How much to operate a T-28 or T-6 yearly?

[airboss]

Hello,

I am currently getting my private pilot lic. BUT my main goal is to own a T-28 or T-6 in USAF markings....I have asked on a couple of websites for info on the operating costs of these warbirds.
Fixed costs like hanger and the like, I would have with any A/C.

What about fuel per hour?
How many hours between Major overhauls?
How much is an overhaul?
How much are annuals?
Since the A/C is so old can I learn /be taught to do any of my own maint?
Do I have to have a specific amount of flying time to own one of these?

ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT!!!! You can see I'm very ignorant of the costs but I do resources and most of all I HAVE A DREAM to fulfill!!!!!!!


Don Curtis

[Glenn Wegman]

Hello Don,

I'd go with a T-6.........but I kanda like the little critters!

28 to 32 gals per hour cruise depending on how much time is on the engine.

About 1200 hour TBO.

Probably around $30,000.00 for a basic overhaul.

A real Annual will probably run from $2500.00 to $5,000.00 from a reputable shop.

You can perform Preventive Maintenance as described in FAR Part 43.

T-28 requires a rating, but not a T-6. I learned to fly and did my forst solo in a R-1820 powered T-6 20 yrs. ago. (still love 'em)

Hope this gives you a starting point.

Glenn

[airboss]

Glenn,

Thank you for the info!!!

Very helpful....

Don Curtis

[O.P.]

Hi Don! Welcome to the board.

I think I know a little about T28B/C's, I'm a newbie, but I am obsesed with T28's. There are owners that hang around on the board who will correct me if I'm wrong.

1. 60 gallons an hour. Don't forget oil either. 12-14 gallons of it.

2. Depending on which manual you go by, it's either 1500 or 2000. No one I know goes by that though. Everyone I've talked to falls somewhere between 900-1200 hours, or they go by "2 or 3 cylinders in an annual and its time for a major."

3. A zeroed out engine is 40-50k. I would start there.

4. A no problem annual is around 5-6k. Also, dont forget the 5 year prop AD, 5-6k also.

5. What Glenn said. I have found that T28 guys, like almost all warbird guys, have a very deep knowledge of their aircraft and are able to tackle a lot of problems your average Cessna dude would not be able to, or in some cases, would never face. I'm not knocking Cessna dudes, I am one, but, in casual conversations with non-warbird folks, more often than not, if there is a problem on the ramp during the $100 burger weekend, they'll be finding another ride home and will have to wait until the shop reopens on monday. I've never personnaly had that happen in a warbird. That might be because most of the people I know are renters or owners of newer planes, and are loath to touch them. The guys who own older cessna's that I've met, seem to be just like the warbird guys though.

6. 500 hours PIC. When you get the type rating, it will probably say "DAY VFR ONLY" on it. You will also need complex and high performance endorsements also. You will probably want get and IFR rating too, good to have, and good for the insurance man.

7. Throw in Insurance, Taxes, and Parking. Your mileage will vary on those.
Insurance=Experience, type of flying, location, condition of the airplane, and hull or not.

Taxes= Depends on your, state, county, ect. In most places though, you will become a "Master of the Display Dates".

Parking= I would suggest a hangar. Besides the obvious, weather, birds, ect, The most beautiful thing about a hangar is, Drum roll please, Electricity. T28's are voracious users of electricity. Having a start cart on constant charge close to the airplane rocks. Being able to set up a heater to get everything enginey all nice and warm before a cold day start, rocks. Besides electricity, storage. Storage for the mountain of stuff that seems to magically accumulate near every warbird I've ever seen. Cases of oil, spare parts, oil, old parts, oil, tools, oil, parachutes, oil, tires, oil, nitrogen bottle, oil, air compressor,oil, tug, oil, cleaning gear, and oil. Plus, if you're in a managed hangar, there are invisible armies of helper bee's that clean up the ever expanding pool of oil under the plane everyday while you're away from your beloved airplane.

All of the owners I've talked to when asked how much does it cost, almost always says somewhere around 500 dollars an hour when it's all said and done. That could be less or more depending on if its a good annual year or a bad annual year, gas prices, and other variables.

I don't know about A's. I figure that they would be somewhere inbetween the two.

I have the same dream. I will be a T28 pilot one of these decades. I've been very lucky in that there is a lot of owners out there helping me. That is very cool. It must be my winning smile and sparkling personality.

Steve Patterson and Chuck Wahl post here now and again, they'll know the intimate details of T28 operation.

Good luck! Have fun!

[Ryan Keough]

Courtesy Aircraft has profiles on both the T-28 and AT-6:

T-28 Page http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/T28_prof.htm

AT-6 Page http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/T6_prof.htm

Hope this helps!

[Stoney]

My wag is 5 x cost of fuel per hour = hourly cost

[Eric Friedebach]

Join the North American Trainer Association!

[srpatterson]

Stoney is absolutely correct, although leaning on the conservative side which helps to prevent sticker shock when engines need overhaul. My T-28 (adjusting for todays fuel prices) cost me $1500/hr to operate. The T-6 costs me about $500/hr, mainly due to the lower maintenance costs of this less complex aircraft. The T-28 is MUCH more complex than the T-6 as far as systems are concerned, and this directly relates to higher maintenance costs and more hours of maintenance per hour of flying (an important ratio to keep in mind).

The L-39 operates for about the same per hour cost as the T-28. As my Hopper brother Tim Brutsche likes to point out, "The T-28 eats parts, while the L-39 just eats gas". Our collective experience with six L-39s has proven this over time.

[Glenn Wegman]

T-6's are pilot trainers.

T-28's are mechanic trainers!

Glenn

[oscardeuce]

Do you need a type rating for the low HP T-28-A?

[coldaffyduck]

O.P,
I don't know what you mean by the oil comments, we only have about 10 barrells of 120 AD stuck back in the corner of our hanger. On the Tracker, which actually has the same engines as the T-28, we are averaging about 1/2 to 1 gal of oil per flight hour, per engine.

Also, don't forget you have the spar AD to contend with on the T-6's.

[Stoney]

I should have said the wag for the T-6. NATA has an AMOC for the T-6 upper angles that extends your inspection time to 1000 hours. Its free at:
www.NorthAmericanTrainer.org. NATA is working with a DER, Boeing and the FAA to hopefully extend the lowers to 500 hours.

[bdk]

Probably around $30,000.00 for a basic overhaul.

Just paid $30k for my T-6 engine overhaul, including carb mags, and 4 cylinder cores (old ones had unrepairable cracks), and the price has gone up twice since then. And don't forget, starter, generator, prop governor, hydraulic, fuel and vacuum pumps, etc. are extra to overhaul!

[Lynn Allen]

Probably around $30,000.00 for a basic overhaul.

Just paid $30k for my T-6 engine overhaul, including carb mags, and 4 cylinder cores (old ones had unrepairable cracks), and the price has gone up twice since then. And don't forget, starter, generator, prop governor, hydraulic, fuel and vacuum pumps, etc. are extra to overhaul!

Whew, that's why I'm looking at a Yak-52TW.....

Lynn

[Matt Gunsch]

Do you need a type rating for the low HP T-28-A?

No, as it is below 1,000hp. All you need to fly a A model 28 is a complex, high perfomance logbook endorsement.