Twin Comanche info needed, please
 

Hello All

Any Twin-Comanche experts/owners out there in europe? A friend is interested in buying and is in need of a good pre-purchase inspection. Please PM me.

Many thanks,

Bug

Your, a'hem friend, likes a challenge then:ok:

SGC

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Check your PM's

Thank you very much for the messages gentlemen!

Oh yes SGC - quite unafraid, handsome fellow, too :8

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Thanks Easy, should be something in there somewhere.

...and when he's perfected landing a TwinComm..
 

...everything thereafter will be sooo easy! Good luck anyway! bm:ok:

Nice twin with laminar wing, below MTOW 2000kg for Eurocontrol fees is one of the more important items. Don't buy one without a heavy prebuy inspection, it's not because they had a corrosion treatment in the factory that you can't find corrosion!! Don't get one without good fuel selectors.

Hands down the most efficent twin engine travelling machine but you want to do your homework particularly with respect to finding spares.

I can vouch for the quote. One of two engine failures I had in a twin was in a Twin Comanche after the fuel selector failed to switch from aux to main even though the cockpit selector was properly set. The result was a fuel starved engine just as I was intercepting the localizer.:uhoh:

Thanks Gents

The Twin Comanche is the only viable option for the specific requirements, i.e. two engines and (relatively speaking!) acceptable cost. No need for blistering speed, massive load capacity or fancy avionics.

Interesting tip that, the fuel selectors I mean. Must have gotten your undivided attention when one started spluttering. Had a similar thing happen to me in a 310 once, mind you that was self-inflicted.

The fuel selectors are back in production. Make sure that the gear is in good shape. Contact the ICS for information and even better join the organisation. Make sure that the mechanic that pre buy your aircraft knows Comanches as there are things that are unique to this aircraft.

Thank you AC-DC, will be in touch.

Yes, the fuel selectors are back in production. But for the price they are selling you better buy a plane with good ones.

Twin Comanche
 

Hello People,

I have had one for 11 years. I bought it after a lifetime of flying military, airlines and regulator and it has been a fun part of my life.

Much drama about how dangerous it is and the mnay traing deaths it has had but they are not any reason not to get one.

Fly the recommend numbers is all you need to do and it is a delight except.............there are two aircraft that i believe are a challenge to land........A B-727 and the PA 30.

You will always make them safe but seldom like the greasers you can do with three radio altimeters in a B-747.

Mental arithmetic for the slowing mind is great also. 1 litre a minute and you have the GFC immediately without a FMC.

I have tip tanks and all the usual IFR stuff but the high end avionics are too expensive for me.

As for real IFR, I have done more real IFR (cloudy stuff) in my "Chariot" as I call her............than a lifetime in other aircraft..............and in Australia that means real NDB's.

It is just great and I love the way I can stay in the industry when there are so many prima donna jerks who do nothing but whinge.

Best wishes and go for it.:D:)

gunshy67
Don't know if you are an ICS member. If you are you can go into the ICS website (forums in the members section) and read about the technique or read the Comanche Flyer of 2-3 months ago where a shorter version of this descusion was published. If you are not a member then we will not be able to improve your landings :)

True
But as he buys the aircraft if they are bed he always can chop the price or not buy, I know of 3-4 twinComs. for sell, 2 of them should be in good condition while one I would buy without a pre-buy.

I've read some of the horror-stories Gunshy and I realise that the infamy is undeserved. If what I could unearth is true the aircraft was snapped up by many training-schools when it was released because it was relatively cheap to operate. Haven't had the pleasure of flying one yet and neither has my friend, but I understand that the 'Twinky' is a far cry from the somewhat agricultural Aztec, the only Piper twin I've had the pleasure of being rated on. You don't let a learner-driver loose in a early-model Porsche 911.

As regards the landings, surely one can simply apply the well-known technique applied by drivers of the quirky short-nose 310 everywhere, i.e. fly the thing until approximately above the threshhold, chop the power whilst hauling back on the pole and wait for the impact? ;)

The idea is to utilize the machine as a VFR transport, the steam-and-clockwork will be for the occasional puff of cloud not forseen by the weatherman.

please let us know the 2 good ones and especially the third one you would buy without a prebuy.... We did not sign any deal yet :)

Always open to better options :D


PM us.... Thanks

The Twin Comanche is the best light twin ever built. There has been no other light twin that has the range, payload, and speed on that horsepower and fuel burn.

Having said that most are around 40 years old and that means 40 years of wear. Though nothing that good maintenance doesn't over come.

The Comanche has a strong well built airframe, but there are one or two areas that need good maintenance though probably no more so than other simlar types or aircraft. One area that needs to be well cared for is the undercarriage. It seems that some owners do scrimp on maintenance or some engineers don't fully comply with or understand the requirements for the 1000 hour undercarriage inspections.

The fuel selectors have been flagged as a potential problem area, they can be rebuilt/repaired though if there is too much corrosion they may need replacment. The main problem is the selectors also contain the fuel filter and water can collect in the fuel selector/filter. If this water is left there too long corrosion can result.

The big secret here is to do thorough fuel drains prior to flight but also after that last flight of the day drain the bowls on the selectors to attempt to drain any water that may have collected during flight. Surface tension can cause some water to be retained in the filter so it is absolutely essential to remove the fuel bowls every 50 hours as specified in the maintenance schedule (and I would suggest every 2 months) and remove and clean the filters and remove any retained droplets of water.

As with any 40 year old aircraft do expect to have teething troubles as a new owner. One issue with any peice of machinery is how much use it gets. Very often the niggling issues we experience with a piece of machinery is due to a lack of use. Things gum up and stop work through disuse. I believe that an aircraft needs to be flown at least every two weeks, even if it is only a couple of circuits.

PM me if you have specific questions.

Indeed, draining post flight makes much more sense than preflight. Unless you drain multiple gallons on preflight, you will not be sumping anything except for the filter bowl.