should get by
for less than $200 but it's unlikely to be much less unless you
purchase an old time builder you are looking at $15 to $25 per hour
toward overhaul depending on the engines. You might get by with just
$10 per hour on IO-470Ns if you are lucky.

However with three pilots on a "time builder" at 100 hours each and
you will soon run into overhauls and who knows on the avionics and
airframe.

Remember too that in a partnership the method for figuring hourly
costs is probably going to include *everything* while a single owner
often ignores some costs or doesn't even include the fixed costs and
just uses the variable costs.

I hope this helps, It should be some where in the ball park or at
least the neighborhood around the ball park.

P S
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com