Cheap fun or what ?

I like the line in the first ad, "Reason for selling: expanding waistline."

That airplane is so small you have to get out to change your mind. Even as fast as it is, you're delayed by having to wait at every stop for a couple of guys to show up to turn the airplane upside down and shake you out.

:goofy:

If you're too tall, just don't close the canopy!

M18_1208_01.jpg
 
Mooney Mites are cool but for that price range I'd go with a Varieze. More fun and having a pax to take along with ya.
 
Saw one in a hangar once. Very cool LITTLE plane.

It was undergoing some work, pretty simple systems.
 
I believe Al Mooney set a distance record in a Mite, almost 1000 miles nonstop.

Inexpensive to acquire, fly for pennies. New ones were sometimes sold in grocery stores for 5-6¢ per pound. They cost more than that now. Same price as a good 150/152 or 140, but much more versatile as a pilot-only plane.

My wife would shoot me if I bought a second plane right now . . . :(
 
I've sat in one. Being 6'2", it's extremely tight. I'd like to have one for fun.
 
Me want! But me not need, so will just dream.
 
Tom-D said:
But they aren't worth crap. Ask Greg :)
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If Greg paid more than $30k, that's between you and Greg. And as long as he's content with it, that's really all that matters.

But I've seen pristine award winners go for $28k. The demand for '48s just isn't the same as later models.
 
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There is definitely a cool factor to them, but they have never made my list of planes I want to have. Definitely cheap fun for one, but for a $20,000 one man airplane, I can have more fun in a Pitts S-1, and cover more ground faster and cheaper in a Midget Mustang (plus race it at Reno if I wanted). I certainly wouldn't kick one out of bed if someone gave me one though, I'd hang on to it and fly it.
 
Old fellow had one for many years over in an end hangar in the old leaky hangars on the west side of KSEE. I stopped and talked to him once a few years ago. He was always in there fiddling with it, seldom flew it in later years.

About a year ago someone noticed he'd been sitting in the cockpit two or more days in a row and checked on him. Had to use a little crane - something like an engine hoist I imagine - to lift him out. Died with his boots on, truly.
 
Fearless Tower said:
If Greg paid more than $30k, that's between you and Greg. And as long as he's content with it, that's really all that matters.

But I've seen pristine award winners go for $28k. The demand for '48s just isn't the same as later models.
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after searching for 2 years he said it is just a matter of pay me now or pay me later. you want the best you'll pay for it.

OBTW the 48 is the best of the bunch. it's faster, carries more, and is lighter on the controls than the As & Bs.
 
I think its a pretty cool little airplane, can't see much use for having it but maybe as something to tinker with if it was really cheap.
 
Tom-D said:
after searching for 2 years he said it is just a matter of pay me now or pay me later. you want the best you'll pay for it.
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That's true for ANY airplane.

Tom-D said:
OBTW the 48 is the best of the bunch. it's faster, carries more, and is lighter on the controls than the As & Bs.
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No disagreement there: remember, I own a '48 and I've flown '48s and B models.

But whether we prefer it or not, the '48 has more of a niche following and never had the market demand that the other models do.
 
Tom-D said:
show me one, any 170 Ragwing that sells for less than 35k is a project waiting to suck your wallet dry.
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Show me a '48 (other than what you sold Greg) that has gone (not listed but actually sold) for more than $35k in the last 5 years.
 
Fearless Tower said:
That's true for ANY airplane.


No disagreement there: remember, I own a '48 and I've flown '48s and B models.

But whether we prefer it or not, the '48 has more of a niche following and never had the market demand that the other models do.
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That's often the case in many things, the 'best' is not necessarily the one the market demands. Fortunately that leaves the 'best' models in a range of affordability.
 
A Yak 52 wins my vote! It is so much fun doing aileron rolls and loops!
 
Fearless Tower said:
Show me a '48 (other than what you sold Greg) that has gone (not listed but actually sold) for more than $35k in the last 5 years.
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There are always outlier deals on premium condition equipment that never even show up in 'the market', because the deals are made outside the market, before ever hitting it. Most really nice planes have someone waiting for them, and smart people will give a premium because they get a great return on it.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Show me a '48 (other than what you sold Greg) that has gone (not listed but actually sold) for more than $35k in the last 5 years.
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Funny how the ads are taken down after the sale.

I know of two. that I did inspections on that were in the 40s.
 
Henning said:
There are always outlier deals on premium condition equipment that never even show up in 'the market', because the deals are made outside the market, before ever hitting it. Most really nice planes have someone waiting for them, and smart people will give a premium because they get a great return on it.
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I'll second that and add. many of the premium aircraft have agreements that when they come up for sale, the buyer has first rights of refusal. they are never advertised they just get new homes.
 
Tom-D said:
Funny how the ads are taken down after the sale.



I know of two. that I did inspections on that were in the 40s.
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Funny how I have watched the market and the 170 forum and haven't seen a single one.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Funny how I have watched the market and the 170 forum and haven't seen a single one.
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How many really pristine 48's are there? those do not sell that often.
I sold 2623V in the early 90s for 30k, when you could have bought the average 48 for 15k. when you have a really fine A/C they will bring the top dollar.

sadly, the money is made buying not selling. I must buy a 48 for less than 10k to break even, and it must be a straight, clean, low hour, unmodified fuselage and not metal-ized wings, with a running engine.
Even at that, I'll spend 35k on the restoration.
 
Tom-D said:
How many really pristine 48's are there? those do not sell that often.
I sold 2623V in the early 90s for 30k, when you could have bought the average 48 for 15k. when you have a really fine A/C they will bring the top dollar.

sadly, the money is made buying not selling. I must buy a 48 for less than 10k to break even, and it must be a straight, clean, low hour, unmodified fuselage and not metal-ized wings, with a running engine.
Even at that, I'll spend 35k on the restoration.
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That's my point - there isn't enough demand for '48s to sink the money into most projects. Otherwise, you'd see a lot more getting restored and then put back on the market.
 
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