How many Skymasters are airworthy today you think?

[Jhogan0101]

How many Skymasters are airworthy today you think?

[Learjetter]

There are roughly 646 active Skymasters in the FAA Registry.

[frfly172]

Looks like 36 336 models are registered.

[GAdams]

It's funny that every time I land at a different airport the young linemen asks what kind of plane it is. It's a rare bird in some places.

[TomM]

When I am flying near an airport and announce my passing through their area, many times someone in the pattern will ask if I am landing there as they have never seen a skymaster. I get asked something about it at 90% of the places I land.......It is too bad there are so few registered....that is like only 1/5 to 1/4 of the original fleet

[MSGP]

US Registry shows;
155 - P Models
502 - US Registered 337's
5 - Great Britain

We have 10 in various states of restoration.

Mike

[Kim Geyer]

I know there are 5 really nice ones in KSCR

[Ernie Martin]

If Skymasters are rare in the US, imagine in the Bahamas where I've done most of my flying in the past 20 years.

And their rarity led to 2 humorous encounters.

At a remote out-island, where the landing fee was much higher for twins, the officer doing the paperwork for the fee looks at my airplane and says "Is that a single or a twin?" I take a moment and say "Well, it's got 2 engines but 1 is a spare." Guy starts writing and says "OK, single."

At another remote out-island, the lineman guides me to a parking spot with the aircraft facing East. I get out of the plane and he asks "What kind of airplane is this?" I say "A Skymaster, built by Cessna". He looks at the airplane and says "How come 2 engines?" I point East with my hand and say "When I'm going East I use the front engine, when I go West I use the rear engine."

Ernie

[hharney]

Nice compiled list of all Skymasters manufactured and how many for each model

[mshac]

Originally Posted by hharney

Nice compiled list of all Skymasters manufactured and how many for each model

Thanks Herb, that's good info to have. I don't think I've ever seen production broken down by year and serial number like that before. But here's an interesting problem:

According to that list, Cessna built 65 P337H aircraft from 1978 to 1980 when production ceased. However, when you query the FAA registration database for "P337H", no fewer than 69 are registered!!! Look it up for yourself, or click on the picture I attached. The site I used was http://aviationdb.net/aviationdb/AircraftQuery#SUBMIT

So the P337H fleet has GROWN by 4 aircraft since production stopped. Pretty impressive if you asked me! 106% of the original fleet still flying!

EDIT: I looked more closely, and that list has the same serial number repeated with different N#'s, which explains the problem. There are still a VERY high percentage of P337H's active, perhaps 80%, a far higher % than the fleet overall.

[sunnysky]

Sadly, only one airworthy Skymaster of all models in the UK now.
Thats my Reims 337 G that Ive owned for 36 years.
low houred and great condition.
The 337 lives with us in France on Biscarrosse Airpark, one of only two airparks in France.
We do many trips in Europe with and the aircraft always attracts attention.

[Rick Erwin]

Originally Posted by sunnysky

Sadly, only one airworthy Skymaster of all models in the UK now.
Thats my Reims 337 G that Ive owned for 36 years.
low houred and great condition.
The 337 lives with us in France on Biscarrosse Airpark, one of only two airparks in France.
We do many trips in Europe with and the aircraft always attracts attention.

Hi Sunnysky,

I have a 1976 Reims pressurized G model, s/n 0017. It lived in Germany until it immigrated to the US in 2009.

There were 22 pressurized models built from 1973 through 1977, with only two built in 1976, 0016 and 0017. Is yours pressurized and if so, what is its s/n? They might be sister ships...

Rick

[sunnysky]

Hi Rick.
Good to know you have a Reims Skymaster.
No, not a sister ship. Mines a Non pressure
model. G BFGH.
These Reims assembled models were all corrosion
proofed at the factory, so while GH would look prettier
with a re paint (still all origonal factory paint) Im loathed
to do it as in preparation, the paint strippers used would
maybe negate some of the corrosion proofing, in the seams etc.
Any views out there on re painting ?

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by sunnysky

Hi Rick.
Good to know you have a Reims Skymaster.
No, not a sister ship. Mines a Non pressure
model. G BFGH.
These Reims assembled models were all corrosion
proofed at the factory, so while GH would look prettier
with a re paint (still all origonal factory paint) Im loathed
to do it as in preparation, the paint strippers used would
maybe negate some of the corrosion proofing, in the seams etc.
Any views out there on re painting ?

Hey There @Sunnysky,
I'm in the UK, just outside of Oxford (fly out of EGTN) and I've got a Riley P337 that is currently going through a very comprehensive restoration. It's serial number 0318 and is on that list shared twice as N4AQ and N12UK (it's new registration)

Mine is currently sitting in my workshop after having been stripped back to bare metal and we're about to shoot a fresh coat of etch prime over it this weekend which is (effectively) a fresh corrosion proofing.

Trying to track down a 337 in Europe is nearly impossible as only a couple are flying (i'll hopefully be adding another by the end of 2021!) I would love to take a ride if you've got the time and inclination as i've never actually flown or been in an airworthy one!

I'd happily reciprocarte if you fancy a spin in a Yak 52, C182Q or a G1000 GFC700 DA42 :-)

Maybe drop me an email?
chris@digitakumi.com.

I'd be happy to talk you through the paint process if you're interested in what materials we used etc.

Best

Chris

[Dr.Dan]

Hi everybody, I'm a new skymaster owner. My plane is a 73 T337G, previously N8988M; recently imported to Canada.

Looking at the Transport Canada registry there are:

97 Cessna* 337 currently registered
- 2 are Reims
- 9 pressurized
- 3 turbo no pressurized
4 Cessna 336

Cheers,
DD