Cessna 337C

TUCKnTRUCK

TUCKnTRUCK

That guy
So..

The 195 I liked had issues and they don’t make Amphibs for it, only floats.

Back burner the 195, but with the kid wanting to follow I’ve started looking at 337’s. The initial aquisition cost is low, it’s using IO-360’s and can be had for about the same as a decent 172. Insurance is a bit of an oddball, and a multi certificate will initially have a centerline thrust restriction. As far as I can tell, once the restriction is removed airlines don’t seem to care too much, multi being multi. The range is enough to get us to family around the country quickly, and it can seat a family of 5… (not with 128 gallons of gas- so FL is 1-2 stops from the Ne).

I know I’m trying to talk myself into one- but any practical experience with the 337’s here? There’s a relatively low time one near me- glass HSI/ADI, ADS-B done, ~700 hours since OH for ~$100k and I’m seriously debating it at this point.
 
Roger Roger said:
As @Richman likes to say stuff like that is approaching warbird levels of difficulty to maintain anymore. Good luck.
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The easy ones are getting hard, and the fussy ones are getting very, very difficult. Unless you live next to a shop that has you covered, it's going to be a tough row.

Something like a 337, you'll need to be proactive. There's no such thing as a cheap twin.
 
I’d say wait 6 months if you can, pistons twins always get cheap when fuel gets expensive and I don’t believe that’s really hit the 100LL world quite yet.
 
TUCKnTRUCK said:
So..

The 195 I liked had issues and they don’t make Amphibs for it, only floats.

Back burner the 195, but with the kid wanting to follow I’ve started looking at 337’s. The initial aquisition cost is low, it’s using IO-360’s and can be had for about the same as a decent 172. Insurance is a bit of an oddball, and a multi certificate will initially have a centerline thrust restriction. As far as I can tell, once the restriction is removed airlines don’t seem to care too much, multi being multi. The range is enough to get us to family around the country quickly, and it can seat a family of 5… (not with 128 gallons of gas- so FL is 1-2 stops from the Ne).

I know I’m trying to talk myself into one- but any practical experience with the 337’s here? There’s a relatively low time one near me- glass HSI/ADI, ADS-B done, ~700 hours since OH for ~$100k and I’m seriously debating it at this point.
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The guy who owns VKX has one and he’s a wealth of knowledge. I can introduce you if want to know more than you ever thought about that airplane.

He’s…a very colorful character. PM me if interested.
 
ahw01 said:
195 on floats is god tier. Why ruin it with Amphibs
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Leaving it on the lake all year is a no-go. Winnipesaukee is to large/rough. There’s not enough available fuel /seaports to realistically use it as a straight float plane unfortunately. Wheels would mean that I can use it for normal airplane things too.
 
bp said:
I’d say wait 6 months if you can, pistons twins always get cheap when fuel gets expensive and I don’t believe that’s really hit the 100LL world quite yet.
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Insurance won’t touch her in a traditional twin for nearly 500 hours post CMEL, the 337 is about 1/2 of that. But also, at 100k for a 337- liability only is an option if all others are exhausted.

I’d live a baron or Seneca - but she need to be able to fly it as well.
 
TUCKnTRUCK said:
Insurance won’t touch her in a traditional twin for nearly 500 hours post CMEL, the 337 is about 1/2 of that. But also, at 100k for a 337- liability only is an option if all others are exhausted.

I’d live a baron or Seneca - but she need to be able to fly it as well.
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I get it, theres a number of O-2s and 337 scampering around still doing mil contracts for range patrol and ISR kind of stuff. I don’t know if that translates into better parts availability. There’s a guy at my airport with a beautiful one and he is constantly hoarding parts, he has one full spare airframe he found in the desert and disassembled in his 60x60 hangar.
 
bp said:
I get it, theres a number of O-2s and 337 scampering around still doing mil contracts for range patrol and ISR kind of stuff. I don’t know if that translates into better parts availability. There’s a guy at my airport with a beautiful one and he is constantly hoarding parts, he has one full spare airframe he found in the desert and disassembled in his 60x60 hangar.
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Yeah, my understanding is that the company that bought the Riley conversion STc’s maintains the ones for the rudders and boom mods- so there is some capability to build new controls if needed.

The one I’m looking at is relatively low time/ hanger stored but needs updating
 
bp said:
I get it, theres a number of O-2s and 337 scampering around still doing mil contracts for range patrol and ISR kind of stuff. I don’t know if that translates into better parts availability. There’s a guy at my airport with a beautiful one and he is constantly hoarding parts, he has one full spare airframe he found in the desert and disassembled in his 60x60 hangar.
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I remember seeing a hangar at PWA in Oklahoma that was similar.

One plus of the 337 is that it’s still a strut braced wing so don’t have the spar issues of all the cantilever models, but didn’t they have the tail fall off one? And that landing gear….
 
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TUCKnTRUCK said:
Yeah, my understanding is that the company that bought the Riley conversion STc’s maintains the ones for the rudders and boom mods- so there is some capability to build new controls if needed.

The one I’m looking at is relatively low time/ hanger stored but needs updating
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gotcha. you really need a Defiant but I think theres fewer than 20 flying in the states
 
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