Is a Vintage Aircraft a Good Buy? | Challenges and Joys of Owning an Aging Aircraft

[@InMyBrz]

As a previous owner of a 1947 Stinson 108-2- all fabric airplane, I am more aware now how risky flying a 1947 aircraft is ! We flew it back to Florida from Little Rock in one day With everything being that old, it's scary thinking the wings could come off, the engine could blow up after sitting for years or you could have serious airframe problems In fact, the guy I sold it to had one cylinder break on take off, but made it back no problem These days after I stopped flying 15 years ago, I am happy I had the experience but I'm done with flying for good ! Rather die with a hardon than in an airplane crash ! Rather go SAILING ! LOT more fun, cheaper too ! Built up STREET RODS are also a LOT more fun too !

[@NavionPilot]

I own a 1949 Ryan Navion, and your comments on the owner clubs are spot on. Between the American Navion Society and a couple of online forums, there is a wealth of information and knowledgeable owners who are overwhelmingly supportive of anyone who wants to keep one of these things in the air. As you mention, parts for one of these older airplanes can be a bit of a challenge - there is a certain amount of scrounging you have to be comfortable doing (Goodrich expander tubes / pads can be hard to find in certain sizes), and being handy with making your own owner produced parts and making use of the VARMA process really help alleviate that problem.

[@brycebuildsit]

@NavionPilot there is a navion in the hail shed were I filmed this video they have been working on it for a wiel trying to get it in the air again. I use to see it fly all the time 5 Yeats ago

[@NavionPilot]

@@brycebuildsit It's possible that I know those guys; the Navion owner community is small and tight-knit.

[@NavionPilot]

If they need parts, have them contact me; I have a dismantled Navion in my shed.

[@Rvictorbravo]

My 46 Commonwealth Skyranger had no POH. Just a table of airspeeds and a brochure. But I managed to get a set of drawings.

[@brycebuildsit]

Me: hey man how do I fly this thing Manufacturer: Carefully.

[@citylinktelecomm5666]

Constantly enjoy your posts. They fall into one of my fav. categories "Less Bull Sh!t, More Useful Info"

[@brycebuildsit]

Thank you. I've always been a straight to the point kind of person. I find myself getting annoyed if I talk around something.

[@irwinrussell60]

I'm going to use this to justify spending $30K on a Luscombe, thanks Bryce!

[@brycebuildsit]

I actually really like the Luscombe. Bit small but great aircraft

[@markjones7063]

I own a 65 year old Cessna, never have a bit of trouble getting parts.

[@brycebuildsit]

@markjones7063 I'll give cessna and piper that they are definitely easy compared to something like a Swift.

[@markjones7063]

@@brycebuildsit Oh I hear you. Had a friend who owned a 1920's Fairchild, which nearly gave him a top notch education as a machinist and welder.

[@Lewthor]

Ive been wanting to get an Ercoupe for a while now! I wish they would change the regs to allow owners to work on their own planes without being experimental.

[@brycebuildsit]

@Lewthor ercoupe's are neat little planes. The idea was you could take the wings off and drive it like a car just as easy. One brake pedal no rudder pedal. I have one on my arm, actually.

[@InMyBrz]

I believe one version of the Ercoupe can be classified EXP

[@joedaviss9448]

Excellent video!!!!

[@s35bonanzapilot84]

Pretty much 90+% of all GA is antique at least twice over. We've owned our 1964 S35 Bonanza since 1972 and I would not trade it even for a brand new G36 Bonanza at over $1mil. Old airplanes can be kept up as long as there are A&P/IA's out there that aren't afraid to dip their toes into the owner produced parts arena and also know how to scavenge the aircraft salvage yards for those hard to find part that can't reasonably be made. Unfortunately, most of the new A&P's coming out of school don't want to have anything to do with GA. All they're looking at is the airlines. I don't think it's going to be lack of parts that kills GA, it's going to be no, or very few, A&P's willing to work on them. That's a ways down the road, but it is coming at us some day.

[@brycebuildsit]

Let's be honest, you very rarely see people driving cars older than 1980, yet that's exactly what we do in GA. That's also part of the reason students would frustrated me. They would tear the crap out of things because they couldn't be gental

[@modelaircraft6576]

Just from curiosity. I got an unrelated question wouldn’t be cool to install an airplane turbo charger on a project car

[@brycebuildsit]

You can actually they are very similar. You may struggle to find one the size you need, and it will most likely be a V-band mount. But if you found one super cheap yea a turbo is a turbo it will work

[@yeagermcbipper9008]

Tell me more about those 140's in class A airspace lol kidding! I like the art deco design of the classics, modern planes are like sterile porta potties.

[@brycebuildsit]

I meant to say B and C but misspoke I left it in for giggles. But yeah it would take 2 miracles for a 140 to get high enough for class A

[@InMyBrz]

Bryce ... sounds like you know a lot about avionics I have a background in radio communications , ham radio and big ship electronics, and had my 1st Class FCC license when I was 20, today it'a called a FCC GROL. Also have a lot of wiring experience : machinery, elevator control panels, yacht electrician etc Do you think going the avioncis route for someone with just an FAA AF is a good idea ? I'd bet a good avionics tech is hard to find and the pay is up there too What do you think ? DON'T fly anything I wouldn't ! Thanks amigo ..