We think so and there are a number of choices in this category, ranging from the venerable Piper Cub, the Aeronca Champ, more shortwing Pipers such as the Super Cruiser, the Pacer and, what the heck, the Tri-Pacer, plus the Cessna 120/140 series. If you never fly far, fly only in the warm months and then only a few hours a year, why own a fast retrac? Wouldn’t an old ragwing with a small engine and tandem seating be just the ticket for an evening jaunt over the estate? All are cheap but hardly what we would call mainstream choices. Examples: An Alon Aercoupe or a Rockwell Darter or Lark. That also argues against something that’s too weird or likely to be considered an acquired taste by a potential buyer. On the other hand, if you buy a fast appreciator – a J-3 Cub – you might actually realize a slight profit at resale time and you won’t lack for buyers when you’re ready to sell. If you buy something truly odd – dare we say it, a SeaBee – the market may be limited at resale time if you really want to unload the thing. We know it sounds cynical but would you rather pay $1200 for a new aileron or $300 for a used one? Why? More have crashed and are in the boneyard, where they can be cannibalized for parts. Generally, when cheap tops your list, the more of a particular model that was built, the better. We’re not saying they’re not good buys, but know the engine numbers going into the deal. And watch for nice airframes that have oddball, expensive-to-overhaul engines, such as pre-1968 Cessna 172s. These can be both a nuisance and expensive. When buying cheap, it’s important to avoid models with long-as-your-arm recurring AD lists. For that reason, picking the oldest model of anything is not always the least-expensive way to own an airplane over the long haul. They’re out there for a song but the airframes are dated, some are historically poorly maintained and parts can be both hard to find and expensive. Older Bonanzas are a good example of this. It’s sometimes worth spending a little more for an airframe or a type that’s easy and cheap to maintain than buying rock-bottom into a maintenance hog. When purchase and maintenance cost is a primary consideration, airplane shopping is tricky. If you’ve got the wallet to consider a medium or cabin-class twin, cheap-to-keep is not a consideration. Cheap is not always the lowest purchase price but the best value for the dollar.įor the sake of simplicity, we’re picking five categories: putt-around-the-pattern flivvers, entry-level trainers, fixed-gear cruisers, economy retracts and affordable twins. Herewith then is our survey of some of the cheaper airplanes to both own and keep, thus “cheap to keep.” Now let’s cut through the confusion here at the outset: We’re not saying these are the best airplanes in their class, the fastest or the prettiest, just the cheapest to buy and maintain based on current Bluebook Price Digest values. Yet if flying isn’t the center point of your life but you still want to own an airplane, there are affordable ways to have both an airplane and enough money for dinner and a movie once a month.
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