Aircraft age how old is to old

brien23

brien23

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Brien
With everything else equal of condition, how old is to old of a airplane. A C-172 over the years has improved, the narrow landing gear and O-300 are gone, comfort and safety improved. Piper has improved over the years, Beechcraft from the early Bonanza is much safer now.
 
brien23 said:
With everything else equal of condition, how old is to old of a airplane. A C-172 over the years has improved, the narrow landing gear and O-300 are gone, comfort and safety improved. Piper has improved over the years, Beechcraft from the early Bonanza is much safer now.
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Are you asking questions or making statements?

You don't have a single question mark in your headline or in your opening post.

You might just be making statements to hear yourself, or, you might be looking for a discussion, or, you might be looking for education.
 
As long as the airframe isn't limited life and the engine is kept up to par, than age is just a number buddy.
 
It's not the age ,it's the condition,and how the aircraft was maintained.
 
Ryanb said:
As long as the airframe isn't limited life and the engine is kept up to par, than age is just a number buddy.
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Timely question and response. I have a similar question where if an airframe has a stated "initial airframe life", what becomes of the aircraft once it meets that maximum? Is it scrap, or does converting to "experimental" extend its life?
 
rtk11 said:
Timely question and response. I have a similar question where if an airframe has a stated "initial airframe life", what becomes of the aircraft once it meets that maximum? Is it scrap, or does converting to "experimental" extend its life?
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It is technically scrap. The manufacturer is saying that beyond the life limit it is no longer certified as airworthy. I.e., the wings could fall off.
 
Some of the best flying planes I've had the pleasure to fly have been built in the 40s

Some because it's newer doesn't mean it's better
 
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rtk11 said:
Timely question and response. I have a similar question where if an airframe has a stated "initial airframe life", what becomes of the aircraft once it meets that maximum? Is it scrap, or does converting to "experimental" extend its life?
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They are typically scrapped. If the owner wants them to be organ donors he/she will sell off the usable parts (if any) and try to make a nickel from them.
 
Just like people, some are ready for the scrap heap at 40 and some can run well at over 80.

In both, fatigue life is the answer. Total time, baring corrosion, is NOT the determining factor for both airframes and people.

Cheers
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
mine is almost 50 years old....:eek:
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Considering the last 170 came off the line in 1957, many flying cesuras are older than that.
In many cases the data tag is the only thing that old.
 
Tom-D said:
Considering the last 170 came off the line in 1957, many flying cesuras are older than that.
In many cases the data tag is the only thing that old.
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what about the airframe?.....that's new? :eek:
 
brien23 said:
With everything else equal of condition, how old is to old of a airplane. A C-172 over the years has improved, the narrow landing gear and O-300 are gone, comfort and safety improved. Piper has improved over the years, Beechcraft from the early Bonanza is much safer now.
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when I see "10,000 hours" I tell them to go some where else, I don't need the work.
 
mscard88 said:
Guess the OP has never seen Warbirds at an airshow, or the various Piper Cub acts. Troll?
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Pretty much.

Physical age has very little to do with anything. What matters is how it has been cared for and or restored.

My oldest is over 83 now.

I trust it far more than some of the trash I have seen rotting on ramps built in the 80s and 90s.
 
Worst plane I ever flew was a 2003 (ish) 172 with under 3,000hrs, thing was beat and might have well been wrenched by a spider monkey.
 
N659HB said:
Mine is 70!
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Mine is 70 as well. I was eating lunch a few months ago at a fly-in diner in Fredericksburg when a lady there started asking me questions. "Where are you from?" "What do you do for a living?" "Did you drive in just for the car show?" I pointed at my plane and said I flew in for lunch and to see the car show. She said, "Well, somebody makes a lot of money." I laughed and said it's not as expensive as you think. She started laughing and saying a new airplane had to cost a lot of money. I told her it's a 1946. She rolled her eyes and looked at her husband, saying, "He's says that's a 1946 airplane. Whatever, that's a brand new airplane." She got up and left! Her husband just smiled the whole time and nodded at me as he left. Poor guy...
26591126832_740773bd92_b.jpg
 
Lowflynjack said:
Mine is 70 as well. I was eating lunch a few months ago at a fly-in diner in Fredericksburg when a lady there started asking me questions. "Where are you from?" "What do you do for a living?" "Did you drive in just for the car show?" I pointed at my plane and said I flew in for lunch and to see the car show. She said, "Well, somebody makes a lot of money." I laughed and said it's not as expensive as you think. She started laughing and saying a new airplane had to cost a lot of money. I told her it's a 1946. She rolled her eyes and looked at her husband, saying, "He's says that's a 1946 airplane. Whatever, that's a brand new airplane." She got up and left! Her husband just smiled the whole time and nodded at me as he left. Poor guy...
26591126832_740773bd92_b.jpg
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Damn, that's gorgeous!
 
James331 said:
Worst plane I ever flew was a 2003 (ish) 172 with under 3,000hrs, thing was beat and might have well been wrenched by a spider monkey.
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Yeah this. I rented some ~2004 172SPs, and because they were beaten to hell as rentals, everything seems loose, everything was beat up, etc. Age has little/nothing to do with it. How has it been treated, how is the fatigue life on respective parts, is there any corrosion, etc. are much more important.
 
brien23 said:
With everything else equal of condition, how old is to old of a airplane. A C-172 over the years has improved, the narrow landing gear and O-300 are gone, comfort and safety improved.
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You know, I don't consider all of those "improvements." My old straight tail 172 was way more fun to fly than later models, O-300, narrow gear, and all. In fact, as a more experienced pilot and aerial photographer I happen to prefer the narrow gear.
 
Lowflynjack said:
Mine is 70 as well. I was eating lunch a few months ago at a fly-in diner in Fredericksburg when a lady there started asking me questions. "Where are you from?" "What do you do for a living?" "Did you drive in just for the car show?" I pointed at my plane and said I flew in for lunch and to see the car show. She said, "Well, somebody makes a lot of money." I laughed and said it's not as expensive as you think. She started laughing and saying a new airplane had to cost a lot of money. I told her it's a 1946. She rolled her eyes and looked at her husband, saying, "He's says that's a 1946 airplane. Whatever, that's a brand new airplane." She got up and left! Her husband just smiled the whole time and nodded at me as he left. Poor guy...
26591126832_740773bd92_b.jpg
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Gotta be a new plane, too shiny for a old plane.
 
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