Comanche value

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asgcpa

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Came across a Comanche 260 later 60s. AF approx6,000. TSMO about 1500 hrs. It would be quite a trek to see it. Has all avionics. Owners estate wants me to make an offer. Suggestions? Prices are all over the board. Plane has everything I want. Worried though about my inexperience at this point. Weve been looking at 235 and their ilk. Granted have to talk to my partners about this one....
 
So its a short body Comanche 260?

They are not as desirable as a B or C model in the resale market - due to useful load and space.

Depends on the avionics and autopilot - if its what you want then make an offer - engines and props add real value when you spend the money to do them but avionics seem to add 1/3 - 1/2 of the cost to install, if that.

Paint. Interior. Gear. Tail. Thems the expensive items for a Comanche and if they are good - you are golden.
 
asgcpa said:
Came across a Comanche 260 later 60s. AF approx6,000. TSMO about 1500 hrs. It would be quite a trek to see it. Has all avionics. Owners estate wants me to make an offer. Suggestions? Prices are all over the board. Plane has everything I want. Worried though about my inexperience at this point. Weve been looking at 235 and their ilk. Granted have to talk to my partners about this one....
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They want you to say the first number, I'd offer 25k and go from there
 
Yup, sight unseen, no insp, no pre-buy I'd go mid 20s. Be respectful so that when they reject it, you can move on to serious negotiations on conditions, inspections, ADs, etc.
 
First thing I would be curious about is when it flew last.. When was the last annual? When airplanes comes up in an estate sale, it usually means the airplane has been sitting for quite awhile. Find out how much time the airplane has flown in the last 5 years and let us know. I bought an airplane once that sat for 2 years without flying and it took me about a year to work all the squawks out of it, including a high dollar annual..


asgcpa said:
Came across a Comanche 260 later 60s. AF approx6,000. TSMO about 1500 hrs. It would be quite a trek to see it. Has all avionics. Owners estate wants me to make an offer. Suggestions? Prices are all over the board. Plane has everything I want. Worried though about my inexperience at this point. Weve been looking at 235 and their ilk. Granted have to talk to my partners about this one....
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Art, ping EdFred from this site (SW Michigan). His Comanche 250 has been for sale on and off.....it's a sweetie.
 
Late 1960's will have a premium price. 1966 model is B model and I think 67 or 69 are the C's. both are good models with duel brakes and electric flaps and electric landing gear plus 90 gallon fuel takes standard equipment, duel nav/com and autopilot I think was standard as well. I would expect a very nice but originally equipped model to be about $60's plus or minus if current AD's and annual and regularly, recently flown.

B model has the single tine landing forks, bit more speed than the pre1965 Comanches and the C model has tiger cowl and more speed yet.

The Comanche is an exceptionally well behaved HP complex aircraft. 155-160 knots on 14 gph ROP. I transitioned from a Cherokee with my having 500 and no complex time and my transition time was about .7 hrs check ride. Of course I took it easy for the first 25 landings to get used to the complex issues but it flies very similarly to a Cherokee but faster and bit more spiritedly. I am sure I could have transitioned with 200 hrs just as easily.

When you say equipped with everything you wanted? IFR GPS/WAAS, and good autopilot would make this an $80k airplane according to a local broker but 6000 AF is kinda high and 1500 hrs SMOH is considered run out that deducts so maybe still a $60k plus or minus offer is not unreasonable if in perfect condition. But then again if it has engine analyzers, gami injectors, fuel totalizators, 8-9 paint and 8-9 interior you might not get it for that.

Also what is important to me is when has it last flown, what were last years hours flown? Is it within annual? The longer it sat the more I would be a little concerned and what to have a safety margin for start up costs.

If it is near KS I am happy to take a look at it for you.

The better condition it is in the less likely you are going to steal it as there are plenty of International Comanche Society folks always on the look out to upgrade their lot in life.

you are better off if it is only in SO So condition as then others will walk by it and you can possibly pick it up cheaply without having major future maintenance.


asgcpa said:
Came across a Comanche 260 later 60s. AF approx6,000. TSMO about 1500 hrs. It would be quite a trek to see it. Has all avionics. Owners estate wants me to make an offer. Suggestions? Prices are all over the board. Plane has everything I want. Worried though about my inexperience at this point. Weve been looking at 235 and their ilk. Granted have to talk to my partners about this one....
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bbchien said:
Art, ping EdFred from this site (SW Michigan). His Comanche 250 has been for sale on and off.....it's a sweetie.
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Bruce this is a 260c, about 8 years newer with the avionics I want. Spoke to Ed, it would cost us 25k to upgrade the avionics and 8 k to upgrade the interior to what we wanted. Had a nice convo with him though. He wants 50k and I can't justify the additional expense to get it to where we would want.
 
hkyplr18 said:
First thing I would be curious about is when it flew last.. When was the last annual? When airplanes comes up in an estate sale, it usually means the airplane has been sitting for quite awhile. Find out how much time the airplane has flown in the last 5 years and let us know. I bought an airplane once that sat for 2 years without flying and it took me about a year to work all the squawks out of it, including a high dollar annual..
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This plane is in annual flies about 70 hours per year. Flew this month. A friend of family flies it.
 
comanchepilot said:
So its a short body Comanche 260?

They are not as desirable as a B or C model in the resale market - due to useful load and space.

Depends on the avionics and autopilot - if its what you want then make an offer - engines and props add real value when you spend the money to do them but avionics seem to add 1/3 - 1/2 of the cost to install, if that.

Paint. Interior. Gear. Tail. Thems the expensive items for a Comanche and if they are good - you are golden.
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No corrosion, all ad done. Ton of metco k2u upgrades.
 
Seller probably wants an offer to sell with the buyer doing the tail ad inspection. That might be a good deal for you. Also check the prop hub for "B" moniker or other AD compliance. Between that and the engine being high time I'd offer 35-40 and see what he counters. I could see that plane going for anywhere from 40-70 depending on what you see in person and how the tail inspection goes.
 
Don't inspect the tail. Plan on replacing the horn with the Aussie unit, about $1k and 8-10 hours labor with an experienced shop.see how many of he 100 hours is left since the ad was issued. If the plane's been flying , you may have to get on it soon.

You'll also want to check how much time is left on the 1000 hr gear inspection, and what parts have been replaced.

This is the shark nose C? You'll love the Comanche.
 
flyingmoose said:
Is this unit even been approved yet?? Last I heard it was not.
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Yep. The STC was approved last month during OSH. The Aussies are shipping. The only requirement is a flashlight and mirror inspection every 100 hours. Some disagreement on that since it is a completely different part number, but even that's a whole lot less onerous than disassembly every 500 or 1000 hours.

Complete details on the Delphi Airworthy Comanche site.
 
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if the gear and the airplane is in good shape and its what you are looking for - then why not buy it if they will sell for a decent price - regardless of who owned it the tail either needs the inspection or needs to get done -

If it is a C and has modern style avionics you have 1000 hours left in that engine . . . easily. The N1A5 in the C model is about as bulletproof as a Lycoming can get- I know people who got to 2600-2700 and OH'd them cause they were getting a little scared every time they flew - disassembled the engine and except for the worn cylinders the components were all within service limits after 2700 hours. It is a good reliable engine - that can avoid a top every 1000 - the issue with this airplane is that the prop will get worn out.. . . esp the 2 blade doing all that work.

The best mods to make the airplane easy to live with are a lightweight starter and copper battery cables - the speed mods really will not do much on a Comanche C - the airplane was pretty much dialed in - the wing and gear spats will decrease drag and lower stall speeds a little - and the VG's can do the same as well as eliminate the pounding stall buffet but I'm not sure why you want to do that. . .

The airplane floats while in ground effect given the laminar flow wing but all that means is a shorter ground roll because you touch down at 45 mph. I routinely round it out and flare around 75mph - or just over stall speed - and float a couple hundred yards while I'm feeling for the ground on landing - those struts make a lot of noise with anything more than about 2fps down. . . . .
 
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Ya know one of the best things about POA is that you have eyes all over the U.S. and parts of Canada. You might want to make use of that.
 
If you're finding a C in airworthy condition fro less than $60k, leap on it. C's are nearly cult-like in their ability to retain value. Plus, they are attractive aircraft.
 
It is a C model. Starter was taken care of. 800 hours until next gear check. Got maintenance records. Relatively new starter. Horn AD taken care of. Could be the one....
 
asgcpa said:
It is a C model. Starter was taken care of. 800 hours until next gear check. Got maintenance records. Relatively new starter. Horn AD taken care of. Could be the one....
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I don't know what the market is today but last time I checked a C model 69 Vref was the same for the 260C and the 69 Bonanza with same equipment. The C's do hold value. So if you can get this puppy at a price like we discussed above I think you would be doing very, very well.
 
asgcpa said:
It is a C model. Starter was taken care of. 800 hours until next gear check. Got maintenance records. Relatively new starter. Horn AD taken care of. Could be the one....
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if you decide to pass let me know - I have a friend looking for one . . . .

I'll need contact info and any photos you have - PM it to me and I'll send you an email addy -

Serious buyer - has a short body Mooney, a wife, a now teenage daughter and a 11 year old step son who is soon to be 14 and 6 foot 2 . . .
 
I went to look at a 70 Comanche C model 260TC. Vref at the time said $69k it had no new equipment but the original duel nav/coms, autopilot, turbo all seemed to work TTAF 2770 hrs but not flown for years, supposedly kept in annual and run up regularly by his A&P..... I offered Vref and he asked $97k; sent me packing. At the same time a 69 Bonanza A36 was according to Vref $69k without a turbo.
 
comanchepilot said:
if you decide to pass let me know - I have a friend looking for one . . . .

I'll need contact info and any photos you have - PM it to me and I'll send you an email addy -

Serious buyer - has a short body Mooney, a wife, a now teenage daughter and a 11 year old step son who is soon to be 14 and 6 foot 2 . . .
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Does it gotta be a C model?
 
I already sent him your contact info Ed to look at the plane . . . sorry.

I think he is gonna need the payload of a B or C model - teenage girl, boy and pretty wife and the associated stuff . . . .
 
comanchepilot said:
I already sent him your contact info Ed to look at the plane . . . sorry.

I think he is gonna need the payload of a B or C model - teenage girl, boy and pretty wife and the associated stuff . . . .
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1258 useful load - I have the tip tanks.

Looks like I'm just gonna have to gear it up and take the insurance money for it. I blame Spike.
 
If you still have it in a couple of years I'll buy it!
 
EdFred said:
1258 useful load - I have the tip tanks.

Looks like I'm just gonna have to gear it up and take the insurance money for it. I blame Spike.
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Send me the link again via pm - I'll forward it to him again - he really likes his mooney but right its the whole family and no baggage or gotta leave one of them before and go back for them - that kinda adds to the price of the trip . . .
 
comanchepilot said:
if you decide to pass let me know - I have a friend looking for one . . . .

I'll need contact info and any photos you have - PM it to me and I'll send you an email addy -

Serious buyer - has a short body Mooney, a wife, a now teenage daughter and a 11 year old step son who is soon to be 14 and 6 foot 2 . . .
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Why doesn't your friend consider Ed's?
 
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