BTV wrote:Another vote here for the 550.
I fly a Cirrus (let the jokes begin) and every time I take off in it the power makes me want to put a 550 in my 180. Early on in my 180 search I had a chance to buy a 61 185 with a 550 (at a great price) and choked and missed the opportunity. I still regret it.
Another thing to consider with fancy avionics is the annual bill to keep everything updated. You can buy a lot of gas for what it costs.
A Cirrus a what?
I hear that they are great airplanes!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOqQtB2Pux4 I just had to link that..
C185D wrote:My 185 has the 260hp and when it hits TBO I'm putting a 520D in it with a 88in McCauley 3 blade. The 550 is WAY more expensive and burns more gas, unless your flying at max gross all the time it isn't worth it. As far as the MT goes there fine if yor on floats and modest off airport stuff, but one willow branch will shred that prop to pieces, I've seen it. The MTs are faster but don't pull as hard as a Black Mac. MTV is right you defiantly want to invest in the engine first avionics second. I don't know where your located but the best IFR avionics in the world can't help you if you can't shed ice which is why IFR without de-Ice system in AK is a very bad idea.
I have one friend who swears by his 180 with an IO520 conversion with an 80 inch three blade. Once your airplane hits TBO I would really love to hear what gains you get from the 470 to the 520.
I agree with you there on the fuel burn for the 550! I would like to try and keep hourly costs down by as much as possible, but these are big bore continentals. I am located in Minnesota permanently for now until I part time live in Texas during the winters, haven't had much problems with ice last winter in the flight schools Skyhawk.
Quickdraw1 wrote:Hands down go with the 550. Go with the hartzell blended or black Mac props.
I do not have much experience with either prop, do you have a preferred prop?
Cary wrote:Some thoughts:
With "a year or so of flying", how many hours is that? Are you working on an IR yet? Do you have a high performance endorsement? Do you have a tailwheel endorsement? What are your long term flying plans?
As I recall, you're fresh out of HS and just beginning your college experience. I don't mean this as any sort of derogatory statement, but for most of us barely into adult life and also barely into aviation, we didn't know butkis what we really wanted to do. Sometimes what we thought we wanted to do while still in HS wasn't anything like what we ended up doing. Similarly, what we thought we wanted/needed in aviation turned out to be nothing like reality, either.
When I was just out of HS, the only reason I decided to try pre-law was because my friend Jerry suggested it, rather than going "undeclared" for a major. I sure didn't plan to go on to law school--in fact, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, other than marry my HS sweetheart and be a success at something. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd retire after 46 3/4 years of practicing law in both the USAF and civilian life.
When I arrived in Laramie after I'd left the USAF, I had all of about 85 hours total time. Since I'd flown what to me was a "high powered" 172 on occasion in Anchorage, I thought that that was what I wanted, to haul my family consisting of wife, 2 kids, and dog. And of course, it should be fully IFR equipped, because eventually I'd get my IR. My first flight in a 172 in Laramie disabused me of that idea, though, because there's a lot of difference between density altitudes of the near sea level airports I knew compared to Laramie's almost 7300' elevation. What we ended up with was a late model (1970--this was a long time ago) 182, IFR equipped. It had 360 and 90 channel navcoms, no glideslope, an ADF, and a transponder. We added a DME. Yet for several years, my partners and I flew it all over the country, as far west as Los Angeles, southwest to Phoenix, east to eastern Ohio, northwest to Idaho's mountain country, much of it IFR. But that airplane today wouldn't even be legal to fly on instruments, as technology has changed so much.
Unless you have a money tree growing in your backyard, if it were my decision to make, I'd say first find out the status of the existing engine. Although it's been sitting awhile, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's in need of very much. Find a good A&P/IA and follow his/her advice. The stock engine in a 185 is still quite a screamer at your local elevations. In fact, it's pretty darned good at much higher elevation airports. If it doesn't need replacing or overhauling, don't do it. And likewise, the stock prop, unless it's in need of overhauling, works just fine.
Then before spending beaucoup bucks on the panel, wait until you've got your IR to decide what it is that you really want. Granted that what Cessna stuck in there back when the airplane was built isn't the best for today, and what your grampa may have added or changed before leaving the project, you don't need to turn it into glass to make it entirely usable--and technology is still evolving. But you will have to have ADS-B Out in your area, by January 1, 2020, which isn't all that far away. To take advantage of the many, many GPS approaches which have come into being since the airplane was built, once you have your IR, you'll need an IFR approach certified GPS, such as a Garmin 650. But again, you need to learn to fly that stuff before you can use it, and what's available today may not be what you want tomorrow.
Cary
I want to say thanks for writing this up, I am always looking for feedback like this. Right now I went through a 141 school and have about 45 hours. It is not a whole lot of experience, but it is a start to hopefully a long life full of flying. I do not have my IR, tailwheel or high performance endorsement as of now. The good thing is that my instructor that I flew with instructs on all of the above, I do not know if he does them all at the same time though.
I am a month out of HS and a month into College. You bring up a great point. My views on life and aviation have changed so much in the past year. At first I wanted to be an Airline pilot that flew all over the world as most kids wanted to, then as I grew up I wanted to fly domestic 737 stuff. Fast forward a couple of years and all I want to do right now is get tailwheel, IR and high performance and go from there. I would love to instruct in the near future, as my flightschool has a program for their instructors to get sic time in their King Airs.
Sounds like you guys got a really nice 182! I know my grandfather took my mom around the country in that airplane when she was a little kid on flights that sound a lot like the ones that you and your friends did with your 182.
In regards to the 470, I wont know the condition of the engine until it gets a cylinder or two pulled. The thing that scares me is that corrosion had occurred on some parts that were non structural but were in the engine compartment. We still think that the high humidity in that area played a role and that we might have a surprise when we pull the engine apart. I wish I had a money tree, but because my mom was born the year the airplane was made and has flown in it since then makes her want to split the costs of repair and upgrades with me.
Talking about the panel and spending big bucks, she is the one who is insiting on me getting the airplane equipped with some good avionics. Granted all that I want is a GTN and some gauges and layout that looked good. We are still working out the details for the 2020 deadline, I like the idea of a remote mount transponder and the GTN650 controlling that and the radios. It will save some space in the panel for various other upgrades.
Thanks again man!
Hammer wrote:This is a no brainer:
Sell the airplane.
Buy a 120 or J3 and actually learn how to FLY.
Invest the rest of the money and watch it grow into enough to buy a kerosene burner by the time you're 50, by which time a G500 will be about as valuable as floppy disks and mimeograph machines.
I have thought about it believe me but it is just something I am unwilling to do. The story is that my mother and the airplane were born in the same month. She grew up with that plane practically as a big sister.
Want to know a sad story? My late father had an L-4 Grasshopper with an original brody hook
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodie_landing_system that is/was our plane that is in the photo, and that is Rick working on something at the Oshkosh show. Anyway his side of the family decided to sell it for dirt cheap before me and my mothers side of the family could even realize what had just happened. I would really like to own a J3, but selling the 185 in its current condition would not pay for one. My grandapa really wants me to buy one when I get a chance, so I am happy to hear the same thing he always tells me from another pilot.
Cary wrote:Zzz wrote:Give us enough time and thread drift and we'll prepare some girl advice for you too.
Well, as the resident expert on creating failed relationships, I think I'll bow out of that one.
Cary
I need all of the advice I can get. Apparently being a pilot and driving a Chevelle did not get me very far in terms of picking up the ladies
I have concluded that a getting a rebuild is going to cost about thirty large, while just buying the IO-550 would cost about forty not including supporting "mods" like the new prop or engine mount. This is a tough situation for me because I really want to upgrade the panel (like really badly) with some expensive Garmin stuff that will probably add to the resale value if the time comes, something along the lines of a G500 and a GTN650 (gotta one up Fireball ya know!) 
