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From: ltn@lems.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Primary aircraft proposal (longish).
Message-ID: <158@lems.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Dec-84 18:03:40 EST
Article-I.D.: lems.158
Posted: Thu Dec 27 18:03:40 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Jan-85 01:46:20 EST
References: <4@decvax.UUCP> <213@terak.UUCP> <17427@lanl.ARPA> <214@terak.UUCP> <711@amdahl.UUCP> 
Reply-To: ltn@lems.UUCP (Les Niles)
Organization: lems
Lines: 32

[]
In article  doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) writes:
>...
>For those who responded that they would like to see an inexpensive
>airplane, RUN, don't walk, to your nearest airport.  Look over
>the bulletin board, walk around the ramp.  Any used 2-seater over
>$7500 bucks is probably a rip-off, unless it's an almost new
>Cessna 152 or the like.  Cessna 150s run from $4000 ranked-out
>with a run-out engine to about $7000 with nearly new engine.
>Including a radio!  But don't buy without a mechanic checking it out.
>
>If you think that the Primary Aircraft proposal will produce planes
>that cost less than 10 grand, then we are in grave disagreement
>as to the realities of pricing a plane which the manufacturer has
>paid over $5000 just for the engine and $1000 for the radio.
>...
>Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug

I've seen this argument before:  A *used* C-150 (or even C-172) can
easily be bought now for <$10K, and any *new* Primary Aircraft will
have to cost well over $10K, so nothing can be gained.
Isn't it obvious?  A new C-152 now costs ~$30K, and a C-172 is ~$60K.
So which will cost less five years from now, a Primary Aircraft that
sold new for $15K, or a C-152 that sold new for $30K?  I'd bet on the
Primary Aircraft, which should get down to $5K or so in good condition.
(And therefore open aviation up to that many more people.)
As for the new Primary Aircraft, i'm not sure i wouldn't rather spend
$15K on one rather than $10K on a "standard" airplane several years
old, given the high price of maintenance and the fact that things do
start to wear out on older airplanes.

-les niles