amphibian for sale barnstormers

[flywise 169]

Found this ad on barnstormers.....I wonder why someone would install wing fences on an avid amphibian? Price is quite high being fitted with the 2smoke I find.

https://www.barnstormers.com/cat.php?mode=search

 

[Allen Sutphin 705]

Knock off the normal 10% and its still worth it. New kits (any type) are becoming expensive, considering what else you will have to buy to get it flyable. In my opinion, any two seat flyable aircraft such as the Avid or Kitfox (older models) that can be had for under 20K will soon be gone. There will always be a few in various conditions for sale at 15-17K, and on rare occasion, a great one can be had for that price. 10K flyable aircraft (two seat) are almost impossible to find any more.  Us "slightly older" pilots are finding and rebuilding the older Avids and Kitfoxes and hanging on to them.  Its tough to buy and redo one without spending 12-15K doing it.  As far as 2 strokes, for around 6-7 hundred, you can tear it apart, inspect and reseal it for another 2 or 3 years. Reliablity  is more with the pilot than the engine. Watch the news, all of the crashes due to engine failure are GA engines or 912's probably due to the fact that pilots can't spend 10-12K to have them overhauled and just fly a ticking time bomb. Don't mean to rant but it frost me that so many bad mouth 2 strokes like they are less of an engine. They get fresh oil with every breath, gobs of quick power, run like a turbine at anything over an idle, very few moving parts, but require a little TLC now and then.

[flywise 169]

Hey Allen,

thanks for your input. My quote about 2smokes has nothing to do about them being good or bad....it's only financial!  

A 912 s is many times the price of a 582...so logically an amphibian fitted with a 912 is more expensive than when fitted with a 582.

This amphibian is fitted with a 582 and basic instruments (handheld VHF, no xponder) . hence my comment.

2 years ago I bought a very well built Catalina (evolution from the amphibian) fitted with a Rotax 912, in flight adjustable prop, panel mounted VHF and transponder with a purpose built trailer for 27'000....

Also not so long ago a complete catalina Kit was sold for 7500US..

My 2 cents....

 

[Allen Sutphin 705]

Your 2 cents is noted. Not pointing to you personally, but many knock 2 strokes like they are less of an engine, probably from someone else's experience with them. You probably know the type, bubba smith pulls his "X" flyer outta the barn after sitting all winter. Grabs his chain saw gas can, pours in some gas, fires it up and takes off. 30 seconds later it quits and down in the corn field he goes. He gets out cussing about them darn Rotaxes, just up and quit for no reason.  Go figure!  Of course, a 912 would probably do the same in that situation.  Most want a 912 due to its a 4 stroke and look at the 2000hr TBO.  Flying maybe 50 hours a year they are not considering that 2000 hrs is 40 years down the road and time will do more damage to a 912 than hours. Flight instruction, rental (LSA) and constant use, it is more understandable to spend the money for a 912, but for the normal rec pilot it is more sensible to use a 2 stroke and tear or have it torn apart every 2-4 years for less than 1K. He is never over 3-4 years from a internal inspection and reseal which means greater reliability.  Yeah! I am a little turned off at 912's due to the price, overhaul cost, AD's, and it looks like a can of worms. Plus its a PITA to work on. You have to disassemble the exterior componets just to get to the basic engine.  And more sensors than holes in my fruit of the looms. Yeah, I know I'am a hillbilly!

[FredStork 453]

Allen, 

It is so easy to get a bad reputation... When I was looking for an alternative to my too old 532 I found (and later bought) the 2 stroke Simonini Victor 2 (92hp). When asking around about the engine no-one actually had first hand experience but they ALL had a friend how had had one but "as it keep breaking down the friend changed back to Rotax", "You better by a Rotax, and 2 strokes you know... why not a 912?" 
Finding it a little strange that so many people had friends with failing engins as very few Simonini engines were sold in France at that time I started to probe the stories a little. It all boiled down to one article in the French ultraligh magazine a few years earlier where someone actually replaced a Rotax 582 with a Simonini Victor 2 and had 2 consecutive (identical) issues, after the first incident Simonini replaced the engine and after the second they gave the money back. What the article didn't tell was that Simnonini recognized the problem as a class issue, fixed the problem and have not had the problem again.
After buying the Simonini Victor 2 engine I started a blog to share my experience and that way I got in contact with other owners around the world. So far the only documented issue (that could be blamed on the engine rather than the owner) remain the article in the French magazine...

I'm with you, I belive in the simplicity of the 2 stroke engings, they are reliable if maintained properly (and that doesn't take a lot of effort), the power/weight ratio is unbeatable. The weight difference beetween a Victor 2 or Rotax 582 and a 4 stroke 912 is equal to over 7 gallons of fuel and with my engine I get 92hp and have the same fuel consumption as with a 912. And I don't have to put a heavy lead battery in the tail (changing to a light weight battery I gained another gallon of fuel...).
Does this make me a "hillbilly"?
  

[Allen Sutphin 705]

There are hillbillies all over the world!