I get a big chuckle out of these threads listening to people talk about aircraft ownership and wild speculation on par with POA or the AOPA forums...instead, of you know, listening to the people who actually own and operate these birds. With some exception, everything on this thread is painted with such a broad brush I could paint my house in one swipe.
I own a V35B with the 550 mod, tip tanks and the Tornado Alley turbo normalizing system. As a cross country machine, it has VERY few equals in that space. That said, I've been mulling over going to a B55 because I'd like radar and boots and honestly, I'd like two engines because I loosens up the risk management decision.
33s/35s/55s have the same cabin and the systems are virtually identical. Same goes for the 36s/58s.
A TN 550 equipped bird like mine runs about 17 GPH. A NA 520 equipped bird will be slightly less. A B55 with 470s will burn about 24 GPH. Operating expense on similarly maintained airframes is about 1.5x. Insurance for experienced pilots is quite moderate. Annuals on a Baron vs a Bonanza are about 1.5x.
I laugh about the discussion on parts. Parts are never an issue. I don't think I've talked to any owner who's had a hard time getting parts on any airframe unless it's something completely obscure like an AeroCommander Lark. Some rarer airframes might take more effort, like the Commander 112/114 series, but for garden variety birds like Twinkies, it's a non-issue. Owner produced parts ARE legal. You just have to follow the rules, like anything else.
Parts cost, on the other hand, CAN be an issue. Single engine Cessna retractables, are a pretty good example. Gear parts are spendy, but like anything else, when something gets too expensive, alternatives appear.
The absolute key to moderate costs is a good pre-purchase. If you get a basket case, yea, everything will break. If you get a well maintained bird that flies frequently, your costs will be relatively modest.
There are some screaming deals out there if you are ok with steam gauges. The non-professional set are absolutely obsessed with glass, so if you find an steam gauge bird with an otherwise decent WAAS GPS, you've got a market discount right there.
I don't see the same extremes on BT or TFA that some do. Most folks are careful, reg abiding citizens. You'll always have outliers (as any slice of aviation) but I spend a lot of time on BT and I just don't see the same things as some said above. Yes, Virginia, owner performed MX with A&P oversight IS legal.
If all you are doing is VFR burger runs/light IFR I wouldn't even bother with a Bonanza or Baron. Get yourself a nice 182 or Dakota. Useful loads are rarely an issue and resale on those are always good.
Turbines? You want to talk about mandatory inspections and parts prices that will put your lights out....If you have the capital reserves to "self-insure" on parts, that's fine, but for the single owner, it's not even close. An ACM that lunches itself will ruin your decade.
