Most ridiculously expensive aviation-related item

A friend found that the shaft in his Bonanza that the cowl flap and nose gear door bellcranks rotate on was wearing out where it passes through the airframe. It's basically a piece of half inch aluminum tubing about a foot long with a stamped egg shaped piece of 60ga sheet metal welded on one end (one of the bellcranks). The price for a new one was over $15,000! Any competent machinist could duplicate it for about $100 parts and labor. Needless to say he had his "repaired".
 
gismo said:
Any competent machinist could duplicate it for about $100 parts and labor. Needless to say he had his "repaired".
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It is my understanding that is entirely legal for an operator to hand a competent machinist the correct materials and a manufacturers drawing of the part and have him produce it.

For silly priced parts: The cowl-flap motors on some barons seem to have a price tag that gets you a complete crate engine for a production passenger car.
 
182RG steering bungee. Cessna said $7,000 and "between 2 and 6 months". Bought a used one for $2,200 and it's identical to the 172RG's on eBay!! GRRR
 
weilke said:
It is my understanding that is entirely legal for an operator to hand a competent machinist the correct materials and a manufacturers drawing of the part and have him produce it.

For silly priced parts: The cowl-flap motors on some barons seem to have a price tag that gets you a complete crate engine for a production passenger car.
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I don't believe that is correct. :no:
 
Watches.

When you add "pilot" or "aviation", the price jumps dramatically.

Still looking for the right Casio or Timex!:dunno:

George
 
N801BH said:
Must be a government contract that will cost the taxpayers untold amount of dollars...... No wonder we are 16.4 TRILLION in debt..:sad::sad::mad:
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SOFIA is a high power NASA telescope monted in a 747, when the cost is compared to Hubble or the James Web telescope it looks like pocket change.

NASA is scrapping the two 747 Space Shuttle carriers to Provide spare parts to keep costs down. At least they are trying to recycle ;) (although I would like to see one of them go to a museum)



MAKG1 said:
Well, the sky is the limit.

I work on SOFIA. That's a $300 million 747 mod.

Just one of the reman engines (P&W JT9D-7J) is over $1 million, and there are four of them. The telescope is around $50 million, though it's probably not replaceable at all, being made of now-obsolete custom hardware, some of which is export controlled.
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Geico266 said:
I don't believe that is correct. :no:
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To have a legal 'owner produced part', you have to do one of the following:

1. The owner provides the manufacturer of the part with the design or performance data.
2. The owner provides the manufacturer of the part with the materials.
3. The owner provides the manufacturer with fabrication processes or assembly methods.
4. The owner provides the manufacturer of the part with quality control procedures.
5. The owner personally supervises the manufacture of the new part.



So, you dont have to know how to rivet or operate a CNC mill, as long as you stand next to the guy who does while he makes your part, the part is FAA legal (or if you hand him the sheet of metal or you hand him the drawings)
The key is that the part is compliant with approved data, typically that would require duplicating the manufacturers materials and dimension specs, either by reverse engineering the existing part or by using the manufacturers drawings, e.g. as obtained through FOIA.

 
weilke said:
The key is that the part is compliant with approved data, typically that would require duplicating the manufacturers materials and dimension specs, either by reverse engineering the existing part or by using the manufacturers drawings, e.g. as obtained through FOIA.

[/COLOR]
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AFAIK, FOIA only applies to the Federal Government. No clue how to get Piper, et al to give you the drawings for "free".

Cheers
 
X3 Skier said:
AFAIK, FOIA only applies to the Federal Government. No clue how to get Piper, et al to give you the drawings for "free".

Cheers
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They filed them as part of the type certificate application. In models that are past X years since type certification, they are not protected as trade secrets and available under foia.
 
This topic reminds me of the day I uncovered the truth about aviation parts... On my old Brittian PC system there are "air filters" on it. Every annual I would replace them and they were expensive. Taking a new one out of the box one day, I noticed the label was peeling off, I pulled it completely off and found a nice Fram G2 label underneath. I knew it looked like the gas filter on my car, but was really surprised it WAS the gas filter on my car! What a mark-up...
 
Marauder said:
This topic reminds me of the day I uncovered the truth about aviation parts... On my old Brittian PC system there are "air filters" on it. Every annual I would replace them and they were expensive. Taking a new one out of the box one day, I noticed the label was peeling off, I pulled it completely off and found a nice Fram G2 label underneath. I knew it looked like the gas filter on my car, but was really surprised it WAS the gas filter on my car! What a mark-up...
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Lots of parts that can be cross-walked with identical automotive parts. Piper used Chrysler Alternators and door handles. I dont believe you are allowed to use the cross-walked part unless it is a 'standard electrical part' (like a spade connector or a standard numbered lamp).
 
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weilke said:
Lots of parts that can be cross-walked with identical automotive parts. Piper used Chrysler Alternators and door handles. I dont believe you are allowed to use the cross-walked part unless it is a 'standard electrical part' (like a spade connector or a standard numbered lamp).
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Nearly all of my electrical stuff comes from Mouser (master solenoid for example).
I find other parts at the auto parts store.
Some parts I fabricate myself.

I do buy actual engine parts when it makes sense (those are expensive - $85 for a stupid radiator cap - an odd size that I couldn't find locally.)
And some hardware from Aircraft Spruce / Wicks / etc.
I bought all the bearings for the tailwheel / mains from the manufacturer because the prices weren't that bad and it was easier than trying to chase them down at the local bearing supply.

Of course, I install it all myself.
 
weilke said:
Lots of parts that can be cross-walked with identical automotive parts. Piper used Chrysler Alternators and door handles. I dont believe you are allowed to use the cross-walked part unless it is a 'standard electrical part' (like a spade connector or a standard numbered lamp).
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We found Ace Hardware green garden hoses during Charlene's first annual! I don't think they were allowed.:rolleyes:
As for expensive, the single biggest ripoff I have ever had the pleasure of funding was an "emergency lighting battery pack" on my Citation II, $1800.00! I was at the shop during the inspection and the mechanics showed me the old one, I told him it looked like 8 AA batteries shrink wrapped together.........is was!:hairraise: We cut it open, 8 AA rechargeable batteries! It looked like a battery pack for a radio controlled car! That was the day I decided to sell the airplane. :mad2:
 
weilke said:
They filed them as part of the type certificate application. In models that are past X years since type certification, they are not protected as trade secrets and available under foia.
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I'm not so sure that the FAA maintains design documentation on all the parts an aircraft manufacturer uses to build their airplanes. And if they do I suspect they're exempt from the FOIA.
 
gismo said:
I'm not so sure that the FAA maintains design documentation on all the parts an aircraft manufacturer uses to build their airplanes. And if they do I suspect they're exempt from the FOIA.
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The FAA is who recommends to obtain the drawings via a FOIA request, maybe they have it wrong then.
 
N747JB said:
We found Ace Hardware green garden hoses during Charlene's first annual! I don't think they were allowed.:rolleyes:
As for expensive, the single biggest ripoff I have ever had the pleasure of funding was an "emergency lighting battery pack" on my Citation II, $1800.00! I was at the shop during the inspection and the mechanics showed me the old one, I told him it looked like 8 AA batteries shrink wrapped together.........is was!:hairraise: We cut it open, 8 AA rechargeable batteries! It looked like a battery pack for a radio controlled car! That was the day I decided to sell the airplane. :mad2:
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I heard the backup instrument battery on the DA40 is a similar deal.

(arguably, AA batteries are a 'standard electrical part' and you could replace them with units of like capacity and quality)
 
Most expensive in cost by weight:

The servo shear pin for a Cessna 300A autopilot: ~$65, just for the part (and about an hour to install). The pin weighs less than 1/3 of a gram.

You don't want to convert that to cost per ounce, the answer is depressing.

Jeff
 
The most expensive part is the one that breaks in-flight and does not allow the save completion of the flight. Fixing it on the ground is cheap!
 
The rubber discs in the Mooney landing gear are $100/ea
 
DavidWhite said:
The rubber discs in the Mooney landing gear are $100/ea
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MAPA had a group buy a few months ago, I think, but they were still stupid expensive. And, of course, you need 11 of 'em - 4 in each of the mains, 3 in the nose.

But, they don't deflate like old oleo struts do with our 1950's-era airplane rubber seals... So in comparison to what we used to spend getting the struts rebuilt on one of the Archers every year, the rubber Mooney biscuits are a bargain!
 
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