Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Get in to a pressurized twin turbine for less than a nice C182 or Cirrus.

For the financially challenged and pay-as-you-go types (i.e. nutcases like myself) here’s an opportunity for the right buyer.

A straight 690 for sale in Germany for $95K. The straight 690’s are a hybrid between the 681 and the 690A/B, in ways. Long wing like the 690A/B models, but still has the plexi alcohol windscreen (much cheaper to replace) and lower 4.2 cabin diff. In all other regards they’re identical to a 690A/B and with same performance. It has the permanent spar strap, which is a good mod that eliminates the recurring inspection (and cost $100K to do in the day). Engines have 200hrs left to TBO, so one would have to operate it part 91 and go over, or find some better used ones and hang on eventually. Dash 5 engines are plentiful and reasonably low cost these days as many have upgraded to the more powerful Dash 10’s.

Straight 690

Rough calculations:

Plane: $95K
Remove aerial survey hatch and restore outer skin and interior (guesstimation): $20K
TOTAL: $115K and you have a plane you can run for 200hr then continue over TBO, if you so wish under part 91.

But let’s say you hang two -5’s on with say 2000hrs left on them. Roughly $30-50/hr is the going rate for exchange engines. So for another $120-160K, you have a 690 that you can run for 2000hrs. That’s a pretty good deal and could be a good entry plane into turbine world, for the right buyer. I wish I’d seen this ad 2 years ago as I would have been very interested myself.

Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 29 Apr 21:16

In Europe, you may soon need EASA papers to fly an N-reg. Would that mean that you need to get a type rating? Would anyone even still offer this?

If all else fails, you can still have that plane sit in your garden like the old aviator in this movie, and dream of flying to another planet with it one day:


Yes, if you wanted to transfer it to EASA-reg you’d need a TR. But there are plenty of Turbo Commanders flying in Europe on EASA registry, so getting a type rating isn’t a problem. You can do it in Cambridge, in Sweden, in Germany and perhaps even France.

AdamFrisch wrote:

But there are plenty of Turbo Commanders flying in Europe on EASA registry, so getting a type rating isn’t a problem.

Those options might close pretty soon. Jonathan wrote here that from the next year, NAAs will have to follow OSD/ OEB reports (at least that is how I understood it). There is nothing. There is no manufacturer to provide OSD (which doesn’t exist anyway) and there is no OEB report for any Turbo Commander AFAIK. Presumably EASA would create one. However, you might then need an instructor and an examiner for that particular variant you want to fly, not just any Turbo Commander. And this training has to be provided by ATO. Maybe I don’t remember it correctly, maybe there was some change. It would be nice if someone closer to the ATO business cleared that up. For now, I consider rare and unsupported non-Annex II too uncertain. It would be easier to emigrate.

And not all countries have derogated from the requirement for all residents to have EASA licences and ratings if they want to fly in EASA-land, no matter the registry.

I hope to be proven wrong for Adam’s sake, but I have always felt that old kit is a massive maintenance liability. To my way of thinking the old adage “pay now or pay later” applies to aeroplanes more than most things.

I get to see a lot of invoices for turbine engined aircraft maintenance. To see £10K for labour is not unusual. Parts are usually a lot more. For example Avionics boxes are often exchanged or repaired at $10k to $30K a go.

I always “joke” that if you take a car part it costs X. An equivalent part for an SEP costs 10X. For anything with a turbine 100X.
I don’t know how you go on when the manufacturer no longer supports the model. I guess it’s second hand parts, pay 500X. or get something made. Scary stuff to me.

But I understand that Adam feels differently to me, he may be right.

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

You’re not wrong Neil – things in aviation cost crazy amounts and certainly when it comes to turbines. But these costs need to be compared to what else is out there that can offer same performance as this particular aircraft. And then they’re bargains. I’m just trying to save you all money…

There are three breeds that are better supported than most factory supported. That’s MU-2’s, Twin Commanders and Aerostars. In the MU-2 case, Mitsubishi still fully supports it even though they don’t produce them anymore. Twin Commander LLC fully supports the Commanders. They bough the TC from Gulfstream (who did an awful job at supporting it after they ceased production in 1985). Aerostar is the same – TC bought out by a company that fully supports every part after Piper made a mess of it. Cessna won’t even touch their older stuff. It’s unnerving when the factory, who are supposed to support it, don’t. They just want you to buy a Mustang.

As for costs, the pre 690A/B models are honest $550-850/hr planes. This 690 would be in that bracket. Cracked windshield? On these that’s $11K for factory new windscreen. On the later ones with heated glass, you’re looking at $45K for a new windscreen.

Martin – I don’t know what NAA or OSD/OEB reports mean. What is it?

Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 01 May 18:03
I always “joke” that if you take a car part it costs X. An equivalent part for an SEP costs 10X. For anything with a turbine 100X.
I don’t know how you go on when the manufacturer no longer supports the model. I guess it’s second hand parts, pay 500X. or get something made. Scary stuff to me.

In my personal opinion this is what makes turbine conversions like the Jetprop interesting. You still buy airframe parts at SEP prices while having a turbine engine up front.

www.ing-golze.de
EDAZ

Sebastian_G wrote:

In my personal opinion this is what makes turbine conversions like the Jetprop interesting. You still buy airframe parts at SEP prices while having a turbine engine up front.

True to an extent although you also sometimes end up with piston-level systems like environmental rather than more high-spec systems made for a turbine environment.

EGTK Oxford

@JasonC

Are you on an engine program for the Mustang?

AdamFrisch wrote:

Are you on an engine program for the Mustang?

Of course.

EGTK Oxford
18 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top