Pick an Airplane...

[hawkerjet]

The best bang for your buck would be a Merlin IIB. The IIB is somewhat of a slug with it's dash 1's, however it offers the biggest cabin by far as well as the operating efficiency of a turbine. If you're flying around the Texas area I would consider this. It's cheaper than the 421. Having flown both I can honestly say I prefer the MerlinIIB.As an old aircraft you will need to do a thorough prebuy ( I can recommend a service center in Texas if you pursue this) . If you would like to spend $400,000 or more then maybe a Merlin III would suit you fine, There is no comparison in performance between the IIB and the III. The Merlin III will fly circles around most of it's competitors while also being reliable and low cost to operate. I just thought you might want to consider these 2 also, as another option.

 

[Photoflight]

I say the 421 then since he's gonna need a pilot and I have 400 series cessna experience and live in TX.....he should hire me.

Damn I'm good at this networking thing.

 

[NoPax]

Also, why is that commander guys have such a hard on for King Airs? Every time I went into the shop with the commander (which was often) the owner of the company would tell me what a superior airplane to the King Air. All I could do was laugh ... I guess that is why they still make King Air's.

I don't. It may be a good strategy to hold off on suggesting it, if all other alternatives have been exhausted..then...'hey...howabout this...its still in production, resale value etc etc'

Generally speaking, people that have 400k plus to buy an airplane without needing to finance it, don't like being told off the bat that their idea sucks, and they need to cough up another 400k on top of that for a decent airplane. I'd rather play along with their ego a little and exhaust all alternatives first.

If I went to the boardroom with G100 attitude I'd be flying freight in this fine 'tough bird' for years to come.

Thanks for all the replies.

Hawkerjet: I saw an old Merlin IIB in Austin (old tail, and sat low to the ground) looked real nice. The owner kindly showed me around it, and called it his 'suburban'. Are you talking about the SAT Swearingen facility?

 

[G100driver]

I
If I went to the boardroom with G100 attitude I'd be flying freight in this fine 'tough bird' for years to come.

LOL that is funny. If I did not have the attitude that I have my boss would have gotten a G200 and been miserible for it. Tell the truth backed up by facts and you will never go wrong. Too many pilots get excited about flying a new airplane that they forget the to do their due deligence when researching aircraft.

Put lipstick on a pig and you still have a pig. There is a reason why they have not made any since 1984 (correct me if I am wrong)

PS I did not tell the owner of the airplane that the turbo-commander was pile of crap, I told that to the owner of the maintenance facility! Saying that to the boss would be like telling him his girlfriend was fat!

 

[G100driver]

No pax, all kidding aside, anytime your employer wants to invest in aviation it is a good thing. It sounds like you have done your research. Good luck ... and oh yea ... get a King Air!

 

[hawkerjet]

That's right, SAT was where they were made and have the best support and training. If you go through with it there aren't many examiners around, pm me and i'll give you the name of the guy that did our class.
There is also a facility inTyler, but I can't remember their name now.
A guy from CNO just flew his out there to get a generator problem fixed and it will remain in texas. Good Luck

 

[some_dude]

I don't think the King Air you are thinking of is much like the King Air he'll get for $400k!

The 690 might not look so bad after all!

Incidentally, the Merlin IIB is truly ancient, probably not something you want to deal with. If you want to increase your budget to $800k or so, the Merlin IIIB would be a good choice, however.

No pax, all kidding aside, anytime your employer wants to invest in aviation it is a good thing. It sounds like you have done your research. Good luck ... and oh yea ... get a King Air!

 

[icefr8dawg]

I know three people that flew a 421 for a living. One lost an engine out of TEB, another had a cylinder pop off and through the cowling (and make a nice hole) over Nevada somewhere, and the third spent over $100,000 doing engines 200 hours before tbo... Other than that it's a nice quiet ride with those geared engines... How does an MU-2 compare? They sure are cheap. I found some operating costs on this guys website http://www.internet-jet-sales.com/operating_costs.htm

 

[NoPax]

Well I've almost finished with the AC690 cost analysis, and except for a few touchups here and there it seems it would cost between $45000 -$50000 more per year to operate in the given scenario.

I've yet to do the Cheyenne II, or Conquest I. MU-2 is looking good - thanks icefr8dawg for the input and link.

Merlin IIB/III isn't an option.

Looking at other pistons - mostly modified direct drive, pressurized ones that are more within the 421C price range & operating cost

 

[icefr8dawg]

no prob. I'd tack on a little since the numbers haven't changed since I last checked his website in 2003. You might try giving him a call, he used to hang out at my airport with his MU-2's and piston twins.

 

[iflyabeech]

I am flying a Cheyenne II now and it is a great bird. . .We looked at 421's and King Airs, but this Cheyenne is pretty, fast, and get er done. Don't have any problems at all with her besides the fancy new avionics giving me a little trouble every now and then.

 

[TXDA2000]

The IIB is truly ancient, but if I recall, most 421B's aren't exactly spring chickens!

I used to fly a TooBee and found it to be an excellent airplane for the money. Ours had -6's among many other mods, old and new avionics, and the same cabin as our current IIIB. 240 kts on 70 gallons/hour.

Maintenence on the old Merlin is costly, especially if it has been let go, BUT it is I believe still cheaper to operate than any 421 I've had experience with.

I used the occasionally fly the next to last 421 C-III built, it sold for over a million. We sold our solid IIB for $165,000. The new owner upgraded the panel, paint and interior, and hot sections. He has around $350k in it now and has a great airplane.

Lot's of people knock them, and for some good reason, but it is a great value for the money and I'd trust the Garrett over any geared/turboed piston any day.

And yes, about a thousand hours of geared engine time to back it up in 421's and the ever lovely QueenAire.

I don't think I'd consider a Piper, no parts support to speak of, plus every time you take off you get that funny feeling in your crotch that you might not clear the fence. Same feeling in the Puke (Duke).

 

[CDogg]

How much of a factor is speed? Conquest I or the Kmart King Air IIXL would be a good choice. I currently fly a 421C and with myself, 4 other people and bags you don't have too much fuel to play with. However, if your trips are 400 miles and less, it would suite quite nicely. The 421 likes it up there in the upper teens, and you can get a pretty good fuel consumption (usually around 36-38gph from what I have seen)

Short trips, i'd rather have the 421, longer trips, go with a Conquest or IIXL where it's going to pay off cruising up high for a longer period of time.


...But then again, what about a nice old twin beech with the round motors on it?

 

[pilotyip]

I flew a 690A for over 1000 hours, I loved that airplane, a real pilots airplane, go anyplace at 270 Kts. We had the props Q tipped it really cut down the noise in the airplane, we also had an electric Freon A/C systems for ground ops. It did spend alot of time in the shop, minor things,easily fixed by almost any mechanic. It is the airplane I would buy for personal use if I win the lottery.

 

[iflyabeech]

I don't think I'd consider a Piper, no parts support to speak of, plus every time you take off you get that funny feeling in your crotch that you might not clear the fence. Same feeling in the Puke (Duke).

Ha, I guess you are talking about a Piper Tripacer. My Cheyenne II throws you back in your seat when accellerating and climbs at sea level about 2000-2500 FPM at gross. My passengers that are used to flying on Lears sure like it!

 

[421Driver]

I know three people that flew a 421 for a living. One lost an engine out of TEB, another had a cylinder pop off and through the cowling (and make a nice hole) over Nevada somewhere, and the third spent over $100,000 doing engines 200 hours before tbo.

I also know of four 421's that I fly, and a few others that som friends operate. Our engines have been making TBO for the past 5 years, with TBO occuring every 4 years or so on each plane. The plane in my experience is as reliable as any other piston twin. Add in some GEM's and Gami-jectors, and you have a monitoring capability that can predict many failures if interpreted correctly.

But as with any old airplane, it comes with its drawbacks. If you find one with low time (engine and airframe), clean mx history and upgraded avionics, you will easliy spend $600-700k. Spend less for a higher time plane, and you may be suprised when the eddy current inspetions find a tiny crack.

Good luck in your continued search, and remember, there is no such thing as a "good deal" on an airplane.