Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1963 Cessna 336 Skymaster

Designed around the concept of centerline thrust, Cessna developed the Skymaster to provide a safe alternative to existing twins. Pilots flying traditional twins with an engine on each wing must be concerned with Vmc, or minimum-controllable airspeed. Allow the speed to drop below that with an engine out, and a stall/spin accident will become a distinct possibility.

With each engine mounted inline, a Skymaster pilot needn’t be overly concerned about asymmetric thrust or handling concerns during an engine failure, and one of the key factors that contribute to accidents in traditional twins is therefore eliminated altogether.

Most owners of light twins are justifiably concerned about ownership and operating costs, and this is one area where the fixed-gear 336 potentially offers some hidden benefits. Without the need to perform gear swings and inspections at every annual, and without the need to replace gear motors, solenoids and associated parts, the 336 automatically costs less to maintain than its retractable-gear counterpart. And, while we haven’t performed a survey or analysis of insurance premiums, fixed-gear types typically cost significantly less to insure than the retractable versions.

This particular Skymaster has only 1,696 hours total time on the airframe and comes with complete logs. While the front engine is higher-time with the same number of hours, the rear engine was recently refreshed, with zero hours since the major overhaul. Exterior paint and interior upholstery and trim are both well-used but perfectly functional.

With six seats and a massive useful load of over 1,400 pounds, this Skymaster can move people or cargo with ease. Skymaster pilots could also explore a clever solution utilized by Cherokee Six pilots, where two seats are removed, and the airplane is insured - for a significantly lower price - with only four seats installed. 

The panel has been upgraded with some modern Garmin goodies, including a G5 HSI that eliminates one gyro and adds reliability. A Garmin GNX 375 GPS/transponder has also been added, introducing ADS-B in and out functionality.

For a unique and rare piece of Cessna history that has the potential to provide twin-engine redundancy with much lower ownership and operating costs than alternatives, this unique 336 might be just the ticket.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance and quickly calculate your monthly payment using the airplane finance calculator. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.