purchase pa 38

[mike9]

looking to purchase a PA38 he tells me that

the C of A has expired

Airframe 8700

Factory exchange, Lycoming engine 985 hours
what would the cost be to get back the C of A
does anybody know if i could put it on to a PFA permit for personal flying

any comments welcome

[Flyin'Dutch']

looking to purchase a PA38 he tells me that

the C of A has expired
why?

Airframe 8700
They are 30 year old trainers

Factory exchange, Lycoming engine 985 hours
So coming up for a top overhaul.

what would the cost be to get back the C of A
Who knows. Depends why it was not renewed and what they find on the annual. All ADs complied with?

does anybody know if i could put it on to a PFA permit for personal flying
You can't

any comments welcome
From the questions you ask it seems that you may be only just venturing out into the realms of owning an aeroplane.

This project may well not what you need unless you have a bottomless pit of money and have fallen in love with this particular Tomahawk.

There are plenty for sale, usually not for too much money that you can fly away in.

Why would you want to buy this one? Or lets rephrase that. WHy do you want a Tomahawk?

FD

[Brooklands]

mikep,
does anybody know if i could put it on to a PFA permit for personal flying

No - you can't have certified aircraft on a PFA permit.

I can't help you with any of the other stuff - the how much will a C of A cost is very much a 'how long is a piece of string' question: it depends on what need doing to the aircraft. I also have a sneaking suspicion that there's a spar life limit on the PA-38, although I don't know how many hours it is (10,000 rings a bell though).

Try doing a forum search on PA 38

Brooklands

[mike9]

cheers guys

was looking to build my own zodiac xl aircraft but looking through FLYER found this aircraft in price range but with expensive bills possibly on the horizon with it will steer well clear


thanks again for information

[IO540]

Ghastly aeroplane. I have 20hrs in it, 20hrs too much.

Instructors love them.

[Say again s l o w l y]

No we bloody don't!
The tomahawk whilst a lot better than its PR suggests would not be my first choice of a/c to own myself.

Go for the zodiac, a far better machine and a damn sight cheaper in the long run.

If I remember correctly the major PA 38 bills came around the 6000hr mark and NEVER buy anything without a CofA.

[smarthawke]

As others have said, the aircraft has to be on a CofA so no Permit available.

The wing is lifed at 11000 hours on a Tomahawk and includes 'associated structure' in the fuselage, ie the attachment brackets - plenty of time left on this one in private use.

Engine TBO is 2400 hrs so there is plenty of time left on the engine. O-235s run well and will probably go the distance with out a top overhaul unless it's been badly mis-treated or sat dormant for ages.

CofA renewal fee (EASA 2 year) will be about £400 plus £1700ish for the basic CofA Star Annual inspection to be carried out plus defect rectification and parts (some airframe parts are getting difficult to source).

There is probably a reason for the aircraft being ex-CofA, might be just a lack of funds on the owners part, might be hidden snags.

I agree with others, if you want a PA38 then buy one that is already working!

[High Wing Drifter]

As a scene setter, our 8,000 hr, frequently used, immaculate and properly maintained AA5 never managed a Star Annual of less than several thou!! There was always something additional and unexpected to investigate, x-ray, fix, replace, etc, etc. If it wasn't the engine it was the prop, if it wasn't that it was COMM2, if it wasn't that the AI was on the way out, if it wasn't that the dorsal fin detached and we needed tyres, calipers, pads...


...you get the idea :{ But it was worth every penny :D

[LondonJ]

What with all the Pa38 bashing? I personally really enjoy flying them, lots of space in the cockpit, all round visibility and full tanks with both seats full and some baggage.




edited to read 38 not 28

[Rod1]

Not pa28 a pa38. The 28 is ok the 38 is not!

Rod1

[LondonJ]

sorry, I did mean the 38, comments still stand.

[average bloke]

Instructors love them.

No we don't - complete pieces of s**t

[BeechNut]

If you can find one (only 312 made), the lookalike Beech 77 Skipper is a much better aircraft (though probably much more expensive). I bought one last summer because the care and feeding of my Sundowner was getting to be too much; but I wanted to stick with Beech quality. I got a low-timer (2700 hrs airframe, 600 engine) with in-dash GNC 250XL GPS, digital nav/com, xpdr.

Although they look like they should behave the same way, the 77 is completely benign in the stall, with adequate pre-stall buffet so that you don't need the stall warning horn to tell you something's amiss. I have yet to try spinning it; like the Sundowner the manual says it's reluctant to spin without full opposite aileron (yes I can spin my Sundowner, it has the full aerobatic kit). It's very slow though, 90 kts cruise on a good day.

Parts can be an issue, my prop was nicked and the prop was sufficiently near minimum spec that I have to replace it. Took some work to find one but we located one in California...and I'm in Quebec.

I'd stay away from a nearly 9000 hour Traumahawk. My Sundowner has over 10,000 on the airframe though and is built like tank.

Beechnut
(handle should be obvious by now!)
1980 model 77 Skipper
1979 model C23 Sundowner (for sale)