Quote:
Originally Posted by usmc-sgt
We are looking for a lot for a little.
We are looking at older II's with relatively low time, cescom or similar, updated panel, recent paint and interior and near tbo engines for a steal.
We are looking for high 6's to low 7's for price and around 7000 hours. We have narrowed it down to two. We will overhaul the engines to hopefully have around 1.2 in it with 0 SOH. We will then change and tweak a few things but not too much.
We plan to sell it in a few years and get an encore or cj 2+ or 3+. If we do our research or the market turns a bit we are hoping to get out of it what we put into it before moving on.
Our mission ranges anywhere from 200 miles to 2000 miles.
This #&%*! web site lost about 20 minutes of typing by telling me I wasn't logged in when I clicked on Submit Reply - yet it said "Logged in as ____" at the top of the screen. When I tried to go back, it was all gone. Grrrrr . . . .
Anyway, I was trying to tell you that I did some major modifications to my panel when I bought a 550/551 three years ago:
Sierra glareshield mod to move the annunciator panel up
Garmin 530W (16 watt comm transmitter)
Garmin 430W (16 watt comm transmitter)
Garmin GMX-200 MFD
Jepps electronic charts on the GMX-200
Garmin XM/NEXRAD receiver
Garmin 330 Mode S
Garmin 327 Mode C
Sandel 4.5" EADI
Sandel 4.5" EHSI
New DVD entertainment system
110 VAC inverter and outlets for club seating
Sierra pneumatic lift forward baggage doors
Sierra radome mod
I've put about 530 hr on it in three years, flying from California to as far as Boston, NYC, Atlanta, Orlando, etc. One fuel stop each way unless the winds are absolutely terrible westbound, then I might need two (very rare).
I plan for 1400 pph/1000 pph/950 pph at FL350 eastbound and FL340 westbound at 360 kts TAS, and that works out very well. Climb at 200-220 depending on the day and airport, with T.O. weight typically in the 12,000-12,500 range unless I'm going somewhere close, then lower.
The Garmin WAAS upgrade does require new antennas and sending the boxes back to the factory - just did one on an L-39.
I can definitely recommend the panel setup - single pilot operations are far easier than when I flew a Duke (and C210/P210) coast-to-coast about 20 years ago with VOR/DME/RNAV and LORAN. Much, much easier than the original panel. I just finished the Single Pilot Waiver course and check ride two days ago in the sim with the old panel, and although I did it in the sim, I would not want to fly single pilot for real in a busy environment or tricky weather without a moving map display. With the Sandel EHSI, I see my approaches on the HSI as well as on the 530 and GMX-200.
Now that I have the Waiver, I'll convert the 551 back to a 550 (I did the reverse when I bought it - just paperwork) so I can go up to 13,300 lb. Someday I'll sell this one and move up to a V, Ultra, or Encore (I hope!), but for now, this one has been a sweet airplane to fly and it will suit me for a while.
I'm happy to send pics of the panel - there's also one here:
FlightAware > Photo of Cessna 551 Citation (N5WT)
I hope you find what you're looking for, but I think you may be underestimating overhaul costs - you may end up spending $1.2 MM or more just on the overhauls.
Walt