For Sale: Slightly Use F/A-18A Hornet

[AAL_Silverbird]

http://i20.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/42/a8/76_1.JPG

I fold, to rich for my blood. Current bid stands at $29M USD

Click Here For low time F/A-18A on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3079057375&category=4672)

The only F/A-18A in private ownership in the world.

This former Navy Blue Angel jet, was number 131 off the line, it has 3793 TT Total Airframe hours. 2 Engines are GE F404-GE-400 with 0 Zero time, and one spare parts engine.

Aircraft is apart only for transporting purposes and needs to be gone through and re-assembled. Everything to assemble we have. It has not flown in a few years and is stored in california.

It has an N number.

This aircraft was never demilled, "not cut ever".

Complete with extras including bomb racks, drop tanks and pylons.

Will need Pre-approval before placing a bid.

The current owner will assemble aircraft making it airworthy, with your choice of paint for 9Million Guaranteed, with a lease back offer paying all maintance, parts, fuel, and an hourly rate to its new owner. Was Number 1 and Number 5. Serial number:161973---Lot #6----Block # 13---Don't miss out on this one!

CALL FOR PHOTOS, AVIONICS, TIMES.

PLEASE IF YOU ARE NOT A SERIOUS BUYER, PLEASE DO NOT WASTE OUR TIME...

WE WILL DELIVER.

SALE TO LEGAL RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ONLY. ALL US EXPORT RESTRICTIONS APPLY.

CALL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING.

Blue Angel for sale Navy plane shows up on eBay Nicole Lozare @PensacolaNewsJournal.com After almost 50,000 hits in two days, no one is buying what Mike Landa is selling on eBay. Everyone just wants to know how he acquired the Navy Blue Angels' F/A-18 Hornet. Landa and Associates of Washington state is selling the jet for $1,050,000 - some assembly required. It's a bargain compared to the jet's usual $18 million price tag. A former Blue Angel F-18 Hornet is for sale on ebay. Click here to view the sale. "It has been acquired legitimately," said Landa, who said he was visited by the FBI on Tuesday, a day after he posted the jet on the popular Internet auction site. Landa, an aircraft and telecommunications broker, is keeping a tight lip on the owner's identity. He met the owner in California while purchasing airplane parts. Wednesday afternoon, Blue Angels spokesman Mike Blankenship confirmed the aircraft's heritage. "According to the bureau number, it was a Blue Angels plane flown in the early '90s," said Blankenship, who has no clue how Landa acquired it. "It was stricken from the Navy's inventory in 1994." According to the Department of Defense, the Navy's planes are not usually sold to private citizens. When an aircraft is retired, officials determine if it should be kept for wartime reserves. If the aircraft doesn't pass muster, it is demilitarized - military insignia and sensitive equipment, such as ejection seats, are removed. The aircraft is then sent to a boneyard. "The Navy has programs where this aircraft is leased to museums," said department spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Cappy Surette. "Occasionally, it can be sold to third parties on a case-by-case basis. But Navy policy prohibits reselling of these aircrafts." The official word on eBay's Blue Angels jet? "We are aware, and the matter is being looked into," Surette said. Officials at the National Museum of Naval Aviation had the same response. Landa's eBay site claims the aircraft was "never demilled, not cut ever," and comes with bomb racks, drop tanks and pylons. The aircraft, which has not been flown in years, is stored in California. Landa said there must have been "a screw up" for the owner to acquire a demilitarized aircraft. He is optimistic that a buyer will step up _ probably a private collector who he hopes to talk into leasing the aircraft back to the government for some photography work. Landa has a pretty clean eBay record. A member since 1998, he has a 97.3 percent positive feedback from more than 400 buyers. But the Blue Angels jet is just small potatoes. Landa is also selling a new aircraft "that climbs straight up" for $10 million.

"We sell quality surplus inventories and clean out warehouses of new and used surplus items, your satisfaction being guaranteed"

Check our other auctions on eBay. [email protected]

360-474-8991, 474-8992,474-8993, 474-8994 Office

360-474-8995 fax

360-913-0194 cell

[bluesafrica]

I can garantee, no takers for $29.000.000 . Must be a joke to ask such a price...
Blues:E

[747FOCAL]

bluesafrica,

I think it started at 1 million dollars and was then pulled after media attention and a visit ffrom the FBI. The US govt will most likely sieze the aircraft, but end up paying fair market value as it was aquired legally. Hence the "bait and switch" to 29 million and I bet they get it too. :} These guys are right here in Seattle where I am. But.......I bet the FBI and Secret Service would sure like to know where this airplane has been the last ten years since they seem to have lost track of it and did not realize it existed until the auction went public. In the right hands it could easily be taken apart and multiple copies made for pennies on the dollar. :}

How do you think Airbus learned how to make airplanes???:E :=

[AAL_Silverbird]

Dear bluesafrica,

I won't argue what 747FOCAL said about the FBI making them jack up the price to keep people away. That being said I can think of three off the top of my head that have that kind of cash and are licensed pilots, Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Steve Foucet. Cruise currently owns a P-51 Mustang, Travolta B-707, Foucet is currently funding the around the world non-stop single engine/single pilot (death trap) venture.

At KTUL there used to be (might still be) what I called the Oklahoma air force. Someone had either a F-5 or T-38 in their hanger for private use.

Yes there really are people out there that could drop $29m plus for a one of a kind aircraft.

[Hilico]

Wouldn't be too sure it's got NDH - it looks as though it was photographed in the very act of a wheels-up landing.

By the way, 747 - which part of which Boeing did Airbus copy for the FBW?

[bluesafrica]

747
I agree with you on that but.... airplane is not a military airplane without up todate avionics and armament systems. Russians built such aircraft performance very cheaply but lack the electronics....
and if I would like to have a high performance thrill I would look that direction with a hundred thousand playmarks.
Still interesting to hear from where it surfaced!
Blues

[747FOCAL]

I would not be so quick to say that this airplane has no military ability and is a cheap performance copy. The agreement between the Blue Angels and the Navy is that their aircraft can be readily adapted to use in wartime if need be. From what I heard this one only lacks the ejection seat. :}

Just think, if ole Usama had bought that aircraft carrier that was on Ebay last month for 10 million he would have him self a real nifty little navy and this jet comes with the hook and the gear to land on a carrier. :ooh:

[AAL_Silverbird]

Well bluesafrica,

Something happened! They reset the bidding. It's now back down to a pocket change price of $2.0M USD. A price that anyone can afford.

[747FOCAL]

http://www.frenchcreekboatsales.com/details.asp?File_Number=BOP12

:E

[DanAir1-11]

What's all the fuss about the military capability?? You can easily buy Mig's with similar capabilities out of former Soviet republics,
also if you were keen enough, could you not use a Lear for purposes other than that which it is commonly used, without stating the obvious??. Can't personally see what all the fuss is about.

rdgs

[treadigraph]

Surely not a wheels-up landing with those vortices... more of a "gear up, rotate" scenario or pehaps a low pass that was more spectacular than intended...

[PPRuNe Pop]

Fully agree Treadders. ;)

[AA SLF]

When you are looking for buyers at $2M, or even at $29M, don't forget Larry Ellison. $29M is just pocket change to him. And he already has a MIG, so an F-18 would make a nice "pair" - don't ya think?

Hmmm -- wondering if maybe he is the mysterious owner ?? :confused:

[Hufty]

Why did he list in in THIS category anyway?

Consumer Electronics > Radios: CB, Ham & Shortwave > Ham Radio > Accessories > Antennas

Never been in an F18, but it isn't a ham radio, right?

[treadigraph]

Pehaps a misinterpretation of the word "aerial"... Tenuous I grant you! For sale: Gentleman's Aerial Battlewaggon, one previous owner, never used in anger...

[Genghis the Engineer]

How do you think Airbus learned how to make airplanes???

Well let's see, the first ever passenger carrying flight was in Britain, closely followed by one in France.

Then during the war the Brits and Germans developed a fair talent for building heavy bombers.

After the war Aerospatiale was developing turbo-prop airliners, and a British company called de-Havilland developed the worlds first jet airliner, which was called the Comet - this went into service somewhat before the B707. A bit later, Vickers built the VC-10 which still crosses the Atlantic faster than anything Boeing have ever built.

Then in the 1960s we thought it would be rather fun to develop something called Concorde, this taught the Europeans a lot about high-tech alloys, and how to develop large airliners as part of a multi-lingual multi-national team.

Then out of all that came Airbus !


How did the Americans learn how to make jet engines?

G

Who has never understood quite why the Americans, who invented the aeroplane and done more with it than anybody else, can't accept that anybody else might occasionally have done something with it on their own.

[bluesafrica]

Superb posting!
Blues:ok:

[supercarb]

Then in the 1960s we thought it would be rather fun to develop something called Concorde, this taught the Europeans a lot about high-tech alloys,

And FBW, and FADEC, and carbon brakes, amongst other things.

[Iron City]

Be careful to not get your arm out of joint patting yourself in the back....oooh, sorry, that is a nasty Yank character flaw that good Europeans would never take on.


Only quibble with this part of the thread is reference to German capability developed during WW2 on heavy bombers.

[747FOCAL]

Genghis the Engineer,

It might not carry as much, but a 727 will outrun the VC-10 anyday.

If the Brits and the French were so good at designing and building airplanes than why do most airplanes look like Boeing designs and not the old stuff? :p

I'll give you the concorde, at least you had the Nads and the government help to build it. Would have liked to have gone for a ride in that one. :ok:

[Brain Potter]

747FOCAL - Not so sure about that.

I've seen the B727 max quoted as M0.82.

The VC10 used to be M0.92 in the good old days, but is now only 0.88 in an attempt prolong airframe life.

I believe the Convair CV 880/990 Coronado, and possibly a Tupolev (154?) were faster.

And Concorde of course. :D

BP

[747FOCAL]

Brain Potter,

The 727 was originally certified to operate at 0.92 until the gas crunch of the 70s hit and they throttled them back. I have flight test video of one doing 0.97 and the pilots that were flying said they had no doubt they could have gotten real close or even broken the sound barrier in level flight. Maybe the wings would have come off, but who knows. :E

[OFBSLF]

How did the Americans learn how to make jet engines?IIRC, we learned how the same way the Soviets learned how....you lot gave us one.