Help me find a plane...

flyingcheesehead said:
I agree! The Swift idea has me really excited!

What I've learned so far: Swifts came from the factory with either an 85 or 125hp engine. There are a variety of engine upgrades available, from the 145hp O-300-D all the way up to a 210hp IO-360! Factory tanks held 27.8 gallons, optional tanks now hold up to nearly 60. Props range from fixed to the "aeromatic" to the "Beech Controllable" to constant speed.

There is a staggering array of STC's. They go so far as to allow replacing the yoke with a stick and moving the throttle from center to left.

So, now the trick is finding one that's equipped just right. Actually, I need to find someone who owns one to give me a ride to make sure I fit! I've seen people talk about 6'3" people flying them so hopefully that won't be a problem.

They also need some online forums... :yes:
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I stand a wee bit over 6 foot, I'm skinny and I have trouble getting into and out fo the swift. some have the sliding canopy mod but I have never tried getting in one of those.. the swift is a small aircraft.

It has a wide stance, but a short fuselage, and is very squirrley on the landing roll. it looses rudder effectiveness before the tail wheel has control.

my recommendation is, it is not an aircraft for the begginer tailwheel pilot.
 
kent, if you want to investigate furhter, there is a guy in our glider club who has a nice swift. its down in Indianola, where Rick G is. Probably snowed in for the winter. I can get you an email address though if you want to get some info from him.
 
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NC19143 said:
I stand a wee bit over 6 foot, I'm skinny and I have trouble getting into and out fo the swift. some have the sliding canopy mod but I have never tried getting in one of those.. the swift is a small aircraft.
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Yeah, that might be a deal-killer. I just have to try one on and see.
It has a wide stance, but a short fuselage, and is very squirrley on the landing roll. it looses rudder effectiveness before the tail wheel has control.

my recommendation is, it is not an aircraft for the begginer tailwheel pilot.
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Duly noted. However, the type experts do say that even though it can be squirrelly, plenty of 60-hour freshly minted Private pilots have successfully transitioned into the Swift.

tonycondon said:
kent, if you want to investigate furhter, there is a guy in our glider club who has a nice swift. its down in Indianola, where Rick G is. Probably snowed in for the winter. I can get you an email address though if you want to get some info from him.
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That would be cool.

smigaldi said:
Kent what about a run out multi and kill two birds with one stone?
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I've considered an Apache, but I don't think that would be a long-term bird for me. Besides, Kate would kill me if I got my multi before she did. :D

TangoWhiskey said:
I've always liked the looks of the Swifts... I have this site bookmarked... did you see it?

http://www.napanet.net/~arbeau/swift/
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Yep. Lots of info there, but I think I have more questions than answers now. I'm going to try emailing some of the folks there.
 
http://www.aso.com/aircraft/111111/

I'd go with a Mooney. You can get a lotta Mooney for $50k.

Here is a quick story.... Shortly after I got my instrument rating, I checked out in the local rental Aerospatiale Trinidad (retract 250hp or so). It was a 1991 airplane. This was back in 1997 so the airplane was very new and sweet with an HSI - King 150 autopilot, stormscope etc.

I met a buddy up at Ocean City MD who was flying an ancient C model Mooney. We both took off together.. him in the C model Mooney ... me in the Trinidad to fly up to FRG (New York). Long story short ... he kicked my butt in speed! That old Mooney hauled ..... and passed me in nothing flat.

Whenever I see an old C Model Mooney, I think of what a cool little airplane it is.

Mike
 
If you want to use this plane only for a short period of time and then resell it, you need to buy something that others want, too, and old aircraft with marginal equipment don't often sell quickly. IOW, there's a reason you're getting "a lot of plane" at a low price.
 
Ron Levy said:
If you want to use this plane only for a short period of time and then resell it, you need to buy something that others want, too, and old aircraft with marginal equipment don't often sell quickly. IOW, there's a reason you're getting "a lot of plane" at a low price.
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Ken really needs to decide his mission AFTER the training. If it were just Sherry and me, I would have been fine looking for a short body Mooney. But Holly will grow to be a big girl all too soon, so the mid-body 201 was the one to get long range.

An M20C is a fine, fast, and frugal flier for a couple.
 
Ron Levy said:
If you want to use this plane only for a short period of time and then resell it, you need to buy something that others want, too, and old aircraft with marginal equipment don't often sell quickly. IOW, there's a reason you're getting "a lot of plane" at a low price.
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That was my thought originally too. The Swift is something I'd want to keep for a while, part of why I like the idea so much.
 
Hmmm, swift. I just saw this a day or two ago... clickie here:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/rvs/490855513.html

Classic Aircraft - 1946 Globe Swift - $39500

Reply to: sale-490855513@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-11-27, 10:28AM CST


145 HP Continental O300A, Airframe 2400 TT, Engine 300SMOH, Control Stick STC, C-150 seats, Updated full panel, Dual Digital Nav Com, ADF, Mode C transponder, panel mounted GPS, P-51 Gear Doors, Leather interior, 4 pt Hooker seat belts, Whelen 3 light strobe system, and much more. Call for more information 612-968-1573
 
Mooney. It's fast and efficient so you'll save on fuel in the long run, and you'll learn a lot first hand about planning and energy management. IF you want to take more than one adult along, the person in the back won't be too happy. And I say person because youcan only fit one fully grown contortionist back there. But there's plenty of room on the front unless you're wide in stature. I'm 6'4" and have no problem at all.
 
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Hi Kent,

I took my commercial checkride in a C152 and my CFI ride in a C172. You only have to "demonstrate competence" in a complex A/C. I used a rented Dutchess on my commercial and a club Mooney on my CFI. Once or twice around the patch are all that's required.

Keep in mind the Swift and the Mooney Mite are not complex unless they have a constant speed prop.

My personal feeling is why buy it if you can rent it. Fixed costs (insurance, annual inspection, hanger, maintenance, upgrades, etc.) can add up to thousands of dollars on this type of aircraft. That's a lot of hours in a crappy Arrow. Unless you fly 20 hours a month it's probably cheeper to rent. Rent the club Arrow for your checkride and buy something fun to fly. 40 grand will buy a very nice taildragger.
 
In the murky reaches of time as an undergrad, I sunk every penny I could spare into a Mooney 20 A with two partners (hey we didn't have that much money).

What a craptacular airplane, and what fun we had with it! Wooden wing spars, manual gear, barely IFR legal (one radio with GS and a second VOR).

I miss that plane. When I buy another plane in a year or two, I am sersiously going to consider a Mooney (although probably a C or later).

~ Christopher
 
TangoWhiskey said:
How about this?

http://www.stetsonaviation.com/1978_cougar.htm

A twin Cougar! High time engines, and I bet you can talk them down from the $59K list and get it close to what you're wanting to pay.
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Yeow... Both engines at 2500 hours! :hairraise: Even if I could talk 'em down, I wouldn't be able to afford TWO engine overhauls in the short term. :no: :( Thanks anyway.

It'd be a cool tail number though, once I wasn't on my initial callup, people would think I was Phil Boyer. :rofl:
 
Read more closely Kent. Both engines are 2500 SMOH, but have a TT of 10k. Yikes!

Pete
 
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