Super Decathlon San Diego

B

Bob Turner

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Apr 4, 2018
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A friend is selling a late 1970s 180 Dec. New engine, new paint, new interior. Flew it today.

He wants 120 - I think that is high, but my spies here tell me I am Wrong! It is faster than mine - I have to pull 24/24 to get120 indicated at 3000’; his gets the same speed at 2300/21”.

If there is any interest here, I will get photos.

There is a possible gas leak - I rolled it inverted today and smelled raw gas. Probably hadn’t been inverted since way before the overhaul. We will find that and fix it.
 
Fresh cover, or just fresh paint?

If recovered, that is a fair starting price for negotiation.

If repaint of original frame and fabric, IMO too high.
 
was it done as a complete frame up restoration or a quick paint/fabric and interior with the overhaul?

interior is easy and kind of cheap compared to the others. panel matters too.

$120k is probably the top of the market with original wood spars and original gear/prop but it depends on the buyer.
 
Agree with both of you - really good paint over older fabric. No flaws. If there is any interest at all here I will get the particulars as a favor to my buddy.
 
who did the overhaul and what's the total time on the airframe?

The engine's 35 to $40k but with everything else being original and painted over, I'm thinking it's in the $75k range. maybe i'm being harsh
 
I looked at Trade a Plane this morning. There’s a 150 Aerobat with a mid time O-200 for $120,000. It does have a glass panel (??)
 
That's just delusional. But there is still residual delusion in many markets left over from the distortions of the past 2 years. The music stopped on the great seller's market in June, but some sellers are in denial that they got left without a chair. That is especially the case for flippers. It will take about a year for them to get worked out of the market. In the meantime, helps to remember that you can ask anything, but that doesn't mean you will get it.
 
Did not know it stopped in June - was it like tulips?

I have a very nice Decathlon - paid $42K a couple decades ago, and insure it for $70 right now. I agree that these older birds in really good shape are in the 70-85 range. This one has an impressive engine/prop combo, but for some reason is really sluggish in roll, even with spades. Stable as a rock at cruise.
 
Big Ed said:
That's just delusional. But there is still residual delusion in many markets left over from the distortions of the past 2 years. The music stopped on the great seller's market in June, but some sellers are in denial that they got left without a chair. That is especially the case for flippers. It will take about a year for them to get worked out of the market. In the meantime, helps to remember that you can ask anything, but that doesn't mean you will get it.
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He’ll never get $120k even though he put EFIS on both sides (he must fly his 150 with a copilot). But prices are crazy high and while they will probably get cheaper they probably won’t get a lot cheaper, at least for anything you can rent, teach in or otherwise use for something other than just pleasure.
 
THe only thing that might make a really nice C152 go for a lot of money is that it has commercial appeal and they don't make them anymore. It would be my first choice for a plane to give private pilot instruction in.
 
Boy, not me. Nothing can beat a J3 for primary instruction. The 152 scares me with two adults and half fuel - an engine failure at the departure end of our airport would probably be fatal.

A good Champ would be a close second.

Around here we use Cirrusi for primary instruction. We had a fatality on the airport a couple months ago.
 
I soloed and got my private in an old 150. Later I gave a lot of instruction in em. My primary flight instructor smoked a pipe and had horrible breath, I used to hate it when he would talk to me...We were shoulder to shoulder. Long before headsets and intercoms became a thing BTW.. I always enjoyed when a student would spring for a 172!!!
 
I consider myself very fortunate to have gotten my primary training in a J-3. And, the second airplane I soled with my student cert was an Aeronca C-3. That was a hoot! Went on to 172s to get my private.
 
at the school where I did my training and where I stuck around to teach for a couple of years, we had 152's to go through the solo flights and then 172's for the cross-country flying. if someone wanted to do it all in a 152 or 172 they could.
the 152 is an awesome little airplane, the flaps are super effective, the plane is nicely balanced, performance with 115hp is pretty good, and they're really durable. the earlier ones with 40 degrees of flaps were fun.

just saying I can see how a really nice one would be valuable to a flight school. :)
 
My only real issue with a 150/152 was cabin width. Two broad shouldered men are gonna be bumping elbows.

But let's just be honest. The 172 is the most successful airplane ever. Just a shame that Textron won't follow Piper's lead and reintroduce a bare bones training variant.
 
that's fair, they're smaller inside. bigger folks would spend the money to do their training in a 172.

152's are a hoot though.
 
I soloed in a 150, got my private license in a 150, also commercial (a long time ago when rules were different), instrument, CFI and CFI-I. Also the toughest test of all - first date with my wife of almost 50 years was in my dad's 150E :). So I'll always be fond of the C-150/152.

But would I trade my Citabria for one?

:ROFLMAO::LOL::cautious:

...

[ahem]

...

No.
 
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