twincom

As you have correctly summised I struggle to do 100hrs a year, this year about 75. Generally the hourly cost for fuel is about $105. The annual maintenance cost is about $5,000 including annual / 100hrly and unplanned work. The insurance cost is about $5,000 per year. The props and engine are about 2,000 hrs TBO and a prop is abour $14K and an IO-320 about $40K therefore allow about $110K every 2,000hrs or about $55/hr for these items. It is expensive but the twin comanche is a very honest four seater, in my case a family of five (three kids on the back seat is allowable as long as their combined weight is less than 155kg). We usually take alot of luggage and generally full tanks, 428ltrs. At a burn rate of 66 lph that equates to nearly 6.5 hours at a TAS of 162kts @ 7,000 ft. BEW 1120kg MTOW 1690kg Hope that helps, how does this compare with say a Jabiru or CT?

I've just joined and am looking forward to conversing with others and finding out more about the site. I started to learn how to fly in 1992 in a Jabiru. Stopped and started several times and eventually went solo in 1994. Moved onto Piper Archer to get my unrestricted, once again stopped and started but eventually got it in 1997. I then maintained my licence by flying every now and then when in a town where I could hire a suitable aircraft. Eventually I decided it was time to buy my own plane, and with a family starting decided I'd try and get something big enough to take us all. I started looking around for a high powered single and came across a 1964 Piper Twin comanche in reasonable shape with two near new engines and long life props. I rushed out and got my twin endoursement on a duchess then a type endorsement on the plane I purchased and flew it back to the airstrip in the little mining town in Central Queensland which was my home at the time. We now reside in Brisbane and the after looking for six years finally found some reasonbaly priced hangar space at Archerfield. We love the plane especially going on holidays together or to a weekend flyin. The kids especially enjoy the adventure of it all. I'm sorry I missed out on the Camden Haven flyin. we visited there once and really loved the place. From the photos it looks like a good crowd attended.