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Cessna T210N

Hello,

I’ve been asking here 6 month ago advices for my purchase project of a PA32R. None have appeared in Europe. Only a couple of older Cherokee six.
But I’ve seen many Cessna 210, like this one or that one and Beech A36 like this one or that one, for my budget.
My engineer says that Bonanza would have a insane maintenance cost due to aircraft part price. He would rather advice a cessna 210. I have read some feed backs about maintenance issues and higher accident rate of this airplane.
Have some of you experience of T210 ownership, especially operating cost for 120 hours/year and accessibility for a 250 hours PPL ?
It seems many aircraft, but it may be better buy the last plane first…

Last Edited by Olivier14 at 17 Jan 09:44
Caen LFRK, France

Hello Oliver,

I’d say if you were ready to take on a PA32R you can take on a C210. With a proper introduction training you should not have too much problems flying a C210, particularly if you let things go on slowly and build up experience as you go. I recall the “case” of a German newbie Pilot who drove the whole community into a frenzy announcing that he wanted to buy a 210 after his PPL, in the mean time he has a couple of hundred hours on it and the critics who said he should first get 500 hours in a 150, than another 500 in a 172 and so on have largely stopped talking rubbish.

Generally, your approach saying buy the last plane first is not a bad idea at all. The planes you linked look ok, I am sure there are C210 savy People around who will tell you just how good they might be. In any case, any plane you buy Needs a good pre-buy inspection by a guy who knows his Cessnas.

Certainly the C210 is a very capable travel plane with good useful load and good Performance.

With your budget, you might want to have a side look at the P210. Yes, Pressurisation adds maintenance cost but it has huge Advantages for travelling. There are several in the 110-120k Euro range on planecheck.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Olivier14 wrote:

and Beech A36

Oliver, if you want my vote it would be the Beech 36, nothing flies or handles as good as these do.

If you get the chance fly a Saratoga first, it flies like a truck and then fly a Bonanza, you will see what I mean.

The G reg one has been hanging around LFAT for the past couple of years and I cant see that its worth anything like the money being asked.

On the Beech 36 you need to look out for cracks to the wing spar support but a good inspection would identify this.

You also have the backing of the ABS… American Bonanza Society … you can Google that

Pressurisation is a game changer. But the Centurion P210’s are complex planes and will have slightly higher maintenance. It’s just the name of the game with turbo engines. I also do recall the 210’s in general have a very expensive part in the gear system (can’t recall exactly what) that Cessna does not longer make, so you might just want to check with the Cessna Forum what that might be.

I always loved the look of the 210 and I was myself going to get a P210 at an early stage. Hope you get one, seem like great traveling machines.

AdamFrisch wrote:

I was myself going to get a P210 at an early stage

Likewise about 14 years ago until I did a course on one in the States and it put me off of the P210 for life.

In an attempt to keep in check the CHT and TIT, climb was restricted to around 300fpm due to having to reduce power and to keep pushing the nose down to get some airflow over the engine.

AdamFrisch wrote:

Pressurisation is a game changer

Not when its only around 3.5psi

Finally ….I should say eventually… we reached its ceiling which on this day was 23500 ft we had to put the gear down to decend in an attempt to keep the temps in the green which resulted in a bo**ocking from air traffic for decending too slowly.

The P210 is nothing like a T210, it must be the most complicated and difficult single engine aircraft ever (almost) ?

The Silver Eagle turbine conversion still only has 3.5psi but its altogether a different aeroplane.

quatrelle wrote:

In an attempt to keep in check the CHT and TIT, climb was restricted to around 300fpm due to having to reduce power and to keep pushing the nose down to get some airflow over the engine.

The P210 I flew was nothing like that, but it had an aftermarket intercooler installed. Could that make the difference?

LFPT, LFPN

I’m not quite sure where this idea of Saratogas handeling like trucks comes from !! :-).

I flew a Beech when I was buying my PA32R it has a different feel granted, but I find the PA32 handles nicely and you can be fairly assertive with it if needed. Compared to the TB20 I would say they are similar and I enjoy flying them both.

They have unfortunately become like ‘hens teeth’ have you looked at getting one from the U.S.? It would be a great trip back to Europe in the summer!

Alex
Shoreham (EGKA) White Waltham (EGLM), United Kingdom

Thanks all for your opinion.

Mooney_Driver wrote:

a good pre-buy inspection by a guy who knows his Cessnas

Yes, I understood this is the most important step.

AdamFrisch wrote:

I also do recall the 210’s in general have a very expensive part in the gear system

I’ll search what it is. Theses ones are later ones, with a different gear system than pre 79’. I ve read they would be more reliable.

Alex_ wrote:

have you looked at getting one from the U.S.? It would be a great trip back to Europe in the summer!

That’s another step in aircraft shopping, which brings yet some challenges…

Caen LFRK, France

Olivier14 wrote:

Alex_ wrote:

have you looked at getting one from the U.S.? It would be a great trip back to Europe in the summer!

That’s another step in aircraft shopping, which brings yet some challenges…

Given the current USD – EUR/GBP exchange rate, I think you’ll find it cheaper to buy in Europe.

I think you’ll find it cheaper to buy in Europe.

A search here on

prebuy

digs out a lot of threads. This one is however extra relevant to buying from somewhere far away – you will very likely buy the plane no matter how good or bad it is, for obvious psychological reasons.

Otherwise, the change in the $-€ exchange rate is way smaller than differences between what is on the market and their various conditions.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
13 Posts
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