amg3636(at)hotmail.com
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 Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:22 am Post subject: B52 |
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This is a pretty good read. I hope it is accurate.
Roland Gilliam AC 500 6291B
From: jpurner(at)100dollarhamburger.com
To: amg3636(at)hotmail.com
Subject: RE: B52
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 12:08:16 -0500
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Glad too. Heck I’m flattered you asked!!!!
B-52 and You!
The B-52 is the most enduring example of an actively flying war machine. It came online in 1952 and has played a major role in every war or skirmish Uncle Sam has been involved in since it first taxied down the flight line. Some serial numbers are today being crewed by the great-grandchildren of the men who first flew them. Oddly, these old birds are today among the most advanced weapon systems in the skies. The airframe has undergone only slight modification since 1952 - beefed up spars and advanced wing tips mostly. The propulsion systems have been upgraded several times to increase speed and range. The avionics and instrumentation bear no resemblance at all to the ‘when new’ panel. All of the weapons systems, both offensive ad defensive have been upgraded many, many times. What remains constant is the B-52’s airframe; it really hasn’t changed much at all.
The result for Uncle Sam has been a huge cost savings. Rather than phasing in a new bomber every few years and sending the old one to the aluminum shredder, the B-52 has simply been upgraded, modified and improved by adding new propulsion, avionics and weapon systems. The savings from this approach have been enormous and come at no loss of air superiority. The B-52 is a state of the art weapon today just as it was in 1952.
Amazing!
The story of the B-52 relates directly to the buyers market we are seeing in general aviation in the current economy. Airplanes are merely huge baskets of parts glued together to make a machine that flies. Each part plays a unique role in one of the aircraft’s three major elements: the airframe, the propulsion system and the avionics/instrumentation panel. They are equally important but not equally costly. The most expensive of the three is the airframe. It is also the most static. High engineering and development costs are offset by long production runs. When you have a winning airframe you stay with it and put your R&D money into powerplants, avionics and instrumentation.
The top selling aircraft that roll out of the Beechcraft, Cessna and Piper factories today were first offered for sale more than fifty years ago. The reason is simple. It is hard, sometimes impossible to improve on a near perfect airframe. Just as the B-58 ‘Hustler’ failed to replace the B-52 ‘BUFF’ nothing has come along to replace the venerable Cessna 172. It is a near perfect design for a four place trainer that also serves as a great short range cross country aircraft. The powerplant has been upgraded as has the panel and the creature comforts of the cabin but the airframe is basically the same one that first climbed into the air in 1958. If you need a little more speed and no more than four seats, think 182. The Bonanza has long been the first choice for those needing six seats, good speed and acceptable range. What about a Cherokee 6 or Saratoga or Mooney? They are all great airframes that have each reached their design peak. My point is that the really great airframe solutions designed for YOUR mission have been around for a long time and nothing is likely to appear soon to replace them. So buy one with confidence but…………….
Used is a MUCH better deal than new. If you currently own a Cessna 172 it makes perfect sense to invest in upgrading its engine, avionics and instrumentation. On the other hand, it would be an odd use of money to buy a new 172 as a replacement for the one you currently own. That is why Cessna is able to sell only a handful of brand new ones each month. There is no difference in the airframe of today and those of yesterday; even many, many yesterdays. The same is true of the Bonanza. The A-36 airframe is identical to that of the current production G-36. What is different is a fresh coat of paint, a new interior and a glass panel. That’s it! The airframe is identical!!!! The same is true in the Piper world. A great example is the Saratoga. Why buy a new one? Makes no sense!
If you are thinking of changing out your airframe for something bigger or faster, the problem you’ll face is selling your old bird. Today is just not a great time to be a seller. By the time your airplane is salable once again the prices of what you’d like to own will also have gone up. It’s the rising tide problem. All boats get lifted, so you remain in the same relative position, at least on a percentage basis. On a dollar basis you lose, as 20% of a bigger number is a much bigger number. When the 172 you want to sell gains $10,000 in value, the Bonanza you want to buy will climb by $30,000. Waiting to upgrade causes your dream to drift further and further away.
What I am about to write will seem strange (very strange, actually) but think about it a while before you send me a “John, you’re as dumb as a rock” email.
This is the best time to become a TWO aircraft owner. If you currently own a Cessna 172 (for instance) and need a faster cross country machine, keep your 172 and buy a used Baron B55 (for instance).
You’ll make money twice. A few years from today the price you get for that 172 will really make you smile but not nearly as widely as you will when you get around to pricing Barons a few years from now.
Try to buy your dream machine with a nearly run out engine and later replace or overhaul it when the FAA finally decides the fuel issue. You’ll want to change to a power plant that burns whatever the world will then be selling. Keep things glued together until you know. DO NOT upgrade the panel and DO NOT look for a ship with an updated panel. You’ll have to throw it all away very soon.
The world of avionics is about to change as the FAA brings ADS-B online. With it comes a REQUIREMENT for at least a transponder capable of transmitting your aircraft’s information to the FAA’s NextGEN equipment. The new system promises to replace radar and ILS. Your new transponder will constantly transmit your aircraft’s information package including altitude and position. To do that, it must talk to your ship’s GPS. The ADS-B system will return to you the location of nearby aircraft and weather information for graphic and textual display. Hence, you will also need an ADS-B receiver and a multifunction display capable of using the data it gathers. What would be heartbreaking would be to invest in currently acceptable boxes only to have to pull them in a short time and throw them away. WAIT on the panel upgrade.
Short version:
You will be able to sell your current airplane in a couple of years for twice what you will get today; conversely you can buy an airplane today for half what it will cost in a couple of years. You can put your stack of chips into the stock market or real estate and watch it dwindle or you can buy a popular aircraft and watch its value grow.
There is no doubt that the demand for GA aircraft will increase as more and more business people make the switch from the strip search, pat down line to the pleasure of personal air travel. You can take that to the bank.
What if you don’t own an aircraft today? Buy one! Whatever you can afford and plan to do what the Air Force has done with the B-52. Keep it forever and upgrade its power plant and panel when necessary as your budget allows. Even a Cessna 150 can be a great travel solution for trips of less than 300 miles. I bought one of those in 1990 for $7,500. Today the same plane goes for twice that in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. You can’t lose money investing in an airplane, especially if you time your purchase and plan on keeping it for the long haul.
To quote Warren Buffett, “Buy when others are scared and sell when they’re greedy.”
Now is the time buy an airplane!!!!!
The best deals are on twins and fire breathing, fuel gobbling high performance singles but the sales (not asking) prices of 172’s, 150’s Cherokee’s and V-tailed Bonanza’s are also amazingly low. Find the ship you want and make an offer you can afford. You’ll be very happy with the outcome.
Great airframes never die; they just get new powerplants, paint jobs, interiors, avionics and instrumentation.
Fly some place today – you’ve earned it!
To comment on this eBurger simply send me an email or go to the bottom of this article n the Burger Blog and click on Reply to this Post.
I look forward to reading your thoughts.
[i]John Purner[/i]
[b]John Purner[/b]
Publisher - www.100dollarhamburger.com
jpurner(at)100dollarhamburger.com (jpurner(at)100dollarhamburger.com)
From: Roland Gilliam [mailto:amg3636(at)hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2010 11:30 AM
To: John Purner !00 dollar
Subject: B52
John,
Would you please resend the B52 email to me. I accidently deleted it.
Roland Gilliam
[quote][b]
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