Dec 17, 2002, 6:36 AM
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Re: [Skydive2] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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Not my dz, but at Titusville last time I was there, there was the old caravan they used as a jump plane, just sitting there without an engine. Its a cargo caravan, without windows.
PhreeZone (D License)
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Dec 17, 2002, 6:39 AM
Post #3 of 16
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Re: [Skydive2] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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We have an old Beech 18 with no instruments or engines that is still around.
Dec 17, 2002, 7:33 AM
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Re: [Skydive2] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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we have an old 182 that was badly damaged in a taxiing accident. it was gutted and had the tail chopped off, the wings removed, and a set of steel legs bolted to it. we use it as our mock-up. works great!
Dec 17, 2002, 9:46 AM
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Re: [kingbunky] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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Old jump plane airframes often get pushed back in the weed when the cost of overhaul exceeds the cost of a decent used plane. For example, you can buy a "beater" Cessna 182 airframe for about CAN$40,000 while a new engine costs about CAN$40,000. The price split is even more dramatic on turbine engined airplanes. When you buy a used King Air, you are basically buying the instrument panel and the time remaining on the engines. The airframe is often tossed in for free. When your current pair of engines wear out, it is often cheaper to buy another used King Air, steal the engines and push the second airframe into the weeds. The only reason for overhauling old airplanes is if there is nothing else available to do the job. For example, last winter, Abbotsford, BC spent an obscene amount of money repairing their Fairchild Porter after it taxied into a ditch. They had to spend the money because a Porter is the biggest airplane that can operate out of their short runway and the overhaul was still cheaper than importing another used Porter. It is only economical to overhaul old planes if spare parts are cheap and you have an experienced mechanic who knows all the quirks of that model of old airplane.
Dec 17, 2002, 1:08 PM
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Re: [diverdriver] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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How about a Load Stall, I mean, Loadstar.
We have a couple of Casa's and 182's just waiting to be used for scrap metal.
Also there is a working Loadstar at the DZ, it goes up everyonce in awhile. Just not as a jump plane. Funniest thing is that the tires are always wet from the leaking oil. I think the owner of the plane has some land in Saudi Arabi.
PhreeZone (D License)
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Dec 17, 2002, 1:31 PM
Post #12 of 16
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Re: [freakous] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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>We have a couple of Casa's
Damn... those are all that popularof a plane to start with.
Dec 17, 2002, 8:19 PM
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Re: [Skydive2] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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Not really a jump plane, but there's been an old PBY (Canso?) sitting in the hangar at Gan as long as I can remember... The owner used to come out and run the engines on the taxiway once a year, but that was it... The Cdn Warplane Heritage was trying to talk the owner into donating it, but he wouldn't... At that time they figured it would take a couple of years to get it into shape to fly it to their base...
Dec 17, 2002, 8:35 PM
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Re: [Skydive2] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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We have an Illusion 76 sitting at our DZ. It will be turned into a Bar and a bunkhouse soon. How cool is that. We thought of turning it into a mock-up but the list of injuries would be too high. The door is 3 meters above the ground
Dec 19, 2002, 8:35 AM
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Re: [Skydive2] Old Jump Planes Just Sitting Around?
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We have an Antonov 2 at our club, although it's not rusting yet- we usually jump from it. It takes forever to get to altitude, it's noisy as hell and reeks of oil, but otherwise it's quite comfortable and it just feels like home. As for flight characteristics, it's amazing. It can't go really high (10000' max), but I've seen it land on a runway less than 300' long and take off from less than 200'. And from the ground you can always see when it's dropping people since it almost stops completely. It may be because I've done my first jumps from it, but I love this plane!
(This post was edited by jerry81 on Dec 19, 2002, 8:36 AM)
We have an Illusion 76 sitting at our DZ. It will be turned into a Bar and a bunkhouse soon. How cool is that. 
We thought of turning it into a mock-up but the list of injuries would be too high. The door is 3 meters above the ground 