Resource for choosing a plane?

wrote in message
news%lvf.2414$q26.1856@trnddc03...

[snip]
As to questions of added costs associated with retractable gear and CS
prop:
RG will probably end up costing $200-300 extra per year for hull
insurance.
Based on our experience (normally aspirated 1979 Arrow IV) extra
maintenance averages about $250/year. However, we save about $1500 per
year
in fuel costs (flying 150 hrs), compared to similar performance FG
aircraft
(e.g. C-182, Dakota). The CS prop probably costs about $1.50-2.00/hr in
extra maintenance costs (largely the cost of overhaul). However, it is a
must for turbocharged aircraft.

Elliott:

Thanks, that's the sort of rough numbers I've been looking for viz c/s vs
fixed prop, retract vs fixed gear, etc. That sounds like, all told $1K /
year "extra" for the retract (ins + mx) and c/s prop (mx).

Is your $10/hr "savings" based on going the same speed but burning ~2.5 - 3
gph less to do it in a retract (less drag, I assume)? I'm still getting a
feel for performance comparisons (hence this thread!), I don't want to make
a bad assumption on what you're saying....

What about turbo vs normal aspiration? Another poster suggested ~$40K for
an overhaul of a (specific model) t/c engine, which seems to be ~2x what
I've read elsewhere. What about annual & "surprise" mx cost differences?

If I'm understanding you correctly, the differences (not including turbo)
should be about a wash for flying 100 hrs/yr. Even if it's not (or if I
fall into the apparently common category of overestimating my annual
flying), $1K / yr extra doesn't scare me....

Thanks!

--
Doug
"Where am I to go/Now that I've gone too far?" -- Golden Earring, "Twilight
Zone"
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