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Buying

Howto Buy

Books and Media:

Buy and Sell search engines:

Common specs to look for:

  • Fuselage
    • Exterior / Interior X of 10
    • Frame TTAF
    • HOBBS time
    • Airframe Modifications / improvements, STCs
  • Engine Make / Model
    • Engine: EGT, CHT,
    • Times: SMOH or SFOH
    • TACH time
  • Avionics: Radios, GPS, VOR, GS, ADF Audio mixer, Alt-Encoder

Vauluations:

Helpful Sites:

Buyers Check List:

First do your own pre-purchase inspection. Then if you like what you see, get an independent mechanic to check it out.
  • Check for Corrosion in wings and tail cone.
  • Ask about any anti-corrosion coatings. Pull a wing access panel and inspect
    • He used either ACF, corrosionX, or, similar products. They are slightly dark color in areas where puddled.
    • Otherwise it's clear. Needs to be re applied every, several years? look it up.
  • Check Oil level and color.
  • Check for oil in the engine compartment, and under the plane.
    • Wipe off a portion of the cowling under the plane where there was some oil.
  • Make sure the engine was shut down properly and that mags are off. Now pull prop over and feel for soft cylinders.
  • Start Engine and do run up / cycle prop. Listen for problems.
    • The oil pump in the prop can ware out, check if it's responsive.
  • Idle Engine, listen, and check gauges.
  • A rough engine might be due to a vacuum leak, valve seating, carberation, or ignition problems.
  • Fly the plane. See how it handles. Are control pressures and responsiveness symmetrical?
    • Does it fly straight hands off?
    • Look under the plane after the flight, check for more oil.

Mechanics Inspection:

  • Check Oil.
    • Find type of oil filter used, and buy a replacement.
    • Have them cut open the current oil filter to inspect.
    • Also look at the suction screen.
    • It's also a good idea to send an oil sample to a lab, even though they can tell you more with a string of periodic samples.
      • This will alert you to any problems and give you a base line.
  • Do a differential compression check and compare to the last one.
  • Note that a Franklin engine has more than the usual number of connections for the intake manifold. It's a good idea to check them if it sounds like it might have a vacuum leak.

IAs and A&Ps

Company Web Location Rate Contact Phone Email Pre-Pur Annual Notes
Cub Works   Cresswell $100 Clint Burg (541) 510-2939 clintonburg@gmail.com $800? $1200 Likes to work with owners
Viper Aviation   Cresswell $105 Daren (541) 895-5553 viperaviation@hotmail.com $1100+consume $1400 Also works with owners
Lawrence Air Service http://www.lawrenceair.com/ Eugene $100 Zebb (541) 852-0551 info@lawrenceair.com, mx@lawrenceair.com $800 $1800 - $2000  
D&B Aviation https://www.d-baviation.com/ Albany $95 Brian (541) 990-2696 bdeno@d-baviation.com   $1400 - Backed up a few months
Phantom Aircraft Services LLC https://phantom-aircraft.com/ Corvallis $105 Rick (541) 231-5193 rick@phantom-aircraft.com $800 ish $1680 - $1890 Open!
Flite Wing http://www.flitewing.net/ Salem $115 Michael Ward (503) 559-6006 flitewing@live.com $500+ $1500 - $1700 two weeks out.
Salem Air Center https://salemaircenter.com/ Salem $100 Keith (503) 364-0111   $600 - $800 $1700+consume One or two days notice
Twin Oaks Aircraft http://www.twinoaksaircraft.com/ Hillsboro $105?   (503) 758-9862 info@twinoaksaircraft.com, Danny@twinoaksaircraft.com $400 - $600 $1600 - $2000

Could be a couple weeks out, and

plane would be down a week or two.
                   

Mogas or Auto Fuel:

Availability:

STC info:

Cessna 185:

Available Mods:

Makers of 185 STOL kits:

  1. Horton
  2. Wing-X
  3. Owl
  4. Robertson
  5. Sportsman
  6. Optional

Specs:

Comparisons:

Aircraft PA32-300 C-180 C-185 C-185-STOL
Engine IO-540 0-470 IO-520 IO-520
HP 300 230 285 285
TO run, SL 900 625 770 487
TO run ovr 50ft 1350 1205 1365 870
LDG SL 630 480 480 328
LDG ovr 50ft 1000 1365 1401 889
Max Speed SL 156 148 155 157?
Rt of Climb 1050 1100 1010 1040
Service Ceiling 16250 17700 17150 25000
Stall Spd Dirty 55 48 49 39
Fuel Cap 84 84 84 76
Full Fuel Wt. 504 504 504 456
Empty Wt. 1824 1643 1687 1687
Gross Wt. 3400 2800 3350 3350
Usefull Load 1576 1157 1663 1663
With Full Fuel 1072 653 1159 1207
         
         

Articles:

Taildragger Training:

Questions Pertaining to a C-185:

Airframe:

  • CE-185E, Serial # 185-0990
  • Total time on airframe? 5500
  • Any damage to airframe? None, except some on the elvivator a long time ago.
  • Date of last annual inspection and last avionics check--
  • Get list of avionics Sept 2008 IFR approved
    • KX 155 NavCom
    • KX 155 Com
    • King Mode C
    • Apollo GX 50 GPS (IFR Certified)
    • 2 place intercom
    • EGT
    • Digital Tach
  • List of all applicable airworthiness directives and whether or not the plane is in compliance?None that are important except placards
  • Average airframe repair costs / year? total cost per year is $8,0000
  • Any striped screw holes? Some of the side of the wheel covers.
  • How many oversized screws used to fix striped holes?
  • How much corrosion?None
  • Cost of IFR equipment inspection?
  • What type of ELT does it have?125.5Mhz
  • How long is the current ELT approved for?
  • Overall condition of the interior and exterior? Exterier very good, Interior
  • Two new fuel bladders about 2005?
  • New windows, 2005?
  • Inspect logbook
  • All weights and gallons

Engine:

  • Continental IO 470F (1400SMOH)
  • Total time on engine? 1400ish
  • Hours to TBO? 1500
  • Date of the last major overhaul 1992 by Victor
  • Does the engine look clean? mostly a few spots
  • Any corrosion?
  • Time since last annual?
  • Cost of new cylinders?
  • Cost of rebuilt cylinders?
  • Hours between oil changes?
  • How much oil does it burn / hour?
  • Any oil leaks?
  • What kind of oil do you use?Aero shell 100
  • What filter?
  • Inspect Logbook

Prop:

  • MaCauley 86" 2 blade prop (455 SPOH)
  • Total time on Prop?New Sept 2005 perhaps with 400hr
  • Service life of prop?
  • Any nicks or cracks?just the small start of corosion that could be sanded off.
  • Inspect Logbook

Possible additions:

  • Digital engine monitor
  • Amphibious floats
  • STOL kits
    • https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/horton-stol-pirep-18874
    • Horton vs Sportsman STOL kits
      • Horton,Bush,,Mid America,, Owl etc. STOL kits were developed in and around Wellington ,Kansas
      • The Sportsman was developed by Marvin Davis a engineer for Lockheed NASA in southern California ,and has bigger leading edge "droop".
      • ...Likewise, the low speed handling improves with the addition of the ultra-droopy Madras droopy tips such as I have on mine.
      • Looks like Sportsman STOLs are the winer but not enough to replace Horton's.
    • Vortex Generators, VGs
    • Wing-X extensions.
    • AOL-LRI meter

Notes:

1966 CE-185 Bush Plane

IO-470 (1400SMOH), 400 STOH, 14GPH @ 135 KTS, 1500# useful load, 81 gallons useable fuel, six seats, cargo pod, newer prop, paint, glass, tires, Cowl flap extensions, cowl louvers, tail pull handles, External Power, 12V electrical system.

You can fill the tanks, sit in it, put 1000 pounds in it, take off in 600', cruise at 135 for 700 NM and land in 600'.

Information on particular planes:

Info on N6572E:

Info on N3330U:

-- ClifCox - 2011-09-10
Topic attachments
I Attachment Action Size Date Who Comment
180k_poh.pdfpdf 180k_poh.pdf manage 4 MB 15 Sep 2011 - 06:50 ClifCox The POH for a 180 Skywagon
5760.pdfpdf 5760.pdf manage 550 K 15 Sep 2011 - 07:07 ClifCox PA-32-300 Specs Summery
N6572E_airworthiness.pdfpdf N6572E_airworthiness.pdf manage 4 MB 14 Dec 2018 - 19:03 ClifCox N6572E Airworthiness
N6572E_registration.pdfpdf N6572E_registration.pdf manage 17 MB 14 Dec 2018 - 19:14 ClifCox N6572E Registration
PA-32-300POH.pdfpdf PA-32-300POH.pdf manage 6 MB 15 Sep 2011 - 07:02 ClifCox PA-32-300 POH
airworthiness.pdfpdf airworthiness.pdf manage 5 MB 07 Mar 2018 - 23:59 ClifCox N3330U Airworthiness
cessna172buyersguide147832.pdfpdf cessna172buyersguide147832.pdf manage 4 MB 23 Feb 2018 - 20:15 ClifCox Cessna 172 buyers guide
registration.pdfpdf registration.pdf manage 6 MB 08 Mar 2018 - 00:00 ClifCox N3330U Registration
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Topic revision: r41 - 07 Jan 2023, ClifCox
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