aerostar ownership

[jack]

I'm interested in purchasing a 700superstar aerostar, does anyone have any advise on the airplane?

[Steve]

Jack,
I'm interested in Aerostars also. I find them to be super planes at (relatively) super prices. I found that Sporty's has a guide that critiques Aerostars as well as other major makes. It's offered in their catalog and is called "The Aviation Consumer's Used Aircraft Guide". It comes in 2 soft back volumes, each about the size of a inch thick phone directory. Good stuff! I spent a weekend of rapsodous reading when I first got 'em.

Beware of the Lycoming IO-540 turbo engines that are part and parcel of Aerostars. Unless Lycoming or the aftermarket boys have solved the engines' overheating problem, valve and valve-guide wear could have you saying things like: Oh, %^&#@!" when you get an annual inspection. As the August '99 edition of "The Aviation Consumer" said in its discussion of popular CA engines: "...worst of the worst in this catagory (high HP engines)--from the standpoint of unexpected expenses and "God Almighty!" predictions (sic)--is also a Lycoming. Specifically, several Lycomings. Losers in this class include the TIO-540-S1AD in the Turbo Saratoga, the turbostuffed IO-540 engines in the Aerostar series of airplanes and any Piper Navajo engine of 325 HP or higher. These engines run hot and exhaust valve guides--and valves themselves--are on a slow burn into oblivion from the first start to the last."

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Steve


[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 08-01-99).]

[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 08-01-99).]

[djschaut]

Do your comments apply to the 380hp Lycomings in the Beech Duke models, too? They can be had for a song, also.

------------------
DJSchaut

[Steve]

Lemme see now, ah yes, here it is-page 231, paragraph 5 of the Aviation Consumer's "Used Aircraft Guide" sez under the heading "Engine Troubles": "Don't even consider a pre-1976 Duke unless you're sure its trouble-plagued 380-hp Lycoming TIO-541 engines have received the appropriate fixes. A pair costs some $62,000 to overhaul...As for other engine problems, here are four major ones that we've identified through owner complaints and Service Difficulty Reports..." It goes on to list cracking around the exhaust ports on pre 1974 engines but says that Dukes built in 1976 and later (serial number 804 up) have upgraded engines. Further on the article mentions turbo housing cracking prevalent in the 60, A60, and 1974 B60 models. It winds up this Duke engine problem section by mentioning that pre-78 Dukes had a "high incidence of crankcase cracks...however, crankcases were beefed up in '88, starting with engine serial number 781."
My advice to anyone who's thinking of buying a used aircraft would be to get this used aircraft guide so you'll know something about what you're getting into. After reading much of these two books, I now know that every aircraft has it's unique picadillos. As far as I know, Honda has yet to make a CA aircraft and until it does, it looks like we're pretty much stuck with planes that, in the long run, leave much to be desired, the Mitsubitshi MU-2 notwithstanding.

Steve