Does "ugly" just not count anymore?
The "cheap" Cirrus I've seen are seriously beat up and pretty sad looking. The gel coating on the fuselage and wings is all sun abused, the panel has clearly been used hard, and the plane is just missing that "Cirrus" feel you get. For $250K I have to agree with @Salty that you are better off with a *very* well equipped Mooney or something else. You need to spend about $400K to get into a "real" CirrusCan’t you just find a used Cirrus for $250K?
I know, right?! I got a ride (finally!) in a Bonanza a few weeks ago.. my impressionsNo, see how popular the Bonanza still is?
Let alone a high wing Cessna with struts and everything hanging out...
No, see how popular the Bonanza still is?
Let alone a high wing Cessna with struts and everything hanging out...
Tim
The "cheap" Cirrus I've seen are seriously beat up and pretty sad looking. The gel coating on the fuselage and wings is all sun abused, the panel has clearly been used hard, and the plane is just missing that "Cirrus" feel you get. For $250K I have to agree with @Salty that you are better off with a *very* well equipped Mooney or something else. You need to spend about $400K to get into a "real" Cirrus...
...as far as Cessna's, I will never understand why these planes are as prolific as they are, they encourage sloppy flying from students and pilots who haven't flown anything else and outside of a few roles (like flying heavy loads on unimproved strips) I really don't know what kind of appeal these planes have...
Flying is as much romance as practicality. I can confidently say I'll never buy a big Cessna twin.. or probably any twin for that matter with the exception of the DA62 or the A*Doesn't it have one too many engines for your preference?
The wife is already having a lot of trouble getting in and out of the Mooney, and with 1 door, I'm limited in how much I can help. It's not that important now, but it will continue to be more and more important.With item #2 (2 doors), that kicks most of them out, if it's a hard requirement.
Some are a little faster, or cheaper, have more useful load (although of questionable use on the Bo's with the aft CG issue) and comfort being very subjective. The RV-10 is probably the closest match on all items. Mooney, Bo, TTx, and others are certainly in mix with pros and cons.
I'm in the hunt for a SR22. For me it's just the best mix. Occasionally I look at other brands, as it's close, but keep coming back to a SR22. It does cost a little more annually, but to me it's worth it. Other people prefer other planes as they more closely meet their desires. It's great that we have options.
Nope. Certainly not, especially the G1 and G2. I've been told that those improved with G3 and subsequent and the G3 and later birds I've seen I have no idea how old are how hard their lives have been as they've all seemed really nice, but all fetch some proper coin. You'll see the same thing with boats, the first few Beneteau FIRST (their racing line) really did not age well at all, the gel coats got obliterated in the sunHmmm. Doesn't seem to be much of an endorsement for the longevity of these expensive baubles.
I've seen @motoadve videos, that's a great roll for a Cessna. If I had Musk money I'd have a seriously proper 182 with all the mods on there. But as a general plane to own and fly the high wings just don't do it for me. And "rigging" etc., they just don't seem to fly the same.. maybe it's the wing being on top and the overall geometry and physics of the airflow but they feel less sporty. To each their own though, as the other poster said, it is awesome that even in a small niche hobby like ours we have as many options as we do!LOL. Paging @Mtns2Skies or @motoadve
Hmmm. Doesn't seem to be much of an endorsement for the longevity of these expensive baubles.
LOL. Paging @Mtns2Skies or @motoadve
The "cheap" Cirrus I've seen are seriously beat up and pretty sad looking. The gel coating on the fuselage and wings is all sun abused, the panel has clearly been used hard, and the plane is just missing that "Cirrus" feel you get. For $250K I have to agree with @Salty that you are better off with a *very* well equipped Mooney or something else. You need to spend about $400K to get into a "real" Cirrus
I know, right?! I got a ride (finally!) in a Bonanza a few weeks ago.. my impressions
-ramp appeal: very handsome, those wings are absolutely epic
-inside: I felt crazy cramped.. and who ever thought using that giant bar for the yokes was a complete idiot, getting to the gear, flaps, transponder, most of the toggle switches, requires finger gymnastics
-flight qualities: it flew very true and had a solid, determined feel, but didn't have the "it goes exactly where I point it" feel that the Cirrus has
as far as Cessna's, I will never understand why these planes are as prolific as they are, they encourage sloppy flying from students and pilots who haven't flown anything else and outside of a few roles (like flying heavy loads on unimproved strips) I really don't know what kind of appeal these planes have
But I digress
@Salty should either stick to Mooney, or if he's willing to go the Lancair route then there are some really nice offerings in the $200K to $300K range.. or just wait a few more years, plant a few more money trees, and bite the bullet on buying a Cirrus
The wife is already having a lot of trouble getting in and out of the Mooney, and with 1 door, I'm limited in how much I can help. It's not that important now, but it will continue to be more and more important.
Nope. Certainly not, especially the G1 and G2. I've been told that those improved with G3 and subsequent and the G3 and later birds I've seen I have no idea how old are how hard their lives have been as they've all seemed really nice, but all fetch some proper coin. You'll see the same thing with boats, the first few Beneteau FIRST (their racing line) really did not age well at all, the gel coats got obliterated in the sun
We did park next to a very early SR20 last weekend (i think it's a flight school rental) and it look thrashed compared to ours.
There exception of #6? I thought the RV10 was one of the roomiest most comfortable planes I ever sat in. I never had the chance to try a Cirrus but if a 10 ain't big enough for you, the Cirrus must be gigantic.With exception of #6 maybe I’d go along with that. Can you put a chute in an rv10 without losing a lot of useful?
Who said size is the only metric for comfort?There exception of #6? I thought the RV10 was one of the roomiest most comfortable planes I ever sat in. I never had the chance to try a Cirrus but if a 10 ain't big enough for you, the Cirrus must be gigantic.
I've yet to meet a Cirrus owner under 40.. which puts him and her squarely outside the millennial bracket, but it is fun to exploit disproved stereotypes. You know they come in more colors than clorox white... right? If rivets are important to you then can probably custom paint some on for you, actually it's a win:win.. you'll get the cool rivet look without the associated risk of metal fatigue and corrosionMaybe if I were a hipster millennial I would be thinking Cirri or Diamond without having to wear a grocery bag over my head when walking thru the FBO
The BO....beautiful. Owned three and mucho time in Barons. The Baron I flew most had the big dual yoke....you get used to it much like the screwed up quadrant in that plane.
It is clear that aesthetics are not important to many. Maybe if I were a hipster millennial I would be thinking Cirri or Diamond without having to wear a grocery bag over my head when walking thru the FBO.
That's a big thing, hangaring it! The rental ones really did not age well baking out in the sun.. there is a G2 (or maybe even G1) SR22 at MYF that is kept in a hangar and looks greatI flew a 2002 SR22 for several years. It was kept in a hangar. It looks worlds better than the 2003 and 2004 rental planes parked out on the ramp. They look several years older instead of a year or two younger.
haha, why is that heresy? Is there some unspoken rule that you're supposed to build your own homebuilt?I know this is heresy...
And contrary to @Captain Larry I think aesthetics are very important, but everyone's "beauty" is going to be different.. it's not just older Beech planes, but many of the older designs you can tell they were hand drawn.. not CAD. I happen to find the Comanche a very beautiful airplane, a Mooney-esq wing, sleek fuselage, and a tail that's on correctly. But with CAD also came optimizations in comfort and speed. The Cirrus is a little "bubbly" but no other cabin will give you that kind of width *and* height in the cabin, with a back seat that is genuinely comfortable to sit inThe bold portion is critical. It explains why people continue to buy older Beech planes.
haha, why is that heresy? Is there some unspoken rule that you're supposed to build your own homebuilt?
The bold portion is critical. It explains why people continue to buy older Beech planes. The Bonanza is really the only low wing plane I can think of where the plane actually looks like it is sitting still.
This is caused by the combination of the fat wing, and the overall small cabin, which gets a lot smaller as you move backwards.
Tim
There's no point in trying to justify anything that isn't an Aerostar or a Cirrus to Tantalum. I'm not even going to try. Just a waste of breath/typing.
ha!.. it's not easy being me. I am hard to please, this I admit!There's no point in trying to justify anything that isn't an Aerostar or a Cirrus to Tantalum. I'm not even going to try. Just a waste of breath/typing.
There's no point in trying to justify anything that isn't an Aerostar or a Cirrus to Tantalum. I'm not even going to try. Just a waste of breath/typing.
West coast is the best coast.
If I thought an ocean coastline was like vomit, I'd probably go hide in flyover country too.
That's like saying the best kind of vomit is...
That's a PoA thing, absolutely loathing, despising, and abhorring California.. you just have to accept it
I totally get it. I moved here from Boston and you couldn't get me to move back there. Working (mostly) from home I don't have to deal much with the traffic and have created my own little social eco system here.. pricing, politics, etc., are similar here (San Diego) vs Boston but at least the scenery and weather are nicerOh no the same goes for Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, St Louis, Phoenix, Las Vegas...
I totally get it. I moved here from Boston and you couldn't get me to move back there. Working (mostly) from home I don't have to deal much with the traffic and have created my own little social eco system here.. pricing, politics, etc., are similar here (San Diego) vs Boston but at least the scenery and weather are nicer
my dream would be a house somewhere on Flathead Lake in Montana with enough land for my own airstrip and a few planes, maybe a flying boat or too
The problem is that by the time we can afford that, we also need to be near a major medical center for the monthly medical visits.
Tim
Perhaps Tantalums measures are different than mine, but we managed to pick up a pretty clean G1 for much less than $250k (even if you include engine OH, WAAS upgrade, ADSB, and an interior refresh, which could be done but are in no way needed now). If you're looking for the features of the newer birds, then $250k is going to have less ramp appeal, but even some decent G2's can be found in that range.
We did park next to a very early SR20 last weekend (i think it's a flight school rental) and it look thrashed compared to ours.