Gear Collapse Scenario

[lesnagy]

No, the Bungees fell off on the last leg of this ferry journey.  They were there on the previous fuel stop.   I really like this airplane and had no idea how cool they were.  I get it now and wouldn't mind another one.  The issue with the 560 is the Hartzell MV props are more valuable than the entire airframe.  MT is rounding third base with SAE20 props so perhaps more of these will be brought back from the dead.

I just replaced my bungees and it hit me that I think the only way your could have fallen off is if the roll pins on the top rollers were not installed on the last cord replacement. In this case the top rollers would be missing and the roll pins would be the first thing to target. If the top rollers are ok I would have the c clips on the bottom rollers looked at. One way or another a roller would have to fall off to lose your cords I would think.

[Adam Frisch]

I just realized by chance that the 560 in question on this thread was N2705B. I have a few hours in that very airframe! It was a stock, but beautiful straight 560 that flew very nicely. I flew it in NorCal back in the days w. Morris. At that time the aircraft was owned by an 80-year old gentleman in Monterey who some overzealous instructor forced to do a 709-ride after a BFI. Don't think he ever flew after that and plane sat, then moved east.

If you look at 2:23 in my old 520 Commander clip, you can see it taxiing by. She was a clean, original beauty (except for the Miller nose):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhjP_qtyplk&feature=emb_logo

I've later via another forum gathered that she was bought for her MV-props and engines to replace a Widgeons, and the airframe has been cut up and parted out. Sad to hear as she was in pretty good shape when I flew her.

[Steve binnette]

That’s a shame, to lose a nice commander to scavengers.

Nice to hear that guys was still flying at 80.  The instructor probably could have learned some things from the old guy if he took the time to listen.

[Adam Frisch]

I had the unfortunate displeasure of flying with the same instructor around that time, and he was a nightmare stickler and milked everything for what it was worth. I could tell he was terrified of flying in general, but acted like he was a Navy carrier pilot (which he wasn't). He forced me to buy every IFR map for our trip up from CMA "just to be legal", despite me just being a passenger and not even being instrument rated at the time. He just wanted some fresh IFR sheets for free.

He forced another poor PPL guy to do like 50hrs of checkout instruction in the single engine he was part owner of. The guy almost quit flying completely because he thought he wasn't cut out for it. Turns out it was just the instructor who had crazy standards of perfection. Some people should just not instruct at all.

[donv]

So, just to get the chronology straight, the original poster bought the airplane from the 80 year old, had the gear collapse, then parted the airplane out?

Interesting that the props and engines went to a Widgeon-- more proof, in my mind, that these old 50s airplanes are really just becoming antiques and probably should be treated that way...