I’ve said for years the only thing that would get us out of our TAT TN 550 A36 would be pressurization.

So, what’s the best VALUE (thinking total cost of ownership) in a FIKI, pressurized aircraft?

I’ve long thought the Malibu was the answer, although some might say the P-210 or the 58P.

???

Jim

a PC-12

If runway length isn't a problem, Dukes seem great and well-priced.

Depends on hangar costs and hours per year.

If you can get a hangar for the Malibu with its long wingspan, without paying exorbitantly more than a T-Hangar.... and you fly enough hours per year for fuel cost to be significant... then the Malibu seems best.

I have heard over and over the Malibu is just a much better airplane than the P210, starting with the 5.5psi cabin, and with older Malibu's getting cheaper the CapEx savings on a P210 is less significant.

The 58P can fit into most T-hangars as I understand it, and many owners don't really fly a lot of hours per year, so fuel costs are not that significant for a lot of owners. So if you fly less and have fewer hangar options, the 58P. IIRC it's only a 3.5psi cabin, which is significantly less than the Malibu.

I am going to exclude the Experimentals, but if you understand the risks and tradeoffs maybe a Lancair IV-P or Evolution or similar would be the best value.

Other ideas??

P-337 maybe?

Bang for the buck, 421b's are looking good right now.

It all depends your mission and pilot skill level, for me it was an A*. A decade later my choice would still be the same, to go 15% faster would cost over twice as much money.

Okay, we need to keep our house. How about acquisition cost of $350,000 or less?

Aerostars and P337's.

My definition of value:

Minimum total ownership cost, inclusive of capital and depreciation, over 5 years/500 hours with confidence that the exit strategy is sale of an airworthy aircraft to another end user. Extraordinary costs and extraordinary luck excluded.

The pressurized traditional twins are all $600+/hr machines to operate
337 not FIKI (not most 421B's technically). P210's are a mixed bag - some FIKI, some not

The Conti powered Malibu ('84-'88) is a great combination of low capital cost and low (for class) maintenance cost in an airframe with a robust mfr and 3rd party support environment. You might get lucky running a twin for less, but the average is worse and the downside is a lot worse. If your malibu starts making metal and you don't want to spend $75K ... somebody will buy it and fix it. Duke/340 making metal ... you own a pavementweight.

All the above P-Twins are hangar queens................with huge maintenance costs. (I can hear the wailing now!!!)

Probably the P-Baron is the least worst of the lot.

Mirage question - at overhaul time can a Mirage be converted to a Continental TSIO-550 via the M5 STC?

FWIW I am not multi-engine rated, but presume that’s not an issue (just training).

Instrument rated and about 2,000 hours all but a couple hundred of those in our A36.

Since getting the TAT TN 7 years ago we’ve done a fair number of flights in the 15,000 - 17,500’ range. It has flat out spoiled us for higher altitudes. These days we only fly below 11 or 12k when weather requires lower altitudes.

No, the Malibu won’t fit in my hangar. That’s the biggest negative so far.

I don't think so. (The Malibu can be converted 520>550).

Chad Menne at Malibu Aerospace would be the guy to ask

Mid Teens is the sweet spot for the P210