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I still find it hard to believe that it's cheaper to pay someone (per the article, for transport from UK to US) $20k to fly your plane, than it is to dismantle
by zensavona 11y ago
I still find it hard to believe that it's cheaper to pay someone (per the article, for transport from UK to US) $20k to fly your plane, than it is to dismantle and put it in a shipping container, and reassemble it on the other end.
Maybe I have a naive understanding of the complexity of taking a light aircraft apart? I do know though, that shipping a container from Europe to Australia (!) runs a bill of around $5k, and I can't imagine the plane referred to in the article taking more than two containers.
- SlalomStallone 11y agoI assume proving the aircraft airworthy after such an extensive dismantling would be really expensive and time consuming. Disclaimer: IANAP.
- idlewords 11y agoMost planes aren't designed to be disassembled, and you would be paying for a complete structural rebuild while paying a certificated mechanic's hourly rate.
- AmVess 11y ago? Small aircraft are readily dissembled. The wings and tail feathers of most of them are bolt on affairs. This isn't to say that it's an easy task; it takes knowledge and skill like most things small aircraft. I have personally seen two people take the wings and tail feathers off of a Cessna 18x in less than four hours.
- idlewords 11y agoStop bringing facts into the argument! I thought the older planes were built so that the wing spar isn't detachable without major surgery. But I defer to your actual expertise.