rotorman Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 For many years I have lusted for a 252 but my desires were always blunted by the high cost and lack of availability. That has all changed. A renewed intrest lead me a on a search for a good example. I was stunned to find that with little effort I found fourteen 252s on the market. These are mostly '86 to '89 models. And the prices range from 185k down to 96k. In years past I was lucky to find 4 or 5 and the prices were always over 150k. I have an '80 J to sell so the down side is going to be that effort.. But other than that it looks like my ship has come in.
chrisk Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 Ask about the useful load, as some 252s are sort of low. I thought about swapping my 231 for a 252 with long range tanks. It sounded good, until I realized my useful load would go from 1000 to 800 lbs. And with 106 gal of fuel, I would have to ride naked if I gained 2 lbs.
KSMooniac Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 252's can be converted to the Encore configuration, though, to boost MGW and useful load by 230 lbs. That gets them back into practical territory again.
chrisk Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 252's can be converted to the Encore configuration, though, to boost MGW and useful load by 230 lbs. That gets them back into practical territory again. What is involved in the conversion process? And what should I expect to pay for a conversion?
KSMooniac Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 In a nutshell, I believe it consists of a minor change on the engine to bump to 220 hp, a brake change to bigger brakes, lower gear doors (to accommodate the new brakes), airspeed indicator re-marking, and some newer counterweights on the elevators (I think it is just them). Parker W did it with his old 252 and documented it on here in the past I believe, so try a search and/or PM him directly. I think the total cost was a few thousand dollars...not terrible for such a big increase in utility.
LANCECASPER Posted April 1, 2014 Report Posted April 1, 2014 The 252 is what a lot of people consider the best combination of speed and efficiency ever to leave Kerrville. You mention that they are "mostly '86 to '89 models". The "real" 252's were only made from '86-'90, with only 10 being made in 1990. Other years that you see ('79-'85) are 231's that are being advertised as 252's. Some have had some modifications but they shouldn't be compared in price to a 252. Any modified 231 won't have the updated 28 volt electrical system. Most won't have been updated to the -MB engine or dual alternators. Also watch out for a few "stripped" 252's that were built with only one alternator and hardly any options. The Encore was made in 1997-98 - this was an updated 252 with higher gross weight, -SB 220hp engine, vastly improved interior (no royalite plastic on the sides or headliner, better materials all around, insulation, firewall insulation, etc), stronger landing gear, etc, etc. Since there were only 35 Encores made they are hard to find. I owned a 231 and I own an Encore now - lightyears of difference in the two airplanes. The 231 was a great airplane, but the 252 was a big improvement and the Encore was a nice improvement over the 252. (Over the years I owned two different Bravos and prefer the Encore to the Bravo in many ways.) Don't get fooled into buying what seems like a cheap 252, only to find out that deferred maintenance brings the price much higher than a real nice, well maintained example would have been. The tuition you pay for that education is pretty expensive. Still the best deal is one that has been maintained by the book and flown regularly. Another reason that the 252's seem cheap now is that, due to age, in many of the fleet, the interiors, paint, panels, engine are in need of attention. Try to find one that has the four (interior, paint, panel, engine) you are looking for, or at least three out of the four. In any event, if you find a good one and you plan on taking advantage of higher altitudes, you'll see a nice upgrade in performance over your 201. ENCORE PRE-BUY.pdf 2
rotorman Posted April 2, 2014 Author Report Posted April 2, 2014 Lancecasper, Thanks for that that excellent writeup on the 252K vs the Encore. But one thing that you did not mention was cost. There is an Encore on Controller right now. It's in Brazil and the asking is $270k. With that we are approaching Columbia 400 prices. There are good 252Ks out there for $150k with upgraded avionics and good paint and interior and mid time engines. If one does not need the extra gross weight and can look past the royalite (ugh) panels the 252K looks like a good buy to me.
KSMooniac Posted April 2, 2014 Report Posted April 2, 2014 I think that Brazilian listing is way, way high. I've seen them listed now and then for much less, but since there are so few it might take a long time to find one on the market. The Brazilian example might be a case of someone not really wanting to sell unless they get stupid money for it. I remember ~7 years ago, though, when 252 prices were all >$200k. They've really declined.
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