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Old 02-27-2017, 06:09 AM
  #3  
lava
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Joined APC: Aug 2016
Posts: 24
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I would pick the one with the tallest landing gear. That way you will have someplace for your family to live after you spend yourself out of house and home. You left the Cessna 310 off the list, good airplane, tall gear.

-Unless you're out in the sticks, hangar for a twin is about $480-500/month, so 6k per year.
-You'll need to change the oil at least twice a year, if you can get Phillips 20-50 cheap, it's still $67/case, you'll need 2 cases per oil change (about 10 quarts capacity for a 6-cyl continental and some consumption). Oh and filters, tools, and labor if you don't do it yourself.
-Annual inspection? Got a mechanic you trust and who has worked on that type before? Unless you do an owner-assisted, the piper/beech/Cessna service center can charge you whatever they want and that's 2-3k before they have to fix anything. If you do it yourself, you need the right tools, jacks or a cradle and a cheap set of jacks is $900.
-You can run an engine past TBO if you're not flying it commercially, but you may not want to do the same with your props as seals get tired and corrosion hides in strange places and you just don't want your prop coming off.
-Transponder, pitot-static checks (not too much, about 1-2 hours of labor every 2 years if everything works) and ADS-B compliance (5-12k) will be bills you'll have to face unless you're going to fly VFR only below 10k MSL. Then toss in database updates (400-500/year) for whatever GPS navigator you have.
-Turbosuperchargers? Yet another maintenance piece, somewhat trouble free when they're dialed in, rarely are they dialed in and trouble free on these engines.
-Insurance? That will be based on hull value (which you'll set) but based on your hours expect to pay about $1000/year for a 30,000 hull value. Pretty linear above and below that.
-If your family travel footprint is small (2-3 people) you can cut some of those costs almost in half with a single engine. Lots of NAvions, Bonanzas, and Mooneys out there. Not too strangely, purchase price for a decent one with a mid-time engine is about the same as a twin.

Grandpa told me as a young man that if it flies, floats, or does something else that starts with an f, it's better to rent it. Now, I've owned 2 planes, my dad had 2, and Grandpa had a beautiful old ChrisCraft and we were all married at least once, so we don't listen to our own advice. Based on some of your earlier posts, you may want to wait until pay and schedule settle before you sling a twin-engine anchor around your neck. That is, unless you are a lottery winner and married to an A&P/IA.

Last edited by lava; 02-27-2017 at 06:11 AM. Reason: spelling of "advice"
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