RobertL18C wrote:
That’s a nice G500Txi is it compatible with a KFC200?
It is, but it requires an adapter, I believe a GAD43E.
Would you share for how much you managed to buy a 1981 F33A in this market?
@boscomantico it was around Vref FWIW :)
Good deal. They are often more like Vno. But I guess you‘ll have to some some modernization work to do.
@boscomantico will advise my usual post purchase inspection squawk list. From the flight to the new base I mainly have an avionics list at the moment, but I suspect the hoses need an IRAN, and possibly fuel tanks (no leaks but I think they are original). On the avionics front in no particular order
1. EDM700 set for the wrong probe, and toggling through the usual menu items the change K to J option isn’t coming up. It should be after the software version item, but it skips to another item. Have contacted JPI for help on this. Need to set limits and K factor for fuel flow once this is sorted. Aircraft has GAMI injectors.
2. Remote DME is inop, will check in with AeroFab at Thruxton to troubleshoot.
3. TAS works very well but dropped off around 45 minutes into the short flight.
4. Garmin 530/430 (non WAAS) database long expired, 2013 (goggle eyes). Need to figure out the most practical database subscription/update mode.
5. KFC200 only works single axis, and bucks quite dramatically (around 1/2 G) in ALT mode. You get a TRIM failure on the ground test. FD in the air seems to work on APP COUPLED mode, so hopefully this is a servo pitch switching problem only. Again the folk at AeroFab can assist.
6. Although there was convective activity during the flight I didn’t check the Stormscope if it was painting any (cells looked around 30 miles away).
7. A second hand Garmin 330 was installed but it needs an IFR FAA IA sign off and Form 337.
I am an IRAN on avionics and the kit will, when dealt with, be IFR legal in Europe. I prefer to spend maintenance/upgrade budget on airframe and powerplant. There is minor surface corrosion patches which need treating, and the 1970’s tweed fabric summer of love style seats (Olive Ann Beech herself supervised the interior fabric choices – more goggle eyes) are due for an upgrade, although condition is around a 7 and there is a certain charm about the original design. I’ll dig out some flared jeans. The windows also rate a 7, no crazing but showing their age, at least the side windows. Windscreen rates an 8.
Time in service SB items that will need checking are mainly related to undercarriage and flaps. Alternator and vacuum pumps, etc also will get a check. The bathtubs and wing bolts look good and am not a fan of replacing these (just an SB, other Bonanza owners might confirm?). The forward wing spar inspection is not due for another 350 hours.
Engine has 900 hours and runs very strong, propeller is new, McCauley two-blade, which I prefer. The engine has strong compressions but will get checked this week and it will get an oil/filtre change.
In terms of upgrade budget assuming the airframe/power plant doesn’t throw up major items: seat upgrade to aviation leather, not planning to do the side panels or headliner as they are in good shape; possible upgrade to glass AI/HSI (Aspen or Garmin), but hoping the current AI and 825 HSI can be maintained.
Values for the F33A are all over the place. Three years ago a G reg F33A could be bought for around £75k, well below D-reg and N-reg values. This is N reg and I paid Vref which is good value IMHO. Bringing the original B33 from California and installing some avionics would have ended up costing the same as this aircraft. Very grateful to the seller for pointing this out, with classic Yorkshireman common sense :) Looking at actual realised values in the USA the type can command around 50% above Vref but albeit with some avionics upgrades (reflected in base Vref). The USA market seems to pay a premium for updated avionics over installation cost, which I haven’t figured out myself. In any event the F33A does appear to have a certain investment cachet in the USA and German market, and am hoping that the value will be reasonably underpinned as long as it is well maintained.
@ RobertL18C, Welcome to the Beech club, you wont regret it. About the stormscope, I ve used a WX11 and still have a WX1000 with Navaid. I wouldn’t ditch it specially if you will travel ….ADL is a must have to correlate beyond the eyeball. It often confirms what my stormscope was painting earlier….
RobertL18C wrote:
4. Garmin 530/430 (non WAAS) database long expired, 2013 (goggle eyes). Need to figure out the most practical database subscription/update mode.
Get your avionic shop to do an upgrade on those as probably also newer software versions are available. Usually they have subscriptions where they can do a one time database dump on your modules. Thereafter, you need to purchase a skybound USB adapter plus preferrably a spare datacard per unit. You can check on the used market, there are quite a few non-waas datacards around for few money. Then you need a subscription from Jeppesen and the software on your PC to install the navdata.
RobertL18C wrote:
3. TAS works very well but dropped off around 45 minutes into the short flight.
What exactly is that device?
RobertL18C wrote:
5. KFC200 only works single axis, and bucks quite dramatically (around 1/2 G) in ALT mode. You get a TRIM failure on the ground test. FD in the air seems to work on APP COUPLED mode, so hopefully this is a servo pitch switching problem only. Again the folk at AeroFab can assist.
If the FD works fine, then indeed this looks like a servo problem. Yes, the avionic shop should be able to attend to that. The KFC200 is a pretty good system, so it’s worth investing some in it. The combination with an Aspen would be pretty neat too, as that would provide GPSS to the KFC200.
Sounds like a lovely airplane. All that’s missing here is a few pics from outside and inside :)
Congratulations Robert on your purchase – I hope I get to see it sometime. I know you did a huge amount of research into Bonanzas, to get to this point. FWIW re the performance figures cited above, as an easy-to-remember rule of thumb I see a TAS of 170 kts with 70% power LOP at FL100 and ISA (IO520 TN). This is in line with the performance tables as issued by Tornado Alley for the A36, a few knots better. I have a simple matrix for keeping track of the 4 fuel tanks (mains & tips) with 10 gph return fuel to the left main, a task greatly simplified since I installed a CiES electronic fuel gauge.
Btw if anyone is interested I have a Garmin GTX328 for sale, it was replaced by a GTX345.
What exactly is that device?
@MooneyDriver it is a Traffic Alert System both Mode C and S
Will post photos later
RobertL18C wrote:
I flew back at 22/2100 and altitude 2500, which worked out to 11.5 UGPH and 146KIAS. QNH and OAT close to PA/ISA so 152KTAS, but only one POB and half tanks, around 700 pounds below Max Gross. The power setting is a tad below 55%
That is a pretty good data point. 2500 ft is very low obviously, so far from the optimal altitude for this airplane, which, as a normally aspirated airplane, will sit somewhere around 8000-1000 ft. The more of such datapoints you collect you will get a good feeling what bias this airplane has towards the numbers in the POH.
I am just going to have to redo my cruise table verification due to the introduction of the 3 blade prop. Will be interesting how this develops but I am looking forward to that.
