Quote:
Originally posted by john_cramer
You could probably buy a T34 for a fair price these days due to all the trouble they have been having. Two inflight breakups with at the air combat schools with the wing separating led to a 152 Knot redline and +2.5g max load. Subsequently the feds said you could replace the spar with a Baron or Bonanza spar or put doubling straps on it as alternate means of compliance.
I wonder whether it's just the repeated high time and probable over-limit stress (The T34 has a +6G redline normally) on the air combat school airplanes that's responsible or if the fleet is just getting older.
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These guys have to take it to Iowa every 80 hrs to have a couple wings parts checked with special equipment. It is a major pain and I am glad I do not have to mess with the wing AD. This particular airplane was worth around 400K before the wing AD. Now it is worth around 200k.
Those planes that broke up had tons of hours on them and were beaten severely by inexperienced pilots on a daily basis. The only failures that I know of were the two at the combat schools.
It is very unfair, but what are you going to do?