78J in Maryland

[Paul_Havelka]

I was perusing the for sale ads and came across one of the too good to be true ads and wondered if anyone may be in the area of this J model to possibly give it a once over, Only if it's not out of the way, if I am able to get the seller to return my calls. It appears to be located at Potomac Airfield in Ft Washington, MD. Evidently it is part of an estate that is being liquidated.  The tail number is N201CA and SN 24-0438. 

[67 m20F chump]

Do the math.  Engine/prop overhaul.  Paint windows and interior.  There are no bargains in aviation.

[Shadrach]

7 hours ago, Creekrat said:

I was perusing the for sale ads and came across one of the too good to be true ads and wondered if anyone may be in the area of this J model to possibly give it a once over, Only if it's not out of the way, if I am able to get the seller to return my calls. It appears to be located at Potomac Airfield in Ft Washington, MD. Evidently it is part of an estate that is being liquidated.  The tail number is N201CA and SN 24-0438. 

This is what it looked like in July of 2015. I took these myself. It was very rough then. Storing airplanes on grass long term is unkind...I’m 99% sure it hasn’t flown since I last saw it and it looked like it hadn’t flown in a long time then. It would take significant work just to be ferriable. It is also inside the FRZ, so whom every flies it out would need to be or have been vetted and fingerprinted for FRZ operations. I have FRZ authorization but I would be very uncomfortable with the idea of flying this machine unless the airframe and engine had been thoroughly inspected (jug removed) and fuel servo overhauled.

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Shadrach

[Paul_Havelka]

@Shadrach,

Thanks for the pictures.  Figured it'd be like that but you never know without asking.  This looks more like something for the grim reaper.  Calling @Alan Fox

[Shadrach]

1 hour ago, Creekrat said:

@Shadrach,

Thanks for the pictures.  Figured it'd be like that but you never know without asking.  This looks more like something for the grim reaper.  Calling @Alan Fox

It’s possible it could clean up ok, but no one has cared for it in a long time. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Shadrach

[Vno]

37 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

This is what it looked like in July of 2015. I took these myself. It was very rough then. Storing airplanes on grass long term is unkind...I’m 99% sure it hasn’t flown since I last saw it and it looked like it hadn’t flown in a long time then. It would take significant work just to be ferriable. It is also inside the FRZ, so whom every flies it out would need to be or have been vetted and fingerprinted for FRZ operations. I have FRZ authorization but I would be very uncomfortable with the idea of flying this machine unless the airframe and engine had been thoroughly inspected (jug removed) and fuel servo overhauled.

 

Criminal. And depressing.

 

 

[gsxrpilot]

That cable on the prop is a bit redundant. Use it to go lock up a bicycle somewhere, this plane isn't ever going anywhere.

[KLRDMD]

Just curious. How much were they offering you to take it off their hands ?

[Shadrach]

46 minutes ago, Vno said:

Criminal. And depressing.

 

 

Agreed. I landed at KVKX for a lunch meeting and then spent some time exploring the place. When I saw N201CA sitting in the grass on the other side of the runway I walked over to check out the sad scene. I took theses shots as a momento of what can happen if you don’t let go at the right time. There was a time when this was a fine and desirable machine but that time was long, long ago. The owner should have sold long before allowing this to happen. 

[Alan Fox]

This plane has been sitting for 25 plus years , was parked in the 90s , some type of tax , or divorce thing …  It is toast , I peeked at it 3 years ago...

 

[Guest]

I think I hear a quick cut saw warming up.

Clarence

[Frank B.]

But the ad says that it has “speed mods” .... and that it is IFR equipped (dated bu everything working) with a recent service, oil change as well as new tires and brakes !

[Paul_Havelka]

Just curious. How much were they offering you to take it off their hands ?

It’s listed at 30k


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[Paul_Havelka]

But the ad says that it has “speed mods”

I mean it does have all the 201 speed mods...lol


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[ArtVandelay]

It’s listed at 30k

Engine $36k (I would factory overhaul this since it’s such an unknown)
Prop $4k
Paint $15k
Interior $10k
Windows $5k
Avionics $50k
Fuel tank reseal $10k

You’d be $160k all in...that assumes no corrosion and doesn’t count the
various limit switches that probably don’t work (gear, flaps)
Electric boost pump overhaul
Gear motor overhauled, back spring replaced
Fuel senders overhaul or replaced
Etc etc


Tom

[rbridges]

5 hours ago, Creekrat said:

It’s listed at 30k


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I don't like to beat down a seller, but that's very optimistic.

[Bravoman]

1 hour ago, rbridges said:

I don't like to beat down a seller, but that's very optimistic.

If they gave you 30k to take it you’d still be in the hole. Hows that for a beat down?

[vorlon1]

16 hours ago, Alan Fox said:

This plane has been sitting for 25 plus years , was parked in the 90s , some type of tax , or divorce thing …  It is toast , I peeked at it 3 years ago...

 

According to flightaware, it flew from Florida in Dec 2008...

[Bob_Belville]

Those MSs who have visited my hangar at MRN know that the view directly across from my door is of 3 abandoned planes rotting into the grass - a C150, a Bonanza, and a Navion. 

Maybe there is a plane equivalent to the charities who take old cars off your hands. They'd have to have staff to clear the title I suppose and then auction it to the scrap folks like @Alan Fox.  "One Eight Hundred Kars 4 Kids."

[Paul_Havelka]

Supposedly this aircraft has a deposit on it pending annual.  I highly suspect that that the annual will have MANY squawks.  According to the ad it had a 100 hr inspection in the last half of 2018.

[gsxrpilot]

8 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Engine $36k (I would factory overhaul this since it’s such an unknown)
Prop $4k
Paint $15k
Interior $10k
Windows $5k
Avionics $50k
Fuel tank reseal $10k

You’d be $160k all in...that assumes no corrosion and doesn’t count the
various limit switches that probably don’t work (gear, flaps)
Electric boost pump overhaul
Gear motor overhauled, back spring replaced
Fuel senders overhaul or replaced
Etc etc


Tom

Yep, spend the $160K and with a little luck around corrosion, and the other stuff, you'll be the proud owner of an $80K airplane.

[gsxrpilot]

4 minutes ago, Creekrat said:

Supposedly this aircraft has a deposit on it pending annual.  I highly suspect that that the annual will have MANY squawks.  According to the ad it had a 100 hr inspection in the last half of 2018.

You can be thankful it's not your money making up that deposit. Better it's some other sucker.

Any plane can pass an annual. You just have to find the right AI. There was a guy here in Texas who would sign anyone's log book. You had to print or write out the sticker yourself, bring him a $100 bill and a box of beer and he'd sign your log book. He just didn't care. 

So even if it does pass an annual, you can be glad it's not your deposit.

[EricJ]

20 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

You can be thankful it's not your money making up that deposit. Better it's some other sucker.

Any plane can pass an annual. You just have to find the right AI. There was a guy here in Texas who would sign anyone's log book. You had to print or write out the sticker yourself, bring him a $100 bill and a box of beer and he'd sign your log book. He just didn't care. 

So even if it does pass an annual, you can be glad it's not your deposit.

There was a story at the IA seminar here about a logbook with an annual signed a couple days after the airplane crashed.   The logbooks were in transit in the mail from the remote IA and showed up for the investigators after the crash.   The annual was reportedly done based on photographs.

D'oh.

 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, EricJ said:

There was a story at the IA seminar here about a logbook with an annual signed a couple days after the airplane crashed.   The logbooks were in transit in the mail from the remote IA and showed up for the investigators after the crash.   The annual was reportedly done based on photographs.

D'oh.

 

That would take some explaining.

Clarence

[steingar]

I suspect if the seller gave you that aircraft for free you'd be upside down before you made it safe.  What a damn shame.