Thinking about a P337 - Questions

[acpilot]

Hi all! This is my first post on this forum. I have done a reasonable amount of searching and still have a few questions.

First, some background...

I have around 3100tt (much of it pt135 cargo and firefighting) and around 750hrs in twin Cessnas with about 220 of that in 414/421s and a few hours in a 340. I'm somewhat familiar with pressurized Cessnas but am by no means an expert.

I used to own a 1976 V35B so I am also familiar with the ownership experience. The Bonanza is a fantastic plane (and is the subject of many undeserved rumors) and I'd certainly buy one again...but for the same initial price I can get a pressurized twin! A two or three way partnership in a P337 is much more appealing to me!

I got to fly a P337G last weekend and was impressed. It has to be the best deal in GA. It was stone simple to fly, had the trademark Cessna stability (a little heavy in pitch), and was quick enough though not blazing fast. Climb was a sustained 700fpm @ ~115kias. CHTs got a little warm but that happens. The plane I got to fly was bristling with scoops so it was a few knots slower than book. We were getting ~178ktas @ 16.5k burning ~23gph. CHTs were all low in cruise and the cabin was a comfortable 6,500 - 7,000. I'm 6'3" with a large frame and I was comfortable in the cabin.

Up to this point I had heard that 337s were noisy, thirsty rattletraps with poor performance. That's not what I observed in the P337. It's a ncie plane.

Now, my questions...

1.) I know of the wing AD (5k hrs for non-pressurized, 10k hrs pressurized; 500hrs thereafter). Is this a serious concern or a reactionary AD? How often do people actually find a cracked spar? What is the rough cost of the inspection? My research indicated that there are no fixes available (like the Beech spar doublers) for the 337/P337...is that correct?

2.) A lot of second hand information indicates that the rear engine will not make TBO and certainly will need a top end somewhere along the line. I believe the top end requirement (it's a Continental after all) but the failure to make TBO sounds like BS. Is there any truth to these rumors? Have you seen the rear engines run well beyond TBO or should owners plan on an early OH?

3.) Is there a price difference to OH the rear prop verses the forward prop? Does the rear prop require a specialty shop?

4.) Are there any other major ADs/SBs (current or pending) that are difficult or expensive to comply with? What about recurring ADs?

5.) Do you expect Cessna to continue to support the plane or are they making life hard for owners?

6.) On the P models, is there a mandatory windshield/window replacement schedule? Even if not, what does a P337 windshield/window cost and are they readily available? I hear somewhere near $10k is to be expected.

7.) I know none of the 337s are FIKI but is it worth having/maintaining the de-ice equipment? How does the 337 handle icing? I've never had much trouble carrying ice in 404s and 421s but those also have fat wings and huge engines.

8.) Generally speaking, are 337/P337 spares hard to come by? Have you ever been grounded/heard of anyone grounded for a long period of time for had-to-find spares?

9.) The one thing that scared me away from the 210 was the prospect of a broken gear saddle. Does the 337/P337 have the same saddle problem? I understand that the saddles are very hard to find and, if you can, they're very expensive. Is this true and do you know a ballpark figure for this piece/labor to repair?

10.) Do most 337/P337 have their gear doors removed? Is this something that you recommend and is the STC worth the cost? It seems that doing away with the doors makes sense.

11.) Speaking of the gear, this seems to be a sore point. What is the real deal on the complexity of the P337's gear? There seems to be a fair bit of monkey motion involved and this usually means increased maintenance headaches. How hard is it to rig the gear properly to avoid onerous shop invoices?

12.) Which years are best? I like the idea of 148gals but that seems like a lot of air time. Does the general trend of higher empty weights on later model years hold true for P337s? What's typical useful load for a P model?

13.) Are the fuel tanks bladders or wet wings? What are the maintenance concerns here?

14.) To belly pod or not to belly pod...that's my last question. I plan to only have four seats installed (the 5th seems ridiculous). Is there sufficient cargo space behind the second row for luggage? I also like the idea of AC and I gather that the belly scoop makes podding impossible. True?

These may have been answered in other threads. I searched and could not find the answers.

Thanks!
acp