M10 Cadet

[PTK]

I saw an M10 Cadet on ebay. Looks like a nice little 2 seater Mooney. Does anybody care to educate me on the Cadet? I don't know much about it.

[N33GG]

It is an Ercoupe with a Mooney tail. Google Ercoupe History and you can read all about the details. Cool little plane, but not that many were made.

[PTK]

??

[N33GG]

Try these links:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_M10

 

http://www.ercoupe.org/Fly-in%20Reports/FlyingAnAircoupe.htm

 

??  Got it??

[PTK]

Yes thank you! I posted "??" because there was a post on here from some sort of troll. You know those long posts that make no sense! But it's gone now!

[N33GG]

No problem...  I was confused and not sure what you wanted.

[kerry]

I know of one for sale in Arizona. I've looked it over quite a bit. Mooney made it into a much better airplane than the ercoupe. Has a wider cabin with a sliding canopy. Can be flown as a open cockpit. Has a spring gear and a 90 hp contential(great on fuel). For a tricycle gear their's probably not a better plane to bore holes in the sky.

[Alan Fox]

The parts are supported by a company called Univair , as far as the mooney specific parts , I think you would be screwed.....

[DaV8or]

The parts are supported by a company called Univair , as far as the mooney specific parts , I think you would be screwed.....

 

I think so. MAC has nothing to do with them anymore and Univair isn't interested because there are so few out there. The guy to talk to if interested in one is Don Maxwell. He used to have a really nice one.

[PTK]

I think so. MAC has nothing to do with them anymore and Univair isn't interested because there are so few out there. The guy to talk to if interested in one is Don Maxwell. He used to have a really nice one.

Yeah, I had seen that one Maxwell had, a red one in an Acclaim paint scheme! It was sharp!

[Dave Marten]

Dmax still had his last time I was there. I had to do a double-take when I first saw it. Ercoupe with a Mooney tail...no kidding. At first I thought DMax had too much time on his hands and built himself a little advertising gimmic!

[TWinter]

I emailed the gent selling it. Looked like a cool bird to have in the stable next my 20E, but I did more digging and found that while his starting bid is $24K +/-  he actually has it listed on some of the aircraft sites for mid to lows $30s. Been on the market dating back to last spring and summer minimum. One ad said he was selling because a friend just had a very bad crash over the mountains of PA and he wanted to get out of flying. Another older ad says he wants a bigger plane? May all tie into the same reasoning, but at $34K I would be a looker only. Engine only has a few 100 hrs left. It had a topend only overhaul few 100 hrs ago. Paint? looks like a good ten footer, interior about the same. 

 

At $21-23K maybe a second look as a buyer since it's a cool, slow, open cockpit and rare,  I would not put many hours on it, but then there is the parts issue and an overhaul in the fairly near future. In a few years you would have real plane money in a "Fringe" plane..LOL. It would have to be a keeper to make it worth while even at $24K.  Just my .02

 

He seems like a good seller, just not sure the price refelects the possible consequences of what if?  and parts availibilty? Plus engine runout time and needed cosmetics. 

[jimosborn]

Maybe it is just me, but I think that Mooney really trashed up a nice little airplane with their final iteration of the Cadet. A classic little LSA compliant Ercoupe? Heck yeah! One of these things? I don't think so.

Definitely not just you, Jim. Ercoupe is a very nice little airplane, one having architectural balance that Mooney destroyed with the single tail design.

Too, when you consider that Ercoupe went into production prewar 1940, it was far and away more modern than any competitor of the era... all metal, low wing (fabric covered), trailing-link tricycle landing gear, side-by-side seating, nearly 360^o visibility, wheel vs. stick control, and stall/spin resistant. Then of course its famous totally integrated flight controls, sans rudder pedals.

With all that innovation I guess we could comfortably say that for his time designer Fred Weick was every bit as visionary as people like Burt Rutan is in ours.

[IamLostRU]

Follow to TWinter above.

 

Yes, the disparity in some of the ads for this plane were confusing.

Has 2, no longer needs:

Isn't flying

medical, etc

too busy

 

Strangely - still seems like an honest guy and a good craft.

 

He is now down to the $$ you had mentioned (actually saying he'll increase by cost of annual), and that is still 30% more than the others on market.

Especially with the below (which took me a little while to clarify in between the accolades) - he needs to get realistic.  It is NOT a $40++K craft - and getting more dated by the day, not more valuable. 

 

The big thing is: It runs a C-90 - good well known engine like in 150s and others.  This one the vintage of the plane - while that motor has a number of newer features now and this one has 1800hr / 12year till TOD.  He may have maintained it well...but a new top end year back - and no log of it ever being redone (yet well over 12 years old) - with only 300 hours left.  A super top price for a plane with an engine either due (or no more than 20% left) - - it really should have no more than 20% use.   It would certainly cot a heap to get done, and one would probably want to go to the newer version C-90 - which I believe also ha a 2400 hour till major.

[Mooneymite]

If you want something pre M20, try a Mooneymite!

 

As far as I know, that's where the "Mooney tail" first bore Al Mooney's name.  Read all about them:

 

http://www.mooneymite.com

 

Several for sale.