Used Aircraft Guide

[IMGCAP(1)]The French have always had a way of going about engineering that is rather different from what Americans are used to, and the line of Aerospatiale singles is no exception. They have gull-wing doors, unusual instrument panels, and ergonomics that are far superior to some of the competition. Perhaps their most important difference, though, is that they were first introduced in the U.S. at about the same time our factories were shutting down production. And unlike other product introductions (or reintroductions) such as the Tiger or the mid-80s Pipers, they managed to hang on through several lean years.

History
The Trinidad is the top of the line of a small family (fo…

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Cessnas last piston twin design, the Crusader, has many appealing qualities. All around, it is the most thoughtfully designed light twin and one of the most interesting modern general aviation concepts. Unfortunately, its production life was brief: Only 297 were built during four years. Also unfortunately, more than one definition of the word light applies to it.

History
In the last heady days of the traditional light-aircraft industry (thats the late 70s to you youngsters), Cessna designed and built a prototype of the Model 303 Clipper, a light twin to compete with the Beech Duchess, Grumman American Cougar and Piper Seminole.

To its credit, the company…

[IMGCAP(1)]Aerostars carry the dual distinction of being the fastest production piston twins and of having one of the worst safety records in their class. The consensus among Aerostar pilots is that, indeed, its necessary to stay we’ll ahead of the airplane, and that proper training is the answer.

The airplanes are not inherently dangerous. But they are not forgiving, either. Theyre difficult to get to know, and they require a great deal of routine and preventive maintenance. As one owner put it, An Aerostar is not a conveyance for anyone with tight financial constraints.

History
Ted Smith, designer of the Twin Commander, Jet Commander and Douglas A-20 bomber, formed hi…

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If youre undecided about how to get the most from your mid-life crisis, consider the romantic possibilities of a taildragger. Youll turn heads, make friends and spend surprisingly little money in the process. Unless youre easily surprised. In this two-part series on airplanes with their tails where they belong, we’ll examine whats available at opposite ends of the market spectrum, beginning with the almost affordable tailwheel airplanes of the 1940s.

There are lots of choices, from classic Piper Cubs to Stinson Station Wagons, but we’ll focus on five common variants of the lower horsepower, single-engine, two-seat types: The Piper J-3 Cub; Aeronca 7AC Champ; Luscom…

[IMGCAP(1)]Do your friends snicker because you fly a Mooney and that turbine bully on the runway blasted gravel into your pitot tube? Feeling a little puny? Cant bear another flying season as the butt of jokes from real pilots who fly real airplanes?

Get your chin up off the runway and put your tail in the grass, because aviation gratification is just sixty grand away when you claim a new or recent model taildragger. Theyre out there: The American Champion line, Maule, Aviat Husky and the sort of new but still wildly expensive Cessna 180/185 or Piper Super Cub.

Most of these models are generally thought to be utility airplanes and they are that. But they also qualify as high-pri…

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We don’t get to see much French hardware in this country anymore, 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 French approach to 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 t…

Overheard in the airport caf: I don’t know how you can fly an airplane with the tail on backwards.

At least the tail doesnt fall off.

Yeah? Well, your mother wears combat boots!

And so goes the seemingly circular debate between Bonanza and Mooney pilots. On the surface, its good-natured one-up-manship, the sort of banter any self-respecting pilot is expected to engage in while the kitchen rustles up the $100 hamburger.

But deep in their hearts, the pilots of both Mos and Bos don’t really believe the other guys airplane is inferior. In a moment of quiet reflection, theyll concede that the other brand is a broken down piece of crap that never should have gotten loos…

[IMGCAP(1)]By dint of good engineering, good construction methods or just good luck, some airframes clearly stand far above others when it comes to reliability and robustness.

Only a handful of airplanes meet this description but among them is certainly the big Commander twins, including the 500 series. When first introduced, Rockwell International touted this design as being among the stoutest most reliable airframes ever conceived by man.

The reality turns out to be not too far from the truth. Indeed, Commanders do have a reputation of mechanical excellence, although theyre not without their quirks.

And everyone knows the airframes are tough as nails, as evidenced by Bob…

[IMGCAP(1)]Which will it be, a heavy single or a light twin?

Our guess is this question is being asked more often than ever as the Baby Boom pilot population matures and many owners find themselves financially able to even consider the choice.

But the fact is, airplane ownership has always been a step-up game. Start out simple and cheap-a Cessna 172 or Archer-and move up to something sleek and fast.

Eventually, most owners advancing through the ranks will confront the dilemma of whether to step up to a twin from a high-performance single. And this is indeed a dilemma.

Performance and load-carrying of most twins is better than the big singles and thanks to escalating gas prices,…

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In our December report comparing Mooneys and Bonanzas, we noted that the NTSBs accident database revealed a startling number of tail flutter incidents in older V-tail Bonanzas.

We found at least 10 such incidents between early 1996 and 1998 and suspect there could be more since its quite likely that not all such incidents find their way into the NTSBs files. Worth noting is that although all of these incidents resulted in serious damage to the airplane, there were no injuries or hull losses. And none of these Bonanzas were built after 1953.

Nonetheless, we think these incidents are disturbing and are thus worth examining further. In our view, any buyer shopping for an…

[IMGCAP(1)]Whether due to good design, unique market attributes or just plain luck, some airplanes seem destined to survive the worst, only to reemerge in yet another iteration.

Such is definitely the case with the Grumman AA-5 Tiger, a model that had more ups and downs than a yo-yo but one that seems to endure, thanks in large part to a loyal owner following.

Even as Tigers remain popular on the used market, Tiger LLC, a new start-up company in Martinsburg, West Virginia and financed by the government of Taiwan, stands poised to resurrect the model yet again, promising to produce the first new Tiger by the fall of 2000.

And this wont be a revised or improved Tiger, but substanti…