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1. 05:19 AM - Re: Cirrus Killer? - A36 (mark.t.mueller@comcast.net)
2. 05:59 AM - Re: Re: Cirrus Killer? - A36 (flyv35b)
Message 1
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| Subject: | RE: Cirrus Killer? - A36 |
Cliff,
I appreciate your comments, and I do keep coming back to look at the 'Bo' for my
mission; but every A&P I know tries to talk me out of it. They all have the
same refrain: 'part$$$'. And the fact is, I just can't get what I consider to
be good maintenance support even for my Grumman in the Mid Atlantic region anymore.
I know it helps to be an A&P to own a Bo to defer some maintenance costs,
but I have yet to have anyone who might potentially maintain my next plain
enthusiastically endorse the aircraft from a maintenance perspective...
I guess that rules out the SR-22 as well.
Mark
Time: 08:32:46 PM PST US
MessageAfter owning numerous Cessnas and lots of Grummans over many
years, I guess I am biased also after owning my Bonanza and several
others for about 9 years now. The Bonanza does many things as well as
the newer SR22 and Columbia and several things much better.
One thing that stuck in my mind from a recent conversation with a Garmin
test pilot who has flown many hours in both the SR22 as well as the
Columbia 350 and 400 and an A36 Bonanza. He said that the controls are
heavy in both the SR22 and Columbia and both planes are not as fast as
their advertised speeds, especially the SR22. All three of the normally
aspirated planes are pretty close to the same speed but the Bonanza is a
much nicer flying plane when it comes to control effort and response.
I haven't see any SR22's in the back country strips in Idaho where I
take the Bonanza.
Cliff
<html><body>
<DIV>Cliff,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I appreciate your comments, and I do keep coming back to look at the 'Bo'
for my mission; but every A&P I know tries to talk me out of it. They
all have the same refrain: 'part$$$'. And the fact is, I just can't get
what I consider to be good maintenance support even for my Grumman in the Mid
Atlantic region anymore. I know it helps to be an A&P to own a Bo
to defer some maintenance costs, but I have yet to have anyone who might potentially
maintain my next plain enthusiastically endorse the aircraft from a maintenance
perspective...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I guess that rules out the SR-22 as well.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mark</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Time: 08:32:46 PM PST US<BR>Subject: Re: TeamGrumman-List: RE: Cirrus Killer?<BR><BR>MessageAfter
owning numerous Cessnas and lots of Grummans over many
<BR>years, I guess I am biased also after owning my Bonanza and several <BR>others
for about 9 years now. The Bonanza does many things as well as <BR>the
newer SR22 and Columbia and several things much better.<BR><BR>One thing
that stuck in my mind from a recent conversation with a Garmin <BR>test pilot
who has flown many hours in both the SR22 as well as the <BR>Columbia 350 and
400 and an A36 Bonanza. He said that the controls are <BR>heavy in both
the SR22 and Columbia and both planes are not as fast as <BR>their advertised
speeds, especially the SR22. All three of the normally <BR>aspirated planes
are pretty close to the same speed but the Bonanza is a <BR>much nicer flying
plane when it comes to control effort and response.<BR><BR>I haven't see any
SR22's in the back country strips in Idaho where I
<BR>t
ake the Bonanza.<BR><BR>Cliff</DIV></body></html>
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: RE: Cirrus Killer? - A36 |
I've heard many of these stories or old wives tales about the high cost
of parts and maintenance for Bonanzas as well. Agreed, Beechcraft
airframe parts are pretty expensive but so are Cessna and Piper parts.
And during the 9 years I have owned my Bonanza the only parts I can
remember failing are a couple of breaker switches and a little strap
that holds the exhaust tailpipe to the firewall. I paid $65 for the
first breaker switch and the second I bought from Aircraft Spruce for
$15. Same switch but just a different knob. The tailpipe bracket I
replace by making a stronger one out of stainless steel and attaching it
to the firewall with screws instead of rivets. The other part was a
recent rebuild of the landing gear motor which cost me less about $250.
The simple fact is there are very few parts that break or fail on the
airframe. And the engine, wheels and brakes are all generic parts that
cost the same no matter what plane you have.
Another fact is: I spend more time taking wheel fairings off and on and
working on the landing gear on Grummans than I do on the retractable
gear on my Bonanza. The brake linings last about 3 times as long
(granted there are 4 linings on each wheel instead of two) and the tires
last twice as long because they are not scrubbing sideways on every
landing when the gear legs splay out. My original exhaust collectors
lasted for 3800 hrs and they still were serviceable when I replaced them
and there are NO exhaust leaks like I fight on Grummans all the time.
I could go on and on but what's the point. No one seems to believe me
when I talk about how cheap it has been to maintain my Bonanza. Sure my
overhauled engine and new constant speed prop are more expensive than a
Tiger for the average person. But I overhauled my IO-520 engine for
about $10,000 total parts and machine shop service and did assembly
myself and I know you can't do a Tiger for any less if you put on new
cylinders.
I think you need to talk to about 6 previous Tiger owners that now have
Bonanzas to get another perspective of what the costs are for a more
typical owner. I could probably put you in touch with 3 or more.
Cliff
----- Original Message -----
From: mark.t.mueller@comcast.net
To: teamgrumman-list@matronics.com
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 5:17 AM
Subject: TeamGrumman-List: RE: Cirrus Killer? - A36
Cliff,
I appreciate your comments, and I do keep coming back to look at the
'Bo' for my mission; but every A&P I know tries to talk me out of it.
They all have the same refrain: 'part$$$'. And the fact is, I just
can't get what I consider to be good maintenance support even for my
Grumman in the Mid Atlantic region anymore. I know it helps to be an
A&P to own a Bo to defer some maintenance costs, but I have yet to have
anyone who might potentially maintain my next plain enthusiastically
endorse the aircraft from a maintenance perspective...
I guess that rules out the SR-22 as well.
Mark
Time: 08:32:46 PM PST US
Subject: Re: TeamGrumman-List: RE: Cirrus Killer?
MessageAfter owning numerous Cessnas and lots of Grummans over many
years, I guess I am biased also after owning my Bonanza and several
others for about 9 years now. The Bonanza does many things as well as
the newer SR22 and Columbia and several things much better.
One thing that stuck in my mind from a recent conversation with a
Garmin
test pilot who has flown many hours in both the SR22 as well as the
Columbia 350 and 400 and an A36 Bonanza. He said that the controls
are
heavy in both the SR22 and Columbia and both planes are not as fast as
their advertised speeds, especially the SR22. All three of the
normally
aspirated planes are pretty close to the same speed but the Bonanza is
a
much nicer flying plane when it comes to control effort and response.
I haven't see any SR22's in the back country strips in Idaho where I
t ake the Bonanza.
Cliff
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