The idea of this post was born when I saw the next raffle plane of the 1940 Air Terminal in Houston. This is a vintage 1957 Cessna 172. 1957… This aircraft is now 53 years old, and it flies like a new one. It has been well taken care of, and even if its panel is not the most modern around, it has all what is needed to fly safely. The radios have been updated and a GPS has been installed, but the airframe is unchanged. The original engine was probably replaced when it reached its maximum certified time, according to the certification standards.
I don’t know if some Airworthiness Directives required changes that affected the aircraft’s structure, but if not it is simply the same good old Cessna 172 that was built back in 1957. I love the idea that a 53 years old aircraft is still flying. This makes an aircraft a great investment. Unlike a car that has lifetime somewhere between 5 and 10 years, aircraft (or at least airframe) have an unlimited lifetime.
This at least applies to good old aluminum airframes. But what about the new, composite airframes like the ones of all Diamond and Cirrus aircraft. Composites react to long exposure to the sun differently than metal. This is why these aircraft have to be mostly white, to reduce effects of the sun. Composite airframes have been around for fifteen years now and until we’ll have “real life” data, the discussion will probably remain open. If you’re interested in a deeper details check this post on Oshkosh365.org, the discussion board of the EAA. Some of these guys build aircraft themselves, I’m sure they know what this is all about.
And if you want to own a 1957 Cessna 172, you can buy tickets for the 1940 Air Terminal raffle plane for $50. Get a chance, and this is to support a great museum!
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This is so cool! It reminds me of the airplane I flew when learning to fly in San Angelo, Texas back in 1960!
Make me want to grab my aviator sunglasses and go fly!
