I may have the opportunity to trade my B55 Colemill Baron for an Aerostar 700. I would have to throw in some cash as well. I have heard several things about these airplanes, good and bad. I also know one went down recently and they don't have the best accident record. There are also reliability concerns. The one I am considering was maintained by a place in UT called The Flight Shop. I don't yet have all the details on it except 3350 TT, engines 450 and 500, decent avionics, NDH. Asking $290K.

My question is has anyone had direct experience with Aerostars? I have seen some posts on them on this sight but would like to get some more info about safety, reliability, Lycoming tio-540 S1A5 engine and so forth. I even heard GAMI makes injectors for this engine and the S1A5 can often be run LOP, but not always.

Has anyone own or flown an Aerostar? Worked on them?

I like the Baron but 245Kts sounds real good.

Any comments and suggections are welcome.

Thanks

I do not have direct experience with this bird, but there is one hangered at HVN. I have witnessed several issues and believe parts are the major problem. The last issue they had was the hydraulic pump. No new pumps were available and they had to buy a "rebuilt" unit. After the third pump they think the problem has been corrected.
My only real recommendation is to talk to as many owner as time allows. Do not go into this type of aircraft without all the information you can obtain.

Eric,

My dad owned a 601p (N615HM) for many years they are good airplanes with good dispatch reliability if proactivly maintained, they are fast the 601p would do 225kts at FL250 all day long, good UL etc. Here is a thred that talks some about the airplane and the p Barron.... I loved flying that airplane.....

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43306&hilit=Aerostar

Jay

I have flown some non-turbo -600s and I absolutely loved flying them... They fly like a jet, and I don't mean a Citation. They are a kick in the pants to fly.... With that said, they are not for a mediocre pilot. Flying it single pilot in the weather, especially if you fly in the NE or the SW corridors would not be for the faint of heart.

Our local FBO maintains a -700 and it is not a low maintance airplane compared to a Baron, but compared to any other Pressuized twin, I think it is reasonable.

One thing about an Aerostar is they are a little funky.... The door in front of the prop is funky, the fuel system is funky, the seating arrangement is funky, the nose wheel steering is funky, and the engine in the wing necessitating removing the engine to change the rear cylinders is funky. The Aerostar kinda like a homebuilt, a really nice, well built homebuilt, but some things are just a little different than a store bought airplane.

With all that said, the airplane was designed by Ted Smith. He designed the B-25 and the A-26 and several other really fantastic flying airplanes with exceptional performance. The Aerostar is no exception. The wings are very small, the airplane is very clean, and it requires a very current, compentent, pilot.

Before you buy one ask someone you trust, besides the guy you see in the mirror in the morning, if you are up to it....

I would love to trade my Colemill P-II for one, but I can't justify the Baron, much less a -700...

I don't know what year 55 you are trading and specifics vs the Aerostar that you are considering, but I would think long and hard. I would first find a local mechanic that can work on Aerostars (they are far and few between) before I made that jump.

Keep the Baron & leave 5 mins earlier on an hr flight, 10 mins earlier on a 2 hr flight & save yourself the Aerostar hassle.

And don't let your AME know that those where thoughts in your head. He may just ground you

Thanks for the advice. I did look at the other post about the Aerostar versus the 58p. I estimate $400/hr to fly the Aerostar at 40 GPH. Right now the Colemill runs $300/hr at 25 GPH. I keep the Colemill very well maintained and do some of the minor stuff myself. I recently had Glen Biggs do the annual and he said it is a clean airplane. He is the expert from what I hear. I don't know who in my area (Oklahoma City) has the expertise on Aerostars. I heard Flight Shop in UT is good but I cannot take the plane there for every little problem.

People mention reliablity and maintainence issues. What are the weak areas on the Aerostar? Engines, pressurization, turbos, hydraulics? What do people know about the Lycoming tio 540s. I have Continental io550s now and think that TCm is building junk and cutting corners. I am not sure if Lycoming is better except their cylinders may be better.

I look forward to hear what other people have to say.

Eric

Eric,

Julie's aircraft in El Paso, TX is a excellent shop for the Aerostar, the biggest problem we had with ours was Hydrolics but once we got it dialed in it was great.. The engines will run hot if you are not careful, but will run well LOP, Like Doug said if you stay current and fly it like a jet you will have no problems. If you have questions PM me and I will give you my phone #. Dad had it for 5 years and it never left us stranded.


Jay

Oscar Taylor, out of Tulsa, owns the Aerostar with the Garrett TurboProp that was on display at Oshkosh.
he loves to talk about it.

email me if you like his number

I agree that they are sexy, in a somewhat disturbing way.

Something about the mid wing design or the props spinning right beside the fuselage seems a little un-nerving to me. Dunno, I'd still like to fly one though

Eric,

When it comes to Aerostars look no further than Wiley Post. A lot of history there and some knowledgable guys.

I would do it! Its like what someone said about owning a 56TC...At some time in your life you should own one if only to brag you did.

They are crazy fast and durable. Parts are becoming a problem for many airplanes.

One consideration: after 100LL is gone, the Aerostar will still have salvage value for a turbine upgrade!

Eric

I used to own a 600A. The 700 is a high performance aircraft. If you get a good one and have someone who knows Aerostars well to do your maintenance they are great aircraft. Most of the bad press comes from people who have never flown them. I took the 600A into short strips, no different to a Baron. Easy to fly as long as you stick to the numbers (not for sloppy pilots). PM me if you want more info.

Eric

kusten to the turbos spool up on takeoff
[youtube]http://youtu.be/CVbjfw8A2L4[/youtube]

I fly with a friend in a Superstar 700P. Phenominally fun airplane to fly with amazing handling for a twin. Want to go fast= fly high and push a lot fuel through it. Want to be frugal(well frugal for a twin turbos) fly low and lean. Maintainance is paramount and that it be done by an experienced Aerostar shop. Otherwise you'll pay for a lot of time and learning with dubious outcomes. My recommendation is Master Aviation in Danbury, Conn. Alan Speakmaster and his shop know all the nuances of the airplane. He's a good guy and would probably be very willing to give you the straight story on Aerostar ownership. Good Luck