Found this in a second hand bookshop in Wales, in quite good condition. Makes a nice companion to John Eckalbar’s Flying the Beechcraft Bonanza. Beechtalk and the American Bonanza Society have a wealth of info.
Similar vintage Cessna 182s, despite new ADs on the airframe, are starting to be at a premium to a Bonanza, which suggests finding knowledgeable engineers may be a constraint?
Larry Ball’s book steers you towards the V-tail, in terms of build quality over the early Debonair, although the airframes are of fundamentally of similar quality.
One early conclusion from my research is that the 1961 N35 with the -470N, simplified fuel tanks/system (see @BeechBaby) is a value/quality/performance sweet spot!
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Same thing in the Mooney… very tight especcially behind the engine
Have you tried the 90deg oil filter adapters?
I am looking at the Casper Labs no spill but have no clue if it really works.
Any idea?
One variant which may be a reasonable proposition is the early 225HP Debonair. 150KTAS on a reasonable fuel burn and they do come up for sale for reasonable values.
Peter wrote:
I noticed a lack of space around the engine, which might make maintenance more difficult than say my TB20 which has loads of room.
Same thing in the Mooney… very tight especcially behind the engine. It takes skill and know how to e.g. take a magneto out without actually removing the whole engine…
Peter wrote:
which might make maintenance more difficult than say my TB20 which has loads of room.
Are you getting a commission from Daher-Socata?
I sure hope so! :)
Actually I do the 50hr services, and even there the A&P does the oil filter and all the wirelocking. I can do it all but the two of us do it in half the time.
On the Annual, I do the simple and boring stuff like cosmetics e.g. replacing the foam on the firewall. Also I assist the engineer with things like the landing gear. Many tasks are 2-person jobs. Legally I cannot work on the plane myself (except for pilot permitted maintenance stuff) except under A&P supervision. Same with EASA-reg (EASA66 supervision).
If you can assemble a rifle then you can service a plane…
It saves you a fair bit of money and crucially teaches you about the plane. And having a second inspector is always good.
The crucial bit is to be able to use a freelance engineer (not a company) which is difficult on EASA-reg – many previous threads here previously.
Having seen the internals of a number of Bonanzas, I noticed a lack of space around the engine, which might make maintenance more difficult than say my TB20 which has loads of room.
If you are mechanically inclined at all, I’d also recommend looking at homebuilding. You can spend 5 years building your plane, getting to know all of the parts and components, and not spend everything all at once. Not sure how much time you have, but it is an option…
Unfortunately I am the opposite of mechanically inclined. If my bicycle has a flat tire I’ll bring it to the shop. Therefore I can safely rule out any interest in homebuilts.
Over time I did become reasonably adept at the mechanical aspects of my other hobby, sports shooting. I can disassemble, clean and reassemble various types of pistols, carabines and rifles. Then again guns are infinitely simpler and much more robust mechanisms compared to aircraft. Still I am hoping that I will learn the most basic of aircraft maintenance skills over time, but I would never ever do what Peter does and do most of the maintenance myself, even if I were more adept at this.
I agree with Mooney Driver fully.
Having just bought a plane, I can say that it looks like I’m lucking out with how everything is going, but I now see that I’m like Neo, dodging bullets in impossible style!
Also encouraged by the recent increase in airplane prices.
If you are mechanically inclined at all, I’d also recommend looking at homebuilding as well. You can take 5 years building your plane, getting to know all of the parts and components, and not have to spend the full cost up front. Not sure how much time you have, but it is an option. Plus, at least in France (not sure about other countries) you can do an ‘annual’ every 3 years instead of every year, which saves a lot of costs. Obviously, it is assumed that you will do the proper maintenance and inspections, but you don’t have to file anything official, which is great imo.
I’ve been following this, and am really curious to see how it goes, as it fits a lot of my personal interests:
Raptor Aircraft
Raptor Vlog
I learn by watching as well.
I almost bought a Rutan Cozy MkIV for a song, but I couldn’t accept the narrow cabin width. The performance numbers are ridiculous!
155kts on 7gph, with 2500fpm climb rate. Yes, it is a Canard wing, and climbs like a jet. I flew it and was blown away by the performance. It is insane…
But it is a pusher prop, and that limits unpaved possibilities…
The aircraft is rock solid and holds over 100gallons in the tank, so the range is ridiculous.
Also, the two-piece engine cowling comes off and you have clear and easy access to 5 sides of the engine… perfect for working on it.
You can put whatever avionics you want into a homebuilt plane, and can fix anything you want, anytime you want. I absolutely love the idea, but I’m not in a position to homebuild, so I went with a Mooney.
MedEwok wrote:
But I keep browsing plane adverts and occasionally post them here because it helps me as a total newbie in this scene to get a feeling for the used plane market and learn from more experienced and knowledgeable people
No objection at all, keep doing it. You will eventually get a lot of inputs and knowledge about the subject which will make it a lot easier to buy when you get to it. We here certainly don’t mind looking at what you find.
I think I said it before but it took me 3 years after I decided to buy a plane to find the airplane which I have now, and it has turned out to be absolutely ideal for what i want. So it’s nice to window shop for a while and get to know the different makes, brands and types. Once you get to the position to buy, you have a much better idea what is for you and what is not.
All I can say is keep your mind as wide open as you can. I was not the first ending up buying something I had thought to be totally out of my reach and I won’t be the last. Had I stuck to the PA28-140 i was looking for, I don’t think I’d be as happy with my choice as I am now.
Generally, while browsing today I see that plane prices appear to be on the up again for the first time since years. Also there is not that much choice anymore for several types. Maybe this shows that the market is rebounding a tiny bit, which is good for people who want to sell but ultimately also for those who buy, as their new property will not disintegrate financially into nothing by an underestimating marketplace.
@Mooney_Driver
As ever I appreciate your post. It has become obvious to me that I will continue to rent anyways for the near future due to budget constraints and family life.
But I keep browsing plane adverts and occasionally post them here because it helps me as a total newbie in this scene to get a feeling for the used plane market and learn from more experienced and knowledgeable people such as you. So that one day when I can finally buy my own aircraft I will make as few mistakes as possible 
