1981 BEECH C 23 SUNDOWNER, COMPLETE AIRFRAME WITH AVIONICS, JUST OUT OF ANNUAL, FERRIED IN !!THE.
Item specifics 1981 BEECH C-23 SUNDOWNER, COMPLETE AIRFRAME WITH AVIONICS, JUST OUT OF ANNUAL, FERRIED IN !!THE SUNDOWNER IS THE CULMINATION OF THE BEECHCRAFT 4 PLACE FIXED GEAR SINGLE LINE, WHICH BEGAN WITH THE 1963 MUSKETEER.LIKE THE VERY SIMILAR PIPER PRODUCT, THE ARCHER, THE SUNDOWNER IS A COMFORTABLE 4 PLACE, CROSS-COUNTRY CRUISER. EASY ENOUGH SO A BEGINNER CAN USE IT TO TRAIN IN, FAST ENOUGH AND WITH ENOUGH LOAD CARRY CAPACITY SO THAT YU CAN KEEP IT FOREVER.LIKE THE ARCHER, THE SUNDOWNER COMES WITH A LYCOMING 180 H.P., WHICH PROVIDES BETTER CLIMB RATES AND HIGHER TOP SPEEDS THAN THE 150 OR 160 H.P. ENGINES FOUND IN LESSER MODELS.LIKE THE ARCHER, THE SUNDOWNER HAS A MODERN, WELL LAYOUT OUT DASH, WITH A QUADRANT THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS, A 6 PACK FLIGHT INSTRUMENT LAYOUT, AND ROOM FOR PLENTY OF AVIONICS IN THE 2 CENTER RADIO STACKS.THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS ARE COMFORTABLE AND HAVE GOOD SUPPORT. RETRACTOR STYLE SHOULDER HARNESSES ARE PROVIDED FOR THE FRONT SEATERS.THE SUNDOWNER HAS ADVANTAGES OVER IT’S CHEAPER COUSIN, THE ARCHER:THE SUNDOWNER CARRIES MORE FUEL (10 MORE GALLONS) THAN THE ARCHER, BUT BURNS THE SAME PER HOUR, SO THE SUNDOWNER HAS MORE RANGE.THE TALLER CABIN ON THE SUNDOWNER MAKES ENTRY AND EXIT EASIER, WHILE THE TALLER, 1 PIECE “SPEED SLOPE” WINDSHIELD GIVES A BETTER VIEW.THE REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO AIRPLANES IS THE DOORS !!NOTE IN MY PHOTOS THAT THE SUNDOWNER HAS TWO ENTRANCE DOORS, 1 ON EACH SIDE, AND THAT THEY BOTH OPEN TO A FULL 90 DEGRESS. THIS MAKES ENTRY FOR EVERYONE, PILOT, COPILOT, OR EITHER REAR SEAT PASSENGER, SUPER EASY.CIRRUS UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF 2 DOORS, AND ALL OF IT’S AIRPLANES WERE BUILT THAT WAY FROM THE BEGINNING.MOONEY HAS JUST FIGURED IT OUT, AND YOU CAN NOW GET 2 DOORS ON IT’S $800,000 “ULTRA” AIRPLANESBEECHCRAFT HAD IT FIGURED OUT ON THE SUNDOWNER, AND THE CHEROKEES NEVER HAVE HAD IT, AND DON’T HAVE IT STILL !!EVERYBODY KNOWS THE SUNDOWNER IS A GOOD AIRPLANE.EASY AND FUN TO FLY, RUGGED, RELIABLE SYSTEMS, STRONG STRUCTURE, WITH GOOD PERFORMANCE. ************ DOES THIS 1981 C-23 SUNDOWNER LOOK READY TO FLY TO YOU?****************** IT SHOULD, IT JUST FLEW INTO OUR AIRPORT LAST WEEK !!THE FLYING CLUB WHO OWNED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS RAN INTO SOME ISSUES ON THE LAST ANNUAL.THE PREVIOUS 11 ANNUALS WERE PERFORMED BY 2 LOCAL MECHANICS, BOTH NOW RETIRED.THIS YEAR, THE MAINENEANCE OFFICER TOOK THE AIRPLANE TO A “JET CENTER” IN THEIR AREA, AND EITHER LITERALY OR FIGURATIVELY SAID “FIX WHATEVER YOU FIND WRONG”THIS CREATED SOME ISSUES.INSTEAD OF GENERATING A SQUAWK LIST AND ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR COSTS, THE SHOP JUST STARTED TO REPLACE PARTS AND FIX THINGS AS THEY FOUND THEM.THESE ITEMS INCLUDED 63 SQUAWKS THAT WERE ADDRESSED, REPAIRED OR REPLACED, INCLUDING :NEW BRAKE ROTORS, BRAKE PADS, NEW NOSEWHEEL TIRE AND TUBE, REBUILDING THE LEFT GEAR STRUT (TO THE TUNE OF $1,400), $50 TO REMOVE, REPAIR AND REPLACE THE FUEL SELECTOR ($3 IN PARTS)THE TOTAL BILL FOR THE ANNUAL, OIL CHANGE AND ALL OF THE REPAIRS AND PARTS WAS $10,799, WHICH IS HIGH ENOUGH TO TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.BUT THAT IS NOT WHERE THIS STORY ENDS.THE ANNUAL WAS SIGNED OFF, BUT NOT AS COMPLETE, AS A LIST OF 39 DISCREPANCIES AND OTHER UNAIRWORTHY ITEMS WAS DELIVERED TO THE CLUB.AFTER SPENDING $10,799 !!!!!I’M GOING TO LET THAT SINK IN.THE LIST OF ITEMS IS OF COURSE INCLUDED HERE.A FEW OF MY FAVORITES:SWING COMPASS AND NEW CORRECTION CARD REQUIREDWHEEL HUB CAP HARDWARE INCORRECTBATTERY CONTACTOR COVER MISSING PUSH PIN FASTENERSSTABILATOR TRIM CABLE TENSION LOWAND THIS, AFTER A $10,799 ANNUAL HAS JUST BEEN DONE !!THERE ARE A FEW ISSUES THAT ARE BIGGER THAN THE COMPASS CORRECTION CARD REPLACEMENT:THERE ARE A FEW OF THE CABIN BELLY STRINGERS THAT THEY SAY ARE CORRODED, AND THESE SHOULD BE PATCHED OR REPLACED, OF COURSE.THERE IS HEAVY CORROSION NOTED ON THE UPPER LEFT FIREWALL SUPPORT CHANNEL. I CAN SEE IT FROM OUTSIDE, SO IT MUST BE WAY UP UNDER THE DASH, IN A DIFFICULT TO SEE SPOT. SO THERE ARE FEW BRACKETS AND STUFF THAT MAY NEED ATTENTION. THEN THERE IS ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF.I THINK IT WILL BE EASY ENOUGH TO REVERSE THE DIRECTION OF THE ¼” BOLT AT THE REAR SPAR ATTACH, (DISCREPANCY #23), ETC., ETC., ETC., WHICH WAS NOT DONE IN THE $10,799 ANNUALWELL, THE CLUB THREW UP THEIR COLLECTIVE HANDS AND SAID NO !!I DON’T BLAME THEM !!THEY SOLD IT TO ME, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ANNUAL WAS NOT COMPLETED, EVEN THOUGH THE AIRPLANE WAS BASICALLY REASSEMBLED.JUST OFFHAND, I ASKED IF THE “JET CENTER” WOULD SIGN AN FAA FERRY PERMIT TO ALLOW THE AIRPLANE TO BE FLOWN TO MINNEAPOLIS, FROM INDIANA, AND SURPRISINGLY, THEY SAID SURE !!SO THE AIRFRAME WAS FLOWN TO OUR MAIN LOCATION AT THE CRYSTAL AIRPORT (KMIC) LAST WEEK, AND IT’S TIED DOWN ON THE GRASS HERE.DOES ALL THAT MAKE SENSE?IT GETS MORE COMPLICATED.THIS AUCTION IS FOR THE COMPLETE AIRFRAME ONLY !!IT INCLUDES ALL OF THE AVIONICS AND INSTRUMENTS, AS INSTALLED, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ENGINE OR OTHER ITEMS FIREWALL FORWARD !!THE COWLINGS ARE INCLUDED AND UNDAMAGED, OF COURSE, AS SHOWNTHE ENGINE MOUNT IS INCLUDED AND UNDAMAGED, AND ALL OF THE ENGINE CONTROL CABLES ARE INCLUDED AND UNDAMAGED.THE AIRPLANE LOOKS GOOD OVERALL, AND THE PATCHES AND A FEW STOP DRILLED ITEMS THEY LISTED ARE NORMAL FOR THIS VINTAGE AND TIME IN USE (4134 TOTAL AIRFRAME HOURS)IT APPEARED FROM THE “JET CENTER” INSPECTION THAT THIS AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND REPAIRED SOMETIME IN A PREVIOUS LIFE. THE CLUB HAS OWNED THIS AIRPLANE AND BEEN FLYING IT FOR 12 YEARS WITHOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO THESE POSSIBLE REPAIRS, AND THE ORIGINAL LOGBOOKS, WHICH THE CLUB HAD IN IT’S POSSESSION, AND WHICH WERE USED FOR THE FIRST FEW ANNUALS, WERE LOST BY THE CLUB IN 2009. AS A RESULT, WHAT WAS DONE, BY WHOM, AND WHEN IS LOST TO HISTORY, BUT THE CLUB HAS HAD NO TROUBLE IN THE LAST 12 YEARS OR 900 HOURS THEY HAVE HAD THIS AIRPLANE.LAST ANNUAL EXPIRED 9/1/2017, AND THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL, WITH DISCREPANCIES, WAS SIGNED ON 6/15/2018SO TALK ABOUT A GREAT PROJECT !!FOR AN AVERAGE SHOP, OR BETTER YET A HANDYMAN WITH SOMEONE TO SIGN OFF THE REPAIRS, THIS IS AN EASY REPAIR.MOST OF MY AIRPLANES ARE CLEARLY UNFLYABLE WHEN I SELL THEM, WITH WINGS OR TAILS NISSING OR SMASHED SOMETIMES, SO THIS ONE IS A WELCOME CHANGE.THE INTERIOR IS VERY NICE AND IN GOOD CONDITION.THE DASH IS COMPLETE WITH ALL LATE MODEL INSTRUMENTS, AND THE FERRY PILOT REPORTED NO PROBLEMS WITH ANY OF THEM.THE RADIO STACK IS COMPLETE, AS SHOWN.AVIONICS INCLUDE:KING KMA 20 AUDIO PANEL WITH MARKER BEACONSMAC 1700 DIGITAL 720 CHANNEL NAV-COM (THIS IS A DIGITAL READOUT CONVERSION OF A KING KX-170B RADIO) WITH KING GLIDESLOPE INDICATOR.KING KX-170B 720 CHANNEL NAV-COM WITH VOR INDICATORKING KR-87 DIGITAL ADF SYSTEM WITH A 1 PIECE COMBINED ANTENNAKING KT-76A TRANSPONDER WITH MODE “C” ENCODERGARMIN GPS 150 XL, WITH MOVING MAPDAVID CLARK 4 PLACE INTERCOM SYSTEMTHERE IS AN EMPTY TRAY WHICH IS INSTALLED AND APPARENTLY WIRED FOR A KING KN-62, 64, OR 62A DME, BUT NO PANEL UNIT IS INSTALLED.THIS AIRFRAME IS SOLD WITH THE AIRFRAME LOGBOOKS FROM 2009 ON, PLUS COPIES OF ENTRIES FOR 2007 AND 2008, AS WELL AS THE FAA AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND FAA BILL OF SALE.WE CAN LEAVE IT PARKED HERE FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE AUCTION AND PROVIDE AN AREA FOR YOU TO DISASSEMBLE IT FOR TRANSPORT, OR WHERE YOU CAN HANG A REPLACEMENT ENGINE/PROP/FIREWALL FORWARD IF YOU WANT TO FERRY IT OUT. NO LABOR IS INCLUDED IN THIS SALE.THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING AND UNIQUE SITUATION, BUT I SURE DIDN’T WANT TO PART OUT A FLYING, GOOD LOOKING AIRPLANE, SO WE ARE OFFERING IT HERE CHEAP FIRST.GOOD BIDDING
WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT DOES NOT OBTAIN REPAIR ESTIMATES, AS WE DO NOT REPAIR ANY OF OUR AIRPLANES. WE ONLY FACILITATE THE SALE OF REBUILDABLE AIRCRAFT TO THOSE DESIRING TO SAVE MONEY OR HAVE MORE AIRPLANE THAN OTHERWISE POSSIBLE FOR THE MONEY.
REPAIR OF ANY AIRCRAFT WILL DEPEND ON MANY FACTORS, SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF USED PARTS, LABOR RATE OF THE REPAIR FACILITY, FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRCRAFT, ETC. AND WE WOULD NEVER PRESUME TO ESTIMATE THIS NUMBER FOR A BUYER. BEWARE OF THOSE WHO OBVIOUSLY GIVE UNREALISTICALLY LOW "ESTIMATES" FOR THE REPAIR OF THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT THEY SELL.
THIS ITEM IS BEING SOLD WITH A LOW RESERVE, THEREFORE WE FULLY EXPECT THIS LISTING WILL SELL TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER AT THE CLOSE OF THIS AUCTION, SO BID EARLY AND BID HIGH. THERE WILL BE NO CHANCE TO BUY THIS ITEM LATER!!
AS WE SET OUR BUY-IT-NOW SO LOW, MANY OF OUR AIRPLANES SELL BY THIS METHOD BEFORE THE END OF THE AUCTION. DONT WAIT TOO LONG HOPING TO SNIPE IT AT THE END, AND BE DISAPPOINTED !
WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT INC IS THE #1 VOLUME SELLER IN THE USED AIRCRAFT MARKET!
WE ARE THE REAL BRICK AND MORTAR WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT YOU HAVE SEEN ADVERTISED ON PAGE 6 OF TRADE-A-PLANE, AT OUR BOOTHS AT OSHKOSH, SUN-AND-FUN, AOPA, AND ELSEWHERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS !!!!
WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, SO WHEN YOU BUY AN ITEM THROUGH EBAY FROM US, YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE WILL LIST ALL ITEMS AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT WE WILL ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS TRUTHFULLY.
PLEASE ASK ALL QUESTIONS THROUGH THE LISTING(ASK SELLER A QUESTION), BECAUSE THESE QUESTIONS GET ANSWERED IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER.
PLEASE DON"T ASSUME. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE ABOUT ANY FACET OF ONE OF OUR LISTINGS, PLEASE ASK !
SO THAT ALL BIDDERS HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION,WE PREFER NOT TO ANSWER DETAIL QUESTIONS BY PHONE. OUR PHONE SALES STAFF HAS NO DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE ITEMS ON EBAY.
DUE TO THE AUCTION FORMAT, IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR FOR THE HIGH BIDDER NOT TO BUY THE ITEM LISTED, SO TREAT YOUR BID LIKE A HANDSHAKE!!
YOUR BID IS NOT A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL, BUT RATHER A CONTRACT TO BUY OUR AIRPLANE AT YOUR BID PRICE
SO BE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, AND FUNDSIN PLACE.
A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF $2,000 IS DUE WITHIN 72 HOURS OF THE BID CLOSING. WE PREFER PAYPAL FOR THIS DEPOSIT, BUT IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PAYPAL, LET US KNOW, AND WE WILL HELP YOU FIND AN ALTERNATIVE.
THE BALANCE OF THE PAYMENT IS DUE WITHIN 7 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF BID CLOSE. THESE FUNDS CAN BE BY WIRE TRANSFER, BANK OR CASHIERS CHECK, CASH, OR ANY COMBINATION. FULL PAYMENT IS DUE BY TIME STATED, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU HAVE VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT. BID ACCORDINGLY.
THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THIS LISTING, AND BE SURE TO CLICK "SEE SELLERS OTHER AUCTIONS" OR SEARCH WENTWORTHAIRCRAFTINC IN SELLERS,FOR MORE ITEMS YOU NEED OR WANT!
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