Sucker born every minute - stepping up to an old turbine.

Not really, Callum.

She’s stuck in squawk fixing mode still. Phase inspection (annual) is done. We’re doing the fixes by repairing stuff or sourcing used replacements, rather than buying new. This is Morris, my mechanics, way to work that I tend to agree with in general, although it does take longer and I do get frustrated at times. He’s also 70 years old, so it moves at its own pace. Probably be another 2 months, I think.

1. Had the nozzles sent off for overhaul and that revealed some fuel line webs that needed replacing. Morris has been able to find a used set.
2. One generator is off for O/H.
3. Proving a bit harder is that both exhaust pipes were cracked. Not the one on the engines, but the fixed part on the nacelles. You can buy new ones, but they’re expensive. He’s hunting two used ones down for me now.
4. Two windows got replaced, one windscreen for a better used. The other windscreen is away for polishing at a company that does just aviation windows. Morris is confident it can be polished to good quality.
5. Floor is the pressure vessel on these, so waiting for some new column and pedal boots to seal. The old ones are cracked and leak air. Not supercheap, but acceptable at $3000 for the kit.

But in regards to operating costs: Many of the owners of the newer, later models, the 690 series and the 695’s buy and service through a company called Eagle Creek/Naples Jet Center here. They are by far the biggest sellers, modifiers and service centers for the Turbo Commander. They pretty much rule the used Commander market and buy and sell most that come on the market. They do a great job, but they are very expensive. They got the big hangar with the white shiny floors, mechanics in white coats, posh customer area, replaces everything with new, etc, etc. So many people when they look at Commanders get their average operating costs from their numbers, which can close in on $1500/hr on their books. Well, Morris regularly maintains the same models for less than half that cost. So they way you approach maintenance can have a very big cost effect. Depending on your tolerance for downtime and repairing stuff, of course. Some people just want things fixed now and are willing to pay for that. I would like to be able to do that, but I’m determined to try to run this turbine in a cheaper way. Hopefully it will work – only time will tell.

This just in:

Called the broker and got a quote for $1380/year for liability only. That’s almost $500 less than I paid for the Aerostar! I’m honestly shocked. I have but 1 hr turbine time. Maybe my previous 350hrs in piston Commanders somehow helped, but I sure wasn’t expecting that.

Need to do initial type training with CFI with experience in type and one IPC in the type each year. That was it. Can’t believe it.

Dunno, probably not. You can try him. Peter Rota at Aviators Insurance in California. Just Google it.

Well, sometimes one can save a lot of money by doing it the slow way. Cracked exhausts now replaced with used ones. $1100 rather than $11,000! Downside is that this stuff takes time. It’s supposed to have been done in the “next 2 months” for the last 6 months already. I won’t hold my breath that it will be done before Aug. It’s driving me nuts not having a ride. To the point where I called the broker and asked to take the Aerostar back over the summer so I have something to ride in. But annual was coming up on that so I decided it was better he finished that, rather than disrupt it. I’ll have to remain wingless.

Some history: the old 680V’s are becoming a rare breed on the US registry. Only 8 remain on the FAA registry – most have been exported or scrapped. In their original form they came with the -43BL engines, that had no hot section interval, but only 2000hr TBO. These engines are not very desirable as they cost as much to overhaul as the 5400hr engines, almost. They also have a low thermal rating and will lose steam very quickly at altitude. These early TP’s were just seen as an alternative to pistons, therefore they had about the same power and performance. Standard 680V book number only does 217kts at FL160, which is just barely faster than the piston FLP model. The Century upgrade I have will do 250kts and fly higher. Still, but TP standards 250kts is pretty slow, but it shares it with the early King Air’s as well (260kts). The much later -10 models go 50kts faster on less fuel. Don’t know how many of the remaining ones on the FAA registry have had the Century engine upgrade, but I think less than half. Which means that the old -43BL engined ones will most likely get scrapped when their time is up. Makes no sense to overhaul those engines financially.

But the Russians have a penchant for them. They have some sort of rule that says if a plane is 40 years old or something, it can basically be maintained as an experimental. At least two I know of have gone over there in the last couple of years. Here’s former N11HM in new Russian registration:

And here is N78CH with a brand new blue metallic paint job:

JasonC, the big items left are:

Overhauling starter/generators.
Overhauling nozzles and manifold.
New pressure boots around yoke columns/pedals (floor is pressure vessel on the Commanders).
Installing used and polished windshields.
Installing new cockpit side window.
Oxygen and emergency gear bottles 5 year hydrostatic check.
STC modification to remove rear gear doors.

Obviously smaller stuff on top of this.

They seem to generally and pretty consistently do about 245-255kts. On the repositioning flight beginning of year, she did 245kts at 12500ft (pressurization didn’t work) which is not the ideal altitude for this.

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