BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 16:55

Tim, which TPE331 aircraft did you fly?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:12

I don't consider the buy in a normal expense; in the same vein, I didn't include the prebuy costs. I just listed normal opex.

For the record, the 100, 200, 600 inspection I did was like 25k I think, although much of that was paid by the seller. The last shop was sketchy and the previous owner flew 30 hours a year; that's a great was to hurt an airplane.

Hey Erwin, what are you spending on the airframe only for that Merlin?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:17

Username Protected wrote:

Tim, which TPE331 aircraft did you fly?

Jet Stream 3100

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:21

Username Protected wrote:

I don't consider the buy in a normal expense; in the same vein, I didn't include the prebuy costs. I just listed normal opex.

For the record, the 100, 200, 600 inspection I did was like 25k I think, although much of that was paid by the seller. The last shop was sketchy and the previous owner flew 30 hours a year; that's a great was to hurt an airplane.

Hey Erwin, what are you spending on the airframe only for that Merlin?

Craig- I would consider the buy in expense to the program an investment to buy the aircraft as an initial investment like you ( it has value). If you are paying an hourly rate for the program that would be part of your operating cost per hour in my book. Are you factoring that into your hourly cost?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:23

Username Protected wrote:

Jet Stream 3100

Real pilot in the house, lol. I flew the 3200 and 4100 way back when. The only plane harder to fly than a Merlin! :thumbup:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:27

Username Protected wrote:

Jet Stream 3100

Real pilot in the house, lol. I flew the 3200 and 4100 way back when. The only plane harder to fly than a Merlin! :thumbup:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:33

Username Protected wrote:

Nobody will believe this, aside maybe from other MU2 drivers, so I'll post up the bills if anybody needs me to; pics or it didn't happen and all that.

My first 100 hour has come and gone. During my first 100 hours I racked up a whopping just under 10 grand in MX, including the 100 hour inspection. I racked up 9k in engine reserve.

That's just under $200/hour for airframe.

Insurance, 12k/year. Hangar, $16,800/year. Training, Firelight, gizmos, bs, 6k/year. Call the whole bit 35k/year, so like 3k/month. I flew 100 hours in just under three months, so that's another $90/hour.

Let's pad it a little and call it all in excluding gas like $300/hour.

Gas is averaging me ~3.50 gallon, I'm burning 85 gals/hour when you figure short segments in there. Call that another $300/hour.

So, for $600/hour all in, I've got a 300 and low change knot bird that seats six comfortably, climbs right to FL270 or FL280, handles ice well, and goes 1300NM with an IFR reserve. Climbs like a raped ape. Stops on icy runways with no drama and little distance, takes off on less than 2500'.

I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I couldn't be happier.

Second sentence second paragraph, that's the 9k engine reserve; 45$*100hrs.*2motors. It's in there...I agree about the buy in and the prebuy.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:35

RJ's, autopilots and glass cockpits, I tell ya, the world is coming to an end! :rofl:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 17:35

Craig, I would say airframe and avionics/instruments so far have been a bit over a hundred an hour. I am on GMP which is another hundred for both engines. I am thankful to have a great mechanic who flys down here to do my inspections. So far I have had to have one repair done on the road and it happened to be a blown flap actuator on a recurrent training flight and we landed where there was an airline with about 30 Metros. They had me fixed up in a day and I was on my way again.

Great airplane and I do not think I would be doing the flights I do in anything less. Just flew 10,000 nm in three weeks with stops in Aspen, Kansas City and TCI for some beach and waves. The large cabin of the Merlin works great for my family since it is only about half full giving them all alot of room for the long legs. A pressure diff of 7 psi works great for keeping fatigue to a minimum.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 18:06

Username Protected wrote:

It looks like MU2s have various seating configuration, engines etc...

Yes, there's a lot of model to model variation to figure out.

Quote:

What will $400K get me?

Depends.

Right now the MU2 market is pretty dry, hard to find good quality examples for sale. Demand is strong.

I'm sure either one of these can be bought for $400K:

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/detail/air ... 41879.html

Fresh engines, paint, and interior, but the panel is old.

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/detail/air ... 94681.html

G600 plus Garmins, engines 4700 SMOH (TBO 5400) but 1000 hours left on hot section and you could fly past TBO being part 91. I flew this one in 2007 briefly. Does have glass windshields, nicer in icing, but is high cost to replace.

Both are short body 3 blade, which I think is the best combination. If the price on the M model is sufficiently low, that would be my choice, and plan on a hots in 1000 hours and flying another 1800 after that before overhaul. I'd review this plan with an engine shop to be sure it works (no cycle limits hit, SBs, etc). The K versus M comparison: 5 psi versus 6 psi cabin, FL250 versus FL280 ceiling, 9920 lbs versus 10470 lbs gross.

Quote:

Please post your budget for operating this aircraft..

I'll post my actual expense history when I get some time to put it all together.

Mike C.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 18:41

I looked into the K and its very fresh, but needs radios I told the owner that I thought the plane was only worth $375K. I believe it may have had some DH 20+ years ago. I think the M is worth mid $350s. Both are quite nice. I also, know of a well maintained early K with G600, 2x 430W but fairly high time engines that can be had in the low $200s. It is not that hard to find good used -5 or -6 engines with 1000-1500 hours left.

I too, believe (and I'm betting on) that these planes will easily go past 5400 hours. It is quite common to see part 135ers go 7000 hours. My plane has a 1000+ hours before hots, which at 75hrs/yr will last me awhile.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 18:46

So how much are the -5 and -6 engines and install?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 21 Feb 2015, 19:05

The prices that I saw were anywhere from 75k to 125k with trade, depending on yours and their hours. I understand that it only takes several hours to pull and install an engine.