Focke Wulf 149D

Flyfishingpilot said:
Anybody here flies one?
If so, can you give me the lowdown... operating costs, gotchas, etc
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I flew one a couple of times, haven't owned one (yet) nor have I maintained one. It's on my short list of future aircraft. It's certified Experimental Exhibition which has/had a limitation on having to notify the FSDO when you were going to leave your area of operations, but it appears the FSDOs were never too bloody worried about it, and it appears that now they have instituted a policy where if you send them a letter requesting the limitation be lifted, it gets lifted (this is all from someone who flies and sells EE aircraft, not direct knowledge, though he told me it was from a letter he got from the EAA). Most of them have a GO 480 engine which is still reasonably well supported, although IIRC I have seen one with an AEIO 540 in it. It is a nice flying and handling airplane and is on my short list of future aircraft.
 
Flyfishingpilot said:
Anybody here flies one?
If so, can you give me the lowdown... operating costs, gotchas, etc
Click to expand...

Finding someone who flies one of those on this board would be amazing! If I recall, there were only a couple hundred built.

Looks a lot like a Navion, but it's not one! This article describes some of the differences... are you thinking about buying one? That'd be a nice find!

http://www.fwp149d.com/FwP-149D/nonavion/body_nonavion.htm

PiggiLU.jpg
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Finding someone who flies one of those on this board would be amazing! If I recall, there were only a couple hundred built.

Looks a lot like a Navion, but it's not one! This article describes some of the differences... are you thinking about buying one? That'd be a nice find!

http://www.fwp149d.com/FwP-149D/nonavion/body_nonavion.htm
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They aren't particularly hard to find, at any given time there's always a couple of them for sale.
 
Henning said:
They aren't particularly hard to find, at any given time there's always a couple of them for sale.
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What do they go for? I imagine parts might be hard to find. Piaggio doesn't support them any longer do they?
 
TangoWhiskey said:
What do they go for? I imagine parts might be hard to find. Piaggio doesn't support them any longer do they?
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Check TAP. There are usually a few in there as Henning alluded. I heard one in the pattern once at a fly-in and I started looking for an FW190. Cool airplanes.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
What do they go for? I imagine parts might be hard to find. Piaggio doesn't support them any longer do they?
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Typically under $50k, though occassionally you'll see one over $100k. I don't know how Piaggio support is on them, like I said, I never owned or maintained one, but the thing is built like a freakin tank, and it's an aluminum airframe with standard hardware, so how tough can it be to maintain, plus it's experimental. The GO 480s I've maintained on other models were easy enough to get parts for.
 
I've done the process...took about 10 business days dealing with the local FSDO. Basically deletes the 300nm radius "proficiency area" from the aircraft operating limitations for piston aircraft below 800hp. You get an amended airworthiness certificate to stick in the plane when you're done as well as revised operating limitations.

If I had a choice, I'd take an IAR 823 over an -149D.

But, that's just me. B)

Henning said:
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It's certified Experimental Exhibition which has/had a limitation on having to notify the FSDO when you were going to leave your area of operations, but it appears the FSDOs were never too bloody worried about it, and it appears that now they have instituted a policy where if you send them a letter requesting the limitation be lifted, it gets lifted (this is all from someone who flies and sells EE aircraft, not direct knowledge, though he told me it was from a letter he got from the EAA).
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Flyfishingpilot said:
The one I'm looking at is experimental only. (no exhibition restriction). Still, it's an issue because experimental aircrafts can't fly to the Bahamas...:(
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There's no such thing as an "experimental only" airworthiness certificate. The most common experimental categories are "amateur built" and "exhibition" but there are many others. FAR part 21.191 contains the details:

Experimental certificates are issued for the following purposes:
(a) Research and development. Testing new aircraft design concepts, new aircraft equipment, new aircraft installations, new aircraft operating techniques, or new uses for aircraft.
(b) Showing compliance with regulations. Conducting flight tests and other operations to show compliance with the airworthiness regulations including flights to show compliance for issuance of type and supplemental type certificates, flights to substantiate major design changes, and flights to show compliance with the function and reliability requirements of the regulations.
(c) Crew training. Training of the applicant's flight crews.
(d) Exhibition. Exhibiting the aircraft's flight capabilities, performance, or unusual characteristics at air shows, motion picture, television, and similar productions, and the maintenance of exhibition flight proficiency, including (for persons exhibiting aircraft) flying to and from such air shows and productions.
(e) Air racing. Participating in air races, including (for such participants) practicing for such air races and flying to and from racing events.
(f) Market surveys. Use of aircraft for purposes of conducting market surveys, sales demonstrations, and customer crew training only as provided in §21.195.
(g) Operating amateur-built aircraft. Operating an aircraft the major portion of which has been fabricated and assembled by persons who undertook the construction project solely for their own education or recreation.
(h) Operating primary kit-built aircraft. Operating a primary category aircraft that meets the criteria of §21.24(a)(1) that was assembled by a person from a kit manufactured by the holder of a production certificate for that kit, without the supervision and quality control of the production certificate holder under §21.184(a).
(i) Operating light-sport aircraft. Operating a light-sport aircraft that—
(1) Has not been issued a U.S. or foreign airworthiness certificate and does not meet the provisions of §103.1 of this chapter. An experimental certificate will not be issued under this paragraph for these aircraft after January 31, 2008;
(2) Has been assembled—
(i) From an aircraft kit for which the applicant can provide the information required by §21.193(e); and
(ii) In accordance with manufacturer's assembly instructions that meet an applicable consensus standard; or
(3) Has been previously issued a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category under §21.190.
[Amdt. 21–21, 38 FR 6858, May 7, 1968, as amended by Amdt. 21–57, 49 FR 39651, Oct. 9, 1984; Amdt. 21–70, 57 FR 41369, Sept. 9, 1992; Amdt. 21–85, 69 FR 44862, July 27, 2004; Amdt. 21–85, 69 FR 53336, Sept. 1, 2004]
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Each "category" (reason for issuance) comes with certain restrictions and limitations. Exhibition and amateur built are generally the least restrictive.
 
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