In conversations with a couple of colleagues in maintenance, we have discovered we are all toying with the same idea: get an old sub-5700 kg airframe and convert it into a live-aboard. Get the plane cheap and pump some sweat equity into it. Once it’s airworthy, operate it jointly (probably as a club). The engineering ideas were pretty easy to implement on a low budget, but one point never made it to consensus: how to build (or who offers hardware kits for) a modular lavatory/shower/galley unit for installation on floor rails or cargo eyelets – again, on a low budget, like €1500 worth of materials and fabrication is on us. Does anyone have any useful info?
A Scottish guy who made a fortune from software when based in California had a live-in office Cessna Caravan which toured worldwide. He had a professional pilot for when he was working. He also had bought a castle in Scotland. Last I heard he was in poor health.
Not that I ever had the $$$$$ for that, but I sometimes dream of fitting out a PC12 like that and go traveling. One can dream….
172driver wrote:
Not that I ever had the $$$$$ for that, but I sometimes dream of fitting out a PC12 like that and go traveling. One can dream….
Ha ha I’m sure many here share that dream, myself included! (Although I might prefer a PC-6 or Daher Kodiak…)
I already consider myself lucky to be able to afford a DR253. I’ll take a tent and go camping. A beautiful dream come true too!
The Vulcanair P68 springs to my mind
We have one on the field, and seeing it I always think to myself, wouldn’t it be nice to get some place without having to 1/ set-up camp, and 2/ even worse pack everything up in the damp the next morning?
Sure, a PC-12 would do to
It must be amphibious. A Catalina might do, only it requires 2-3 people to fly
Let’s think big please :)
We were thinking of a much cheaper option, an AN-2. €20k will buy one that’s airworthy with not much life left. Another €20k to re-cover it with Oratex 6000.
Ultranomad wrote:
n AN-2.
How much cash will it burn in fuel over a 400nm trip?
Antonio wrote:
How much cash will it burn in fuel over a 400nm trip?
About 600 litres of avgas or mogas.