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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!lll-crg!seismo!hao!noao!terak!doug
From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Aircraft wear and tear.
Message-ID: <878@terak.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Nov-85 11:59:53 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.878
Posted: Fri Nov 15 11:59:53 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 18-Nov-85 07:18:35 EST
References: <21@utastro.UUCP> <185@ihnp3.UUCP> <468@orion.UUCP>
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Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 22

> Airframes comparisons should be based on TTAF (or total time on the airframe).
> ...
> The important thing to remember is that stress on the airframe is cumulative.
> If you are buying a old used plane then have a mechanic look over the entire
> plane not just the engine for sign of stress.

A more day-to-day significance of TTAF:

Like a car with 150,000 miles on the odometer, a light plane with 3000
hours or so TTAF is very likely to be a maintenance hog.  Buying a
plane with a high TTAF is a good introduction to how planes are put
together, because you're always learning about some part that you
never even knew existed that has to be replaced :-)

Before I get too badly flamed about this, let me back-pedal a bit and
say that a lot of folks (including yours truly) own high-TTAF planes
and really enjoy them.  But you should know what you're getting into.
(In July I learned that the cost of engine cowling latches for my C-120
has gone up from $100 to $175 in the couple of years since I last had to
replace one; this month I'm learning about aileron hinges...)
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug