From: prang@ssc-vax.boeing.com (Ron Wanttaja)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: Cost of owning
Date: 11 Oct 92 18:38:50 GMT
Organization: Boeing Defense and Space Group, Seattle WA

In article <archie.718590349@cory.Berkeley.EDU>, archie@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Archie Cobbs) writes:
> There has been a thread in rec.aviation.owner talking about the costs
> of ownership of an airplane .. you know, the usual stuff: fixed costs
> (annual, insurance, etc) plus hourly costs (fuel, maintenance reserve,
> etc.).
> 
> So my question is: how do the costs of owning a homebuilt differ from
> the costs of owning a production plane?
> 

Maintenance:  Lower by cost of labor... "wear items" like bearings and
stuff tend to be off-the-shelf aircraft units.  This is especially true if
you're running a certified engine.   But since the majority of the expense
for the annual is labor, that's where your biggest savings lie.

Of course, one of your biggest savings will be due to the fact that the
homebuilt is *new*, and the average production aircraft is 25 years old.
Comparing the Fly Baby to my old 150, the 150 cost me $400-$500 per year
(counting annual and typical minor repairs necessary) where the Fly Baby
runs far less.  But it's not really a fair comparison... the 'Baby has
almost no systems in comparison.  Dredging up the memories of what I spent
money on to keep the Cessna running:  New ELT battery (no ELT in N500F),
three master solenoids (no electrics in 'Baby), shimmy damper rebuild (no
nosewheel in N500F), replacement window hardware (no windows in Fly Baby),
low-point quick-drain for fuel (added after contamination-induced engine
failure... N500F's gascolator is already at the low point) and so forth.

I remember only two expenses which could have happened on either aircraft:
The 150 required new plugs (same model as the 'Baby) and replacement of a
few bushings.  Note that it would have been legal to replace the plugs
myself rather than letting the A&P do it... that's an allowable
owner-maintenance item.

Insurance:  About the same.... except it's hard to find hull coverage during
the test phase.  I paid $250 a year for liability on the 150... the Fly
Baby's is $220 a year, which covers six pilots.  However, the 'Baby is a
*single seater*, which reduces liability exposure and lowers the rate.

Hangar Expense:  More for the homebuilt.  Face it, your 1965 Cessna can be
tied down outside... you're gonna want a hangar after eight years of your
life have been spent on a homebuilt.  At the field where N500F lives,
tiedowns are $45/mon, open hangars are $115 (But the 'Baby shares with a
Vari-Eze).

Legal Stuff:  Washington state has an annual registration fee, starting at
$50 for 150s and working higher from there.  However, the homebuilt
flat-rate is $25.

Direct Costs:  Pick your engine carefully, and you  can burn auto gas in
your homebuilt.  You can get an STC for many production planes for
$50-$100.

Resale:  Traditionally, the seller of a homebuilt has only been able to get
out of it the money that originally went into it... subject to workmanship,
of course.  There are a few types that are highly sought after and demand
higher prices.  After all, if you can afford $80,000+ to buy a Lancair IV
kit and twin-turbo engine, you probably can afford an extra $40k or so to
buy one already flying.

It will be interesting to see what happens to used homebuilt prices when the
new crop of certified airplanes hit the market.  What will the RV-6T do to
the value of used RV-6 homebuilts?  How much will a *used* RV-6T sell for
in comparison?

The next couple of years are going to be interesting....

                                          Ron Wanttaja
					  prang@ssc-bee
					  ...rutgers!uw-beaver!ssc-bee!prang
                                          prang@ssc-bee.boeing.com
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt