Used Aircraft Guide

[IMGCAP(1)]

There’s something about the Meyers 200 that is hauntingly familiar. It doesnt look like a 40-year-old factory airplane; rather, its more like a current homebuilt with that sleek bubble cabin… kind of like a Lancair IV. Thats not surprising, given the following bit of aviation trivia that one of our readers sent in: Lance Neibauer, designer of the Lancairs, is evidently the nephew of the late Ray Betzold, who along with Al Meyers and Pard Diver brought the Meyers 200 into existence. Neibauer was exposed to that sleek shape early on.

While it may resemble a modern composite homebuilt in its looks, the Meyers is definitely a product of the late 1950s. Construction consist…

[IMGCAP(1)]

Big, cabin-class turbocharged piston twins are a bit of a niche item these days. Too large and costly for personal transport, yet lacking sufficient performance to satisfy high-rolling corporate clients yearning for the whine of turbines and the comfort of pressurization, theyre used mostly for air taxi and specialty cargo operations. The businesses that once bought this class of airplane are in many cases now looking to more cost-effective alternatives, including time-sharing of the new crop of efficient jets and even airline travel to get executives to their destinations.

But when the mission matches the capabilities of a large piston twin through accidents of geography…

[IMGCAP(1)]

Parts-bin hybrids with spacious cabins and relatively small, efficient engines, 414-series airplanes can carry lots of fuel or a small crowd with their belongings-but not both. Also, the big Cessnas have safety records that are unmatched by any other light twin.

All told, Cessna Aircraft Corp. built nearly 1000 of the airplanes-roughly a 50/50 split between early tip-tanked 414s and wet-wing 414A Chancellors-during 15 years of production. The original intent was for the 414 to be an easy step up to pressurization, and over the years the airplanes have become popular as workhorses for small charter and corporate flight departments, as we’ll as comfortable transports for pri…

[IMGCAP(1)]As the final entry in the Caribbean series, the Tampico Club filled the bottom niche in SOCATAs line of new-wave piston singles. Boasting innovative design features, it was hoped that the Tampico would coax US flight schools into the purchase of some new aircraft to replace their fleets of aging trainers.

The way in which the airplanes were built was also innovative. Airframe parts were produced in France and shipped to the US to be assembled and fitted with American components.

The idea met with some limited success, but the company didnt sell enough airplanes to keep the venture going. In 1995, SOCATA teamed with Morane Saulnier and Renault to begin work on a new line o…

[IMGCAP(1)]

The Cessna 310 is one of the classics of general aviation, enjoying a 27-year production run during which it served as Cessnas answer to the Beech Baron, Piper Aztec, Commander 500, and Aerostar. More than 5,400 were built, and there are several major variations.

With so much to choose from, any serious buyer should be able to find an airplane that fits the bill.

But there are things to be careful of when considering a 310. First and foremost is the gear, which is relatively delicate and sensitive to proper rigging and maintenance. The airplane can also be a handful to fly, though pilots note that with proper training and due diligence, it can make a good IFR platform….

[IMGCAP(1)]

The Cessna 310 was a radical departure and a solid advance in general aviation products when it was introduced late in 1954. The second airplane in the 300 series was the 320 Skyknight. Introduced in 1961 as a 62 model year product, the 320 was a big step up in performance. Featuring a larger cabin, it also represented one of many areas in which Cessna pioneered or at least persevered: turbocharging.

Turbocharging was not new, even to general aviation. But it was tricky, temperamental and not very reliable. Other manufacturers tried and gave up. Cessna and its vendors stuck with it, deciding that the performance gain was worth the difficulties.

For its time, the 320 was…

[IMGCAP(1)]We don’t get to see much French hardware in this country any more, but those of us who remember such wonders as the Citroen automobiles with their hydraulic suspensions, or the old Renault 16, the interior of which could be stripped out in minutes without tools, will also recall that the French have their own distinctive way of doing things. The engineering is elegant or odd, depending on your point of view.

The SOCATA Caribbean series, when it was introduced in this country in the mid-1980s, was the embodiment of that unique way of doing things. Markedly different from anything wed ever seen, the French imports had a lot to offer, and they even managed to successfully buck t…