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#1
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What about Brand "X"?
There's (understandably) a lot of discussion about Piper vs. Cessna vs.
Mooney... I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? How about maintenance history or operating costs? I figure to allow $125 an hour for direct costs; is that reasonable for this breed? Thanks, Tom |
#2
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Commander never had a good customer service history and parts were
very hard to obtain. Hell, it was hard to get them on the phone! Now that they're out, I would imagine that it's even more of a chore. Way underpowered, but comfortable as an easy chair and strong as a Rockwell should be. But they're certainly the sexiest airplanes, no? On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 16:57:43 -0700, "Tom S." wrote: There's (understandably) a lot of discussion about Piper vs. Cessna vs. Mooney... I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? How about maintenance history or operating costs? I figure to allow $125 an hour for direct costs; is that reasonable for this breed? Thanks, Tom |
#3
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My buddy has one. He has had major engine/turbocharger expenses.
He wishes he had a "simple" 182, which is nowhere near as sexy, but is way easier on the pocketbook and lands damn near anywhere... MikeM "Tom S." wrote: There's (understandably) a lot of discussion about Piper vs. Cessna vs. Mooney... I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? How about maintenance history or operating costs? I figure to allow $125 an hour for direct costs; is that reasonable for this breed? Thanks, Tom |
#4
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On 6-Sep-2003, "Tom S." wrote:
I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? How about maintenance history or operating costs? I figure to allow $125 an hour for direct costs; is that reasonable for this breed? I logged a couple of hours in a 114 owned by a colleague some years ago. (This was the original 114, not the new 114B.) Very nice airplane to fly, and very comfortable, but surprisingly noisy. Of course, the newer ones are probably more refined and thus quieter. A few knots slower than others in its class (e.g. Cessna 182RG, Beech 33), but the 114, unlike the old 112, is certainly not underpowered. My colleague had several problems obtaining parts, particularly for the landing gear. Before I bought any Commander I would do extensive research on the parts availability/cost situation. The parts issue probably makes it tough to predict direct operating costs, if you assume that includes replacing things that break or wear out. I don't know anything about their safety record relative to others in its class. -- -Elliott Drucker |
#5
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"Tom S." wrote in message ...
There's (understandably) a lot of discussion about Piper vs. Cessna vs. Mooney... I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? I've had a friend with a 114 GT and he loved it. It was the only a/c that he flew regularly besides his SF-260. Huge cockpit, very comfortable and good vision. Parts can be a bit hard to find and some are expensive, but if you go with one, join the 112/114 club and they can be a huge help. I'm just getting set to go and recover my 680 Twin Commander project this fall. Craig C. |
#6
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"MikeM" wrote in message ... My buddy has one. He has had major engine/turbocharger expenses. Lycoming problem? He wishes he had a "simple" 182, which is nowhere near as sexy, but is way easier on the pocketbook Should be, being AT LEAST ten years older (I'm looking at a 1994 model). and lands damn near anywhere... My impression is the gear on a Commander is indestrucible, particularly with the trailing link. MikeM |
#7
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wrote in message ... On 6-Sep-2003, "Tom S." wrote: I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? How about maintenance history or operating costs? I figure to allow $125 an hour for direct costs; is that reasonable for this breed? I logged a couple of hours in a 114 owned by a colleague some years ago. (This was the original 114, not the new 114B.) Very nice airplane to fly, and very comfortable, but surprisingly noisy. I've flown in 112's and 114's and the 114's are noticably quieter. Compared to a 182, a 182 is like my daughter stereo. :~) Of course, the newer ones are probably more refined and thus quieter. A few knots slower than others in its class (e.g. Cessna 182RG, Beech 33), 148kts for the 182RG, 160 for teh 114B at 75% (IIUC) but the 114, unlike the old 112, is certainly not underpowered. My colleague had several problems obtaining parts, particularly for the landing gear. Before I bought any Commander I would do extensive research on the parts availability/cost situation. They seem to be working on their parts distribution, but since so many people have mentioned it, they'd have to REALLY prove to me that the probelm is solved. Fortunately, there is a distributor/dealer at my field (SDL). The parts issue probably makes it tough to predict direct operating costs, if you assume that includes replacing things that break or wear out. I don't know anything about their safety record relative to others in its class. They brag up that their aircraft received their certification under FAR 23 standards, which is much higher than the standards that the 182 and others on the market were built under. They quote stats on their website claiming that their accident record is from 40% (182) to 226% better (Saratoga and Beech) than others. Tom |
#8
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"Craig" wrote in message om... "Tom S." wrote in message ... There's (understandably) a lot of discussion about Piper vs. Cessna vs. Mooney... I'm considering a (Rockwell) Commander 114B. Their marketing hype makes it seem that the Commanders have a much better safety record than their competition. Anyone have any input on that? I've had a friend with a 114 GT and he loved it. It was the only a/c that he flew regularly besides his SF-260. Huge cockpit, very comfortable and good vision. Parts can be a bit hard to find and some are expensive, but if you go with one, join the 112/114 club and they can be a huge help. I'm just getting set to go and recover my 680 Twin Commander project this fall. Craig C. I notice that everybody that dinged them has dinged them regarding parts. Tom |
#9
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On Sun, 7 Sep 2003 07:08:04 -0700, "Tom S." wrote:
"Stu Gotts" wrote in message .. . Commander never had a good customer service history and parts were very hard to obtain. Hell, it was hard to get them on the phone! Now that they're out, I would imagine that it's even more of a chore. "Out"? Aren't they bankrupt and the doors closed? Way underpowered, 260 HP is "underpowered"? HP isn't the factor. Look at the speeds those 260 ponies are taking you. but comfortable as an easy chair and strong as a Rockwell should be. That's my impression from the flights I've had in it, particularly the shoulder room. But they're certainly the sexiest airplanes, no? That they are. Thx, Tom |
#10
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On Sun, 7 Sep 2003 07:31:18 -0700, "Tom S." wrote:
I notice that everybody that dinged them has dinged them regarding parts. Tom Tom, it sounds like you've made up your mind, so good luck with it. Maybe you should look at joining the type club to get a better feel for the airplane, and all the problems Commander has been going through for the past few years. And if you're looking at that recent of a model, maybe you should try to contact someone at the factory if there's a phone still connected to see if you could get a factory refurb. They had a program of taking trade-ins at a fantastic deal. I'm sure someone has possession of that inventory. |
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