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A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:05 pm

CF-5D
http://courtesyaircraft.com/Current%20I ... 0CF-5D.htm

B-25 Sunday Punch
http://courtesyaircraft.com/Current%20I ... 0B-25J.htm

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 5:49 am

i can go halfs with someone on the b-25? In halfs meaning i'll pay half for the armorall for the tires because thats all i can afford!

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:30 am

Amazing that you can get 3 B-25's for the price of 1 P-51 or spitfire! I wonder how long it will last before that bubble bursts.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:13 am

the B-25 as cool as it is just does not hold the same "mystique" that the Mustang or Spitfire does. Kinda like a Land Rover Defender 90 vs a Lamborgini Countach. What I would not give for either one but if you had them both sitting there and had to pick one. . . .

Tom P

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:18 am

I was surprised at how relatively cheap that A-26 listed below Sunday Punch was....that's almost pocket change these days.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:41 am

Interesting to see that Anders Saether's P-51D N167F and A-26 N167B have been withdrawn from the Courtesy website. Does anyone know what the current situation is with these 2 Norway-based aircraft?

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:42 am

Speedy wrote:I was surprised at how relatively cheap that A-26 listed below Sunday Punch was....that's almost pocket change these days.


As with anything - price is typically driven by demand. Not too many people can afford to pay the cost to operate these old planes....it is bad enough that the parts are becoming difficult to come by, but with AVGAS ranging over 6 bucks in some places....not too many people can afford to operate these planes. Hence, not many buyers so the prices are low.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:30 pm

Gas is the cheapest thing about owning any airplane.
Chris...

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 3:11 pm

cwmc wrote:Gas is the cheapest thing about owning any airplane.
Chris...


That's true, but burning 140 gph at $6/gallon increases the op cost significantly.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 3:41 pm

I really like that B-25.

Would the A-26 be comparable in operation costs to the B-25? Is that one airworthy? Obviously the B-25 is more popular, but that is a big jump in price for a comparable WWII bomber, IMO.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:22 pm

Django wrote:I really like that B-25.

Would the A-26 be comparable in operation costs to the B-25? Is that one airworthy? Obviously the B-25 is more popular, but that is a big jump in price for a comparable WWII bomber, IMO.


Unfortunately, while I have some experience with the B-25, I know very little about A-26s, so I can't say for sure. I suspect that the A-26 will cost a little more to operate than the B-25. For one, the A-26 uses R-2800s (same engines on a DC-6) vs the R-2600s on the B-25. I would imagine that the R-2800 burns a bit more fuel.

Also, there are a few things in the description that may be affecting the value. It is an Experimental Category vs Limited Category that most B-25s are in. I believe that would prevent you from selling any rides in the aircraft. Plus it says the interior is 'stock' which means that it is probably pretty ratty inside. Could need alot of maintenance. I am also not sure how airworthy A-26 numbers compare to B-25s these days. That could make a difference.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:18 am

With the R-2800 you have to add 20-25 gallons per hour per engine on the fuel burn. The plus side to that is that the A-26 is probably 75-100 knots faster than the B-25 so you will get there faster. In addition to the increased fuel burn, the overhaul price for a R-2800 is quite a bit higher than the R-2600. The A-26 is not quite as easy as the B-25 to offer rides in, so the possibility to helping offset the operation costs by offering rides is not as good. If you want to get somewhere fast, and in style, the A-26 would be a better choice than the B-25. That is why so many of them were converted to executive transports.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:59 am

kmiles wrote:If you want to get somewhere fast, and in style, the A-26 would be a better choice than the B-25. That is why so many of them were converted to executive transports.


That is true and possibly a good explanation of why the A-26 price is lower. These days nobody flies warbirds fast (with the exception of Reno I suppose). Econo cruise is much more common.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:36 am

Thanks, that all makes sense.

This may be crazy, but could you run the -2600s on an A-26 as a more cost effective solution?

The real deal breaker though is probably the revenue rides.

Re: A couple of new additions to Courtesy's website...

Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:10 pm

Django wrote:This may be crazy, but could you run the -2600s on an A-26 as a more cost effective solution?


Assuming you could get the FAA to buy off on the alteration (royal pain in the empanage these days), I suspect that the expense to engineer the whole thing would make it not worth the trouble.
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