Most affordable XCountry Bird

texas_pilot said:
Bellanca gives bang for the buck- or so I was told.
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Bellanca's are exempt from my "nosewheel/horizontally opposed engine" diatribe. But, also available in Taildragger as well...

BellancaCruisemaster.jpg
 
Joe Gremlin said:
And don't forget experimentals. Most RV's go pretty fast for the HP and fuel burn. And even if you didn't build it, you can still do all the MX yourself except the annual condition inspection which must be done by the holder of the repairmans cert or an A&P (does not have to be an IA like production planes). So experimentals can be very cheap to own as compared to production airplanes even if you buy a completed and flying example. And some of them make very economical XC platforms.
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Pay heed to this statement. Joe's right. A lot of folks shy away from homebuilts, but if you get one that has been flying a lot you generally get a proven airplane, often from an owner who knows every single nut and bolt on the airplane. Vans is well-supported out there. And they are extremely economical. I don't know how many of them are IFR certified.

I've read that the MX and insurance costs on the older Mooneys aren't as bad as some people think, but I don't know. Suppose it depends somewhat on your experience level.

Another possible option is a Beech Musketeer with the 200hp motor if you can find it. Docile in the air, solid, easy to fly and not as desired as a lot of the Bonanzas. You can get 130kts out of them, I think. If you want, I'll check with the guy I know who owns one, and get back to you with his performance numbers.
 
Jim those planes look cool and all but what's the insurance requirements and price plus the cost of MX?
Are parts for these old birds readily available? We have trouble finding parts for the Duke and that's 35 years old.
 
WacoFan said:
Bellanca's are exempt from my "nosewheel/horizontally opposed engine" diatribe. But, also available in Taildragger as well...
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Ah, the Cardboard Connie. I've never seen one (that I can remember), but I'd love to fly one someday. Another one that I though of was the Diamond DA-40. 135-150 KTAS (depending on model) on about 9 GPH, if you fly high. Problem there is acquisition cost. Some of the older, non-glass panel model's are down in price, but they are still just north of 100K.
 
Re: Most affordagle XCountry Bird

Kingairer said:
The retracts to me sound like a ton more money in MX costs, but ive never paid for my own mx on any plane, so i really have no idea.
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There's going to be a higher cost for any of these because of the maintenance of the gear and the prop, but that's to be expected. The real question is the insurance on a rectract. That could make or break the deal for you.
 
been said over and over but its true. For the price, the best speed and range is going to be a mooney! The 201 M20J is my choice. but any of the 4 cyl mooneys will give you good speed, and range with a relatively low fuel burn.

The 201 J gives you more leg room inside for the rear seaters, plus elec flaps and gear.

the 201J at 75% will give you 155-160kts at 10GPH(10 is average you lean it at cruise to 10.5 GPH fuel flow). over 5 hours with reserve (more then most bladders endurance).
 
Beech Sierra - 130 TAS at about 9.0 gph, comfy amount of space (2 inches more cabin width than a Bonanza), about 850 pounds useful load, you can get one right now in this market for about $50,000.
 
Re: Most affordagle XCountry Bird

at1024 said:
There's going to be a higher cost for any of these because of the maintenance of the gear and the prop, but that's to be expected. The real question is the insurance on a rectract. That could make or break the deal for you.
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back when i bought my 201 I had 0 complex time, less then 150TT, no IR, and my quote was just under $2000 per year. that wasn't a deal breaker.
 
jonnydwolf said:
Beech Sierra - 130 TAS at about 9.0 gph, comfy amount of space (2 inches more cabin width than a Bonanza), about 850 pounds useful load, you can get one right now in this market for about $50,000.
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That plane is a dog. Not the best cross country traveler. Bellanca Super Viking is a great plane for the money. There is a guy who has a good website about one. I think it is http://www.160knots.com . Anything modern is way overpriced. Some of the older v tail Bonanzas can be found fairly cheap. It is a buyers market right now.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Ah, the Cardboard Connie. I've never seen one (that I can remember), but I'd love to fly one someday. Another one that I though of was the Diamond DA-40. 135-150 KTAS (depending on model) on about 9 GPH, if you fly high. Problem there is acquisition cost. Some of the older, non-glass panel model's are down in price, but they are still just north of 100K.
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not really the most comfortable seats for XC.....for a bit over 100 you can get an early cirrus


What about a rockwell Commander:
 
Re: Most affordagle XCountry Bird

at1024 said:
There's going to be a higher cost for any of these because of the maintenance of the gear and the prop, but that's to be expected. The real question is the insurance on a rectract. That could make or break the deal for you.
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You will be surprized, my gf wanted to buy an old Piper Aztec, she had around 300 60ME AMEL and IR, insurance was 2800 a year..not really bad
 
I'd vote for an RV of some sort - 4, 6 or 8..

Cheap to operate, cheap to insure, cheap to keep running...
 
swisspilot said:
not really the most comfortable seats for XC.....for a bit over 100 you can get an early cirrus
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No way is a Cirrus going to be as fuel efficient as a DA-40. Sure, it'll go faster, but it'll burn way more to do so. I think the seats in the DA-40 are fine. Put some sheepskin covers on, and roll. I've done 9.7 in a day in one, and loved it.
 
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