To presurize or not to presurize

[likes2fly]

It sounds like you are saying its great but with a lot of strings attached. We got to see on last weekend in panama city and really liked the roominess. It was a 4 seater non pressurized. we set in the back seats and there was plenty of room there too. Is the pressurized smaller on the inside?

[hharney]

Smaller than the original aircraft that were made before the G model, but not enough that it would be a deal breaker for most. All the Skymasters are very comfortable airplanes compared to most small twins and most singles. Obviously much roomier than the Mooney, Bonanza/Baron, close to the 182/210 but not as big as the 310, Saratoga/Seneca. Easier to enter and exit than the low wing aircraft too. Cessna narrowed the cabin a bit when it went to the P model, mainly because of the hull structure.

These Skymasters are complex airplanes compared to a 182, Cherokee 6 and maybe somewhat more complex than the light single retracts like the Arrow and 210. The low purchase price attracts single engine pilots to look and maybe buy. Some find that the upkeep causes finacial burdens and defers maintenance that should be looked at. Compared to a Baron or 310 or Twin Comanche the costs of ownership may be similar. Seems like Beech parts cost more, 310 have bigger engines and TwinCo's have smaller engines. As you increase the complexity with pressurization the cost of ownership can increase some. As with any of these light twins, maintenance needs to be a priority to keep the airplane in correct and complete working order. When shopping be very careful of Skymasters that have not been flown frequently and maintained thoroughly. If the airframe in clean but the plane has been sitting, plan on spending some money to get the plane up to the right airworthiness. A $20,000 annual would not be a surprise depending on the shop you work with. Prebuy is so important but being ready to spend some money is more important. There are some good buys out there but some of them will need some TLC. Not counting the avionics you desire and ascetics inside and out. I can't imagine what these planes would cost new today, I would take a guess at a million dollars would be close. Paying $100k for a good clean P model and then spending $50k to bring it up to specs is still a huge bargin. But it's all relative to what we expect to pay. Just plan some seed money for that first year (20% or more of purchase price) to get it right. Then you can start planning the panel upgrades and ascetics. With all the new approved items out there it's exciting to think of what may be possible in the next year or two.

They are great machines but have to be taken care of.