High time airframe question

In article ,
xyzzy wrote:

Assuming proper maintanence and a good airframe log/book inspection,
are there any concerns about high time airframes, like insurability,
etc? My partners and I are looking at a warrior with over 11,000
AFTT.

How many of those hours were spent doing pipeline patrols or other
activities that are tough on the airframe? It is my recollection that
piper wing separations tended to occur on hightime airframes that
also spent considerable time doing pipeline patrols.

otoh - 11,000 hours on that warrior is how many hours per year?

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
...
On Jul 17, 3:45 pm, "Mike" wrote:

Many people seem to care about aircraft total time, so obviously it does
affect resale to some extent and right or wrong that should be a
consideration because it affects what the aircraft is worth on the open
market. I would personally be much more concerned about an aircraft
that's
sat around in some field with grass growing around it for years on end.
High time generally means the aircraft has been regularly flown, well
maintained, and upgraded for it's entire life. My airplane has almost
9,000 hrs and I'm not at all worried about it. I know a guy that owns a
172
with over 17,000 hrs on it and it's still going strong.

I think that's a concern in the industry though. As our fleet ages we
may find that planes will start falling from the sky at some point.
Boeing puts limits on how many cycles a plane can have. It would make
sense too that a spar can only flex so many times, wouldn't it (I'm
not metal expert though)?

Perhaps there is such a point, but I don't believe that point is within the
realistic life of a small GA aircraft. The limit Boeing puts on aircraft
will be in the neighborhood of 40,000 hours or more. Even at that you have
a lot of 727s and 747s still flying at well over 70,000 hours. You're also
talking about aircraft that endure extremes of pressure and temperature on
every flight and routinely penetrate severe weather that no pilot of a small
GA aircraft would purposely go anywhere near. Corrosion is a much greater
threat to GA aircraft than metal fatigue.

In this market why would you screw with an airframe with that high of a
total time?

Good point.

A lot of folks are practically begging to sell right now. It's a great time
to be a buyer.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Newps" wrote in message
. ..
xyzzy wrote:
Assuming proper maintanence and a good airframe log/book inspection,
are there any concerns about high time airframes, like insurability,
etc? My partners and I are looking at a warrior with over 11,000
AFTT.


In this market why would you screw with an airframe with that high of a
total time?

Probably because high time airframes offer an even better value in many
instances. Also there's lots of high time airframes out there which are
very well equipped because those who were in them spent a lot of time and
they could justify costly improvements.

Here's two aircraft simularly equipped:

This one is listed for $39K
http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_v...raft_id=114817

This one is listed for $89K
http://www.aso.com/i.aso3/aircraft_v...raft_id=115832

Both aircraft are the same age, carry the same weight, and go the same
speed. One is $50K cheaper than the other. The 2nd one might be in a
little better shape cosmetically and perhaps even functionally, but not $50K
worth. If I were in the market for such a plane, I would be more inclined
to buy #1 and that's even knowing it almost certainly spent a good part of
it's life as a trainer (notice the wear on the rightside yoke).

On Jul 17, 9:59*pm, Jim Stewart wrote:

I think the greater issue with airliners is
the pressurization/depressurization cycles,
not the landings.-

That's just another way of saying metal flexing too much. We have flex
in our metal parts too. That's the point.

-Robert

Jay Honeck wrote:
In this market why would you screw with an airframe with that high of
a total time?

Good point.

A lot of folks are practically begging to sell right now. It's a great
time to be a buyer.

True, except that about all of the nice 182RGs seem to have that
butt-ugly brown/orange interior with orange or brown paint! Man that is
ugly...

Matt

How many of those hours were spent doing pipeline patrols or other
activities that are tough on the airframe? It is my recollection that
piper wing separations tended to occur on hightime airframes that
also spent considerable time doing pipeline patrols.

otoh - 11,000 hours on that warrior is how many hours per year?

--
Bob Noel

I would have thought pipeline patrol to be pretty easy hours. Flying
straight and level for long periods and mostly well under gross. What
am I missing?

"Drew Dalgleish" wrote

I would have thought pipeline patrol to be pretty easy hours. Flying
straight and level for long periods and mostly well under gross. What
am I missing?

Nap of the earth flying, jinking, turning and diving and climbing.

I believe they have to stay close to the pipeline for their sniffers to
work. That would put more stress on the airframe than training, except for
the landing gear.
--
Jim in NC

In article ,
"Morgans" wrote:

"Drew Dalgleish" wrote

I would have thought pipeline patrol to be pretty easy hours. Flying
straight and level for long periods and mostly well under gross. What
am I missing?

Nap of the earth flying, jinking, turning and diving and climbing.

and the bumps down low...not much smooth air down close.

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

"Morgans" writes:


I would have thought pipeline patrol to be pretty easy hours. Flying
straight and level for long periods and mostly well under gross. What
am I missing?

Nap of the earth flying, jinking, turning and diving and climbing.

I believe they have to stay close to the pipeline for their sniffers to
work. That would put more stress on the airframe than training, except for
the landing gear.

Sniffers? The patrol plane that flew our lines uses a Mark One eyeball.

--
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Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
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