Re: Flying Guy's comments on the R66 vs. EC 120
When you look at initial purchase price, there is an obvious and rather large
difference. If the owner does not actually make much use of the aircraft, the
Calendar O/H life still keeps it's advantage.
However, if the aircraft is going to have some sort of steady utilization, the
apparent advantage starts to disappear.
R66 O/H at 12 years or 2200 Hours? At 500 hours/year that is 250,000 (maybe
Up to 300,000) every 4 1/2 years. the re-sale value will depend less on how well
Maintained the aircraft is vs. a straight line depreciation based on time/calendar
time.(Although I realize some accountant types prefer this)
I will admit a healthy dose of prejudice toward the 120 but I think you need
To look at total life cycle cost and re-sale value rather than the overly-simple
Short term "but it costs less"
in the long run run, I believe the term is "Horses for courses" and everyone's
situation is different, but if you want to compare the two aircraft (or any two
aircraft for that matter) you need to look at all facets, including how it is built,
And what it cost to design it. again the 120 is not a bargain basement deal,
But the development and certification of crashworthy seating, structure, fuel
system, and a very intuitive industry leading (at the time of it's development)
display system, was not without cost.
Regards,
Rigidhead
(please excuse the typo's. I have not quite mastered the vagaries of our new I-Pad as of yet!)