I'll admit that I haven't yet flown in an A36, so I cannot fairly compare Cirrus vs. Bo on a 1.5 hr flight comparison. It sure would be helpful for an experienced BT member to show me what BO's are all about...

Don,

Yes, when considering the purchase costs it can have a dramatic effect on the total cost of ownership. Especially when considering new planes. I kept that separate because the primary purpose of my plane is related to work and investments I have made and it would have made the spreadsheet crazy and provided little additional value to me. Based on comments from many others they have a fixed budget and therefore again the purchase price provides little value for many.

Tim

John,

I agree with a minor caveat. I tried to even out the variables as much as possible focused on operating costs which are much more limited in scope. My goal was not to find the cheapest, best deal, or make the numbers say what I want. My goal was to determine budget, expectations of outliers and what each step up in capability would cost.
What I found was that a certain level of capability would cost X. I sometimes found a plane with the same capability which costs 2X. That was a major point of my research. (e.g. Cessna SkyMaster seemed to be so expensive I never bothered to enter into the spreadsheet)

Tim

I couldn't have said it better. Ain't that the truth!!!!!

Some ways, yes; some ways, no. I've heard more than one person on here say that they viewed the chute in similar ways to viewing a second engine if you lost one at night or in IMC. The chute brings comfort.

Safety records of both the chute and the twin give liberal amounts of room for argument. With that said, both would bring me comfort at those times.


55 - yeah, of course, but that's apples and oranges. I am talking about A36 or V35 vs. Cirrus SR22.

Interesting thread. I currently fly a number of different aircraft, but the A36 is, and always has been my favorite. A couple of years ago I flew an SR22 regularly and it was an easy, fun plane to fly, and I really liked 180 KTS at lower altitudes.

Prior to buying my G36, I flew numerous Cirrus planes as well as Saratoga and Cessna. Main decision points came down to 6 seats, quality of construction, resale, and composite vs metal. In addition, I am one of the few I guess that thinks the best days of aviation are still ahead. We have some very smart people working on alternative engines, better avionics, safety items, etc. We simply have no real idea of what GA will look like in 2030 right now but people will continue to get tired of TSA checks, packed flights, etc. Flying IMHO is much easier than it was in the 70s with modern tech and I cannot wait to see the future GA airplanes from around the world (who says it is essential for the US will continue to lead the way???).

Charles...what was the task?

Charles...what was the task?

The Cirrus looks like a great aircraft and has raised the bar for GA. Most of us grinding over mountain IFR at night in a piston single have at least thought about the chute...it took some real pioneering to make that a certified reality.

As far as return on investment...

I can attest that you can buy an older A36, upgrade it well and fly it for 225 hours in 2 years and then sell it at a fair price...and still come out ahead on the investment.

The SR 22 has not been out long enough for a fair comparison, but I believe that would be more difficult to do in a Cirrus. They seem to be depreciating more rapidly than the Bonanza. I suspect that the ease of maintenance and quality start to take over as a big cost driver as the airframe ages.

Anyone who owns either aircraft is among the most fortunate people. I loved flying my Bonanza, but I think the Cirrus would be pretty fun as well.

Innovation: Cirrus +1

Residual value: Bonanza +1

KJ

... and yet, TCO is important if you are trying to figure out whether you can simply afford the plane.

It certainly has been the case so far, but I wonder if Cirrus depreciation is going to slow down a lot once the prices hit the territory occupied by 40 years old aircraft. I can't imagine 2003 Cirrus costing less than a 1973 V35 a few years from now.

Before I bought my Bonanza, I was almost set on buying a 2001 or 2002 SR22. $150k was about the bottom of the market then. Seems to be about the same now. Of course, then they all were about to need a chute repack, and now they have all had it done. So overall, I would say perhaps a little depreciation, but not much over 3 or 4 years.

We bought a new G3 in 2004, and it was a great plane to fly.....went to the left coast and back a couple times, up to New England, back to Ohio State games, etc.

When the warranty ran out, taking it to the Cirrus Service Center was expensive....I imagine it's like taking a Bonanza to a Beech Service Center.

I never worried about its 12,000 airframe limit.

Very interesting thread !!!!!

Prior to buying my latest Bo I had the fortune of flying several Cirrus and even had the chance to fly #5000 which was the 5000th Cirrus built. This SR22 was decked out with every innovation you can imagine and a price tag of around 800K. At the time I flew it and after being dazzled by the so to speak "new car smell" I was convinced I was going to buy one. Not the 800K model but a nice used SR22. The plane flew great and lets face it they look like a new Mercedes on the inside. I have always been that guy that wants the new model car or truck and the latest bells and whistles. Like most BTers I am what you would call a gadget guy. At the time I was looking to purchase I was comparing the SR22 and the A36 and owned a 1967 Deb. After I pulled myself back from "the new car smell" which by the way I never do, it came down to which one flew better and I could honestly not say the 800K Cirrus flew better than the 45 year old Deb I was flying. I did not sleep for several days because how was this possible? ( did I mention it had every bell and whistle? ) and I really wanted it !!!!!! So the bottom line is even after they threw the 800K model at one of the biggest gadget guys around they still could not mask the fact that the 45 year old Bo flew better, and that Beech hit an absolute home run in 1947 when they started building these beast we call BO's. The BO is the best flying plane around and there is just nothing like them in smooth and rough air. I have a 21 year old son that is just starting his license and we flew on Tues night this week and it was absolutely the best conditions you could ask for. Temp 42 degrees and winds calm after taking off and climbing out he looked at me and said " it just does not get any better than this dad". So in the end I will take my new to me 1976 A36 with it's new car smell AIR FRESHNER, 6 seats, new paint job, ever changing panel, and most importantly great ride and stability !!!!!! I would never fault anyone for buying the Cirrus as they are a great aircraft and they came very, very, very close to getting this gadget guy to buy one but in the end I am very happy with my decision and very happy with staying with the BO.