Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lanl.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!wjh12!talcott!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!jlg
From: jlg@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Cessnas expensive to operate?  HA!
Message-ID: <18291@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 19:05:48 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.18291
Posted: Tue Dec 18 19:05:48 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Dec-84 01:28:54 EST
References: <276@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Sender: newsreader@lanl.ARPA
Distribution: net
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 41

> Initially, I was about to flame about the $3K to $5K estimate of yearly
> operating costs... 'til I did some figuring, and found that this value was
> only a little high.  The only thing is, if you fly the A/C yourself, and
> check it over thoughouly, you don't need a 100 hour inspection... besides,
> 100 hrs/year is a typical utilization rate.  Anyway, I challenge you to tell
> me how much less your Kitbuilt A/C will cost, per year.  If you have folding
> wings (pretty rare) you'll save on tiedown.  You'll probably pay MORE in
> insurance (if you carry more than just liability).  The only thing I have
> to pay that you don't is for a certified mechanic- and if I've read the
> proposal right, I may not have to do even that.  Admittedly my costs will
> be a little higher, the same as a used car costs more than a new one to
> maintain.  But I can buy parts from a lot of scrap airplanes.


I'm glad you admit that $3000-$5000 yearly is not really an overestimate
of the support cost of these old buggys.   I was careful NOT to overestimate
(not much anyway).  Furthermore, I never said that kitbuilt aircraft would
be significantly cheaper to maintain (although, I think they will be
slightly cheaper).  I did say, or intend to say, that ALL planes will
will be cheaper to maintain under the Primary Aircraft (PA) proposal.

The main point about the new kitplane designs though is the increased
cost/performance ratio.  These new planes go 1.5 to 2 times faster on a
third less fuel than the current batch of production aircraft.  The new
planes also fly higher (but not farther, darn - they have to use smaller
fuel tanks to reduce weight and bulk).  The cost to support these planes
will probably be about the same, but the performance is nearly doubled.
This makes them preferable to the older planes, if they were only available!
Who knows how many new people would become interested in aircraft ownership
if these new designs went into production.

I don't have time to build a kit plane (or the space to do it in), if I did
I would have a plane right now.  I frankly don't find the Cessna ilk
interesting enough to fly to pay the kind of support they require.  Some of
the kitplanes I've seen manage to cross this threshold of interest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something
because one wishes it to be so - Louis Pastuer

                                              James Giles