Posted: 8/9/2017 9:57:37 PM EDT
| At the local airport near me I found, what I think is a good deal, or is it? For sale is a 1960 Beech Travel Air. The plane has not flown/engines started in about 11 years. Along with this, it is missing the elevators, ailerons, needs new fuel cells,new tires, and engine control cables, and engine hoses. This is all the stuff that is known. The radios all seem to be Narco's along with a GPS (NAV/COM/GPS). The plane has sub 5000 TT and the engines are 500 and 1100 SMOH. Two sides to this: What would be a fair price if the engines wont crank and the radios are shot and a good price if the engines will turn over and the radios work. Thanks in advance for the help. |
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I don't know if I'd take it for free. I've been looking at Beech twins (mainly Barons) quite a bit over the last month or so, and wouldn't touch it.
If it hadn't flown in a decade or so, the hours smoh on the engine don't matter. They'd most likely need to be IRAN'd at a minimum. I've been looking at the Continentals, so I'm sure the O-360 would be cheaper to deal with. But you're still looking at a pile of cash on just the engines. Then you've got the props to worry about. Then the airframe and avionics.. Of course if you're feeling lucky, you could just change the oil, throw some fresh fuel in and give her a go! 
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Do a search on the air worthiness directives first, and then sit down and go through the log books page by page to find out what work has to be incorporated.
After that, it's hard to say from here, depends on whether the airplane has been inside or outside and the location. Missing control surfaces will be expensive to replace, if possible without building from scratch; 720 total airplanes in 10 years of E95 production. You have to go over every part of the airplane hunting down corrosion, especially at the low spots where water and dirt collect. I think you have to look at the rebuild or replacement cost of every major component and the instruments to make a decision. Unless it's going to be a hobby restoration, pass, buy one that is flying now, this one is going to need lots of time and money. Beechcraft priced money. |
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I don't know if I'd take it for free. I've been looking at Beech twins (mainly Barons) quite a bit over the last month or so, and wouldn't touch it. If it hadn't flown in a decade or so, the hours smoh on the engine don't matter. They'd most likely need to be IRAN'd at a minimum. I've been looking at the Continentals, so I'm sure the O-360 would be cheaper to deal with. But you're still looking at a pile of cash on just the engines. Then you've got the props to worry about. Then the airframe and avionics.. Of course if you're feeling lucky, you could just change the oil, throw some fresh fuel in and give her a go! unless you can find a bellied in one or something with spar corrosion. Â Take two planes and make one. Â Sounds like a tremendous amount of work for a run of the mill airplane. Â Dang, just go get a Seneca or something. Â |
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Depends on what you want it for. It certainly won't be a cheap alternative if you're looking for a good twin to get hours in or fly the family around in.
I'm not an A&P, so unless I had a hard-on for the Travel Air and the $$ to have a shop basically do an IRAN on it, then I wouldn't touch it. |
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What would be a price where you guys would say "yea I would buy it" Outside, not even for free. It is most likely scrap at this point. It could probable be parted out for a little bit of cash, but wouldn't be worth my time, personally. Hangared, I still don't know. I'd have to take a really close look before even offering a few thousand. That free/cheap airplane can turn into 50k in no time. |
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What would be a price where you guys would say "yea I would buy it" Planes like that are meant to be used for parts for other airworthy aircraft. Unless it's a truly valuable/desirable aircraft, that kind of project is a losing deal. If it were a Spitfire it'd be a no-brainer. Even a Beech 18 might be worthy of further investigation. But a Travel Air in the condition you're describing is all trouble with no payoff. Go find an older 310, save a bundle, and call it a day. |
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Do not buy a Seneca 1 or older 310. Seriously. |
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Can't speak for the Senecas but why you hatin' on the 310? You can get some very clean planes for relatively cheap. My only concern are the ones with over-wing exhaust and making damn sure there's no corrosion. Is there some new AD I'm not aware of? The Seneca I was the worst production aircraft I've ever flown, by a wide margin. |
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The only 310s in the Travel Air price ranges are As and Bs. Those can be some huge money pits. The Seneca I was the worst production aircraft I've ever flown, by a wide margin. Quoted:
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Can't speak for the Senecas but why you hatin' on the 310? You can get some very clean planes for relatively cheap. My only concern are the ones with over-wing exhaust and making damn sure there's no corrosion. Is there some new AD I'm not aware of? The Seneca I was the worst production aircraft I've ever flown, by a wide margin. |
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If you could purchase it for $100 it could still serve as an interesting experiment for "how quickly can a ramp queen drive a person into bankruptcy". Planes like that are meant to be used for parts for other airworthy aircraft. Unless it's a truly valuable/desirable aircraft, that kind of project is a losing deal. If it were a Spitfire it'd be a no-brainer. Even a Beech 18 might be worthy of further investigation. But a Travel Air in the condition you're describing is all trouble with no payoff. Go find an older 310, save a bundle, and call it a day. Not that I have much room to talk, I have a partially completed Starduster Too in the hangar (needs to go, CHEAP!, anyone interested? Lol) and am about to pull the trigger on a Champ project.
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| When I first saw the pictures of the plane it looked good, just needing a few small things... In person not so much. Birds had taken over the wheel wells and it needed a good wash. I offered the owner 5K but have since taken a step back. I have even thought about parting it out but not sure right now |
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That free/cheap airplane can turn into 50k in no time. Quoted:
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What would be a price where you guys would say "yea I would buy it" But I'll tell you. If that thing has a full narco suite you'd be spending 50k just to get compliant. And we're not talking glass cockpit. |
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When I first saw the pictures of the plane it looked good, just needing a few small things... In person not so much. Birds had taken over the wheel wells and it needed a good wash. I offered the owner 5K but have since taken a step back. I have even thought about parting it out but not sure right now |
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The only 310s in the Travel Air price ranges are As and Bs. Those can be some huge money pits. The Seneca I was the worst production aircraft I've ever flown, by a wide margin. Quoted:
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Can't speak for the Senecas but why you hatin' on the 310? You can get some very clean planes for relatively cheap. My only concern are the ones with over-wing exhaust and making damn sure there's no corrosion. Is there some new AD I'm not aware of? The Seneca I was the worst production aircraft I've ever flown, by a wide margin. I used to fly one that had been wrecked two or three times and didn't even begin to fly in trim. After a while of cross controls to get it to fly straight, your leg would give out, and the rest of the flight was cockeyed. Quoted:
When I first saw the pictures of the plane it looked good, just needing a few small things... In person not so much. Birds had taken over the wheel wells and it needed a good wash. I offered the owner 5K but have since taken a step back. I have even thought about parting it out but not sure right now Call two or three salvage yards to see if there is much interest. |
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Unless you are an A&P.... I'd RUN, not walk away. Story time.... A buddy bought a a WONDERFUL J3 Cub. He got it for 40ishK. The guy that had it redone and sold it to my buddy.... Spent closer to 90K to buy it and have it redone.
So unless you have the time and skills, you are going to dump a TON of money into this plane. Me, I might take it for a few bucks and do things like make the engine cores into coffee tables, wing parts into desks. But I would not even dream of trying to get it flying.... I am not an A&P. |
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The best option for that airplane is probably in the Bonanza museum. Stick on control surfaces from Bonanzas or other E95 variants, or build some that look about right from scratch, install runout props, and shut the doors tight. Or find the one guy that owns three or four (one flying, the rest for canning) and sell the hulk to him for parts.
They are a neat looking near classic airplane, and I can see how someone would fall in love with the look. I wonder if the performance (real, not internet) is worth a hoot. |
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Hey op, I think I found you the airplane you need. It'll still be cheaper than the first project you were considering.
Mark Clark is a swell guy. He'll cut ya the best deal he can. http://courtesyaircraft.com/aircraft/n3682b-54-beech-b50/ Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File It's a steal at $149,000. |
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Hey op, I think I found you the airplane you need. It'll still be cheaper than the first project you were considering. Mark Clark is a swell guy. He'll cut ya the best deal he can. http://courtesyaircraft.com/aircraft/n3682b-54-beech-b50/ https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/261993/A-34-281290.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/261993/C-37-281291.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/261993/E-37-281292.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/261993/G-39-281293.JPG It's a steal at $149,000. |