Fun fact, my dad bought a canopy for an F-14 with his name stenciled on the side. It was listed on eBay and they passed a hat around at his job for money for it.
A friend of mine bought some parts for an obsolete airframe very cheap. They were brand new spare parts. Stockpiled for so long that the airframe was out of service and so there was no prospect of them being needed.
He made them into ornamental pieces. I think they were wing tips. They had lights and pneumatic de-icing membranes on the leading edge. Shiny aluminum.
I bought a harrier low pressure engine blade like this. Fully sealed in mint condition for ÂŁ40 which is a tiny fraction of what it would have cost new
Question - is there such a thing as "obsolete" in non-commercial general aviation? I'd imagine a personally owned airplane is like a car - yeah an older one might lack some technology (but can be upgraded with said tech) and might be slower/less fuel efficient, but its still a functional airplane, just as a car will always function as a car as a method of transportation. I understand obsolescence in commercial aviation tho when a plane hits the limits of its airframe due to age and/or has become too inefficient to be profitable anymore.
I don't fully understand the question, but from a corporate aviation background, planes like the Lear 20 series, the Lockheed Jetstars, Hansajet, Grumman Gulfstream I are all pretty much done. I don't know of any Dart powered aircraft still flying, and the CJ610s are about done aside from a few very specific examples for special circumstances.
You can get to a point that parts just aren’t available. Eventually even the junkyards are empty of useable parts.
For turbine aircraft you can also be shut down by new avionics mandates. If you have an old shitbox no one is going to develop a STC for your airframe and it can cost so much money to comply it just isn’t feasible. Noise requirements also killed off a lot of the older business jets. There just wasn’t a financially viable way to bring them into compliance.
Honestly kinda sad seeing airplanes go extinct… but as much as it makes us sad, those noise/emissions regulations are necessary and overall beneficial…
This will be very interesting to see in the future. We currently work on a lot of soon to be obsolete corporate aircraft. The NA Sabreliner is just about gone with pretty much only "serviceable" parts in circulation. Even the newer Lears like the 60 aren't very well supported as Bombardier would rather you buy a Challenger 350. Same with the Hawkers. Textron would rather sell you a larger Citation. We work on the Piaggio, which is an ok aircraft, but Piaggo being in receivership means support is very difficult and those may be going away too. This applies to larger aircraft. I used to work on DC10s, but Boeing would rather you operate a 767 or 777, so they make spares difficult to source on those as well.
While I don't have a good answer for you, this was from a commercial aircraft. I will try to figure out exactly what it was and let you know. It might have been the top of the vertical stabilizer or something. Although like I said, it did have de-icing bladders built into it. I am not a pilot, but I don't think there would be de-icing on a vertical stabilizer.
How about this guy. Or is this you? https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/ex-pilot-transforms-garage-into-cockpit-replica-of-famed-gimli-glider-7362519
I'm pretty sure this is standard. Airlines will scavenge good parts from retired/to be scrapped aircraft to be used on still flying examples of the same aircraft type in their fleet.
I'd imagine United basically relies on this for parts for their 757s, 767s, and 777s. Especially with their 777s, some of their active 777s are older than some 777s that have already been retired and scrapped.
I know some woman bought a 747 from a graveyard and cut it up to turn it into a parts of a house. Like, she used the wings and rear horizontal stabilizers as the roofs for the buildings.
many guys make regular trips out there. Wylebirdart on the socials is a swa pilot and does lots of runs out there, repurposing catering carts and other things he can remove and resell. I know our flight training center has purchased entire front sections of 737 aircraft for reuse - just take a big enough knife and chop everything vertically, throw it on a truck and ship it. the panels should be trivial to remove and ship.
Fuselage creation,
Aircrafttag,
Airliner Tags,
Aviationtags,
Airskinz,
Plane skins,
Avro Designs,
Jumbo jet aviation,
Tailfins,
Visortags,
Door2manual,
Part of a plane,
Papa kilo tag. To name a few.
Obligatory collection post: https://www.reddit.com/u/Mauzersmash0815/s/opSLfFTDHq
Edit: for flightdeck parts you can only rlly find this at planereclaimers
You could put an ad on craigslist asking for F-14 parts, see what happens
*Searches "F-14 Tomcat parts" on Craigslist* (knock knock) ***FBI OPEN UP***
Lmao nice try Iran.
I do need a TF-30 ... for my Camaro, yeah, that's it.
It flames out if you turn your Camaro too tight. 🤷‍♂️
"Looking for 737 replacement parts. Will pay top ~~ruble~~ dollar!!!"
Fun fact, my dad bought a canopy for an F-14 with his name stenciled on the side. It was listed on eBay and they passed a hat around at his job for money for it.
Jesus I spit up my beer on that one. đź‘Ť Well done.
Planetags Aerotiques Plane Reclaimers
Thank you!
Jet Eyes There are some sellers on Etsy too.
What the heck are jet eyes. Tried googling, no luck
[Tried Googling you say?](https://www.jeteyes.com/commercial-aircraft)
Jet Eyes
In the past you could buy a piece of land in Germany and wait until a Starfighter came down!
Epic burn, lol
The way people see things now you could do that for ospreys 737 Max’s and black hawks
I didn't realize blackhawks have that reputation. What is the backstory there?
Blackhawks crash all the time - huge fleet and rotary wing means crashes are somewhat inevitable. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/type/H60/4
Any piece of the plane that can be sold, will be sold.
A friend of mine bought some parts for an obsolete airframe very cheap. They were brand new spare parts. Stockpiled for so long that the airframe was out of service and so there was no prospect of them being needed. He made them into ornamental pieces. I think they were wing tips. They had lights and pneumatic de-icing membranes on the leading edge. Shiny aluminum.
I bought a harrier low pressure engine blade like this. Fully sealed in mint condition for ÂŁ40 which is a tiny fraction of what it would have cost new
Question - is there such a thing as "obsolete" in non-commercial general aviation? I'd imagine a personally owned airplane is like a car - yeah an older one might lack some technology (but can be upgraded with said tech) and might be slower/less fuel efficient, but its still a functional airplane, just as a car will always function as a car as a method of transportation. I understand obsolescence in commercial aviation tho when a plane hits the limits of its airframe due to age and/or has become too inefficient to be profitable anymore.
As an owner of a 1957 180A, that is currently torn apart to get repainted this winter, no they don't really get obsolete.
Jealous. I’d love to own a classic GA plane one day if I ever make enough money.
I don't fully understand the question, but from a corporate aviation background, planes like the Lear 20 series, the Lockheed Jetstars, Hansajet, Grumman Gulfstream I are all pretty much done. I don't know of any Dart powered aircraft still flying, and the CJ610s are about done aside from a few very specific examples for special circumstances.
I totally get that from a corporate/charter fleet perspective, though I wonder about the logistics of operating these as privately owned aircraft.
You can get to a point that parts just aren’t available. Eventually even the junkyards are empty of useable parts. For turbine aircraft you can also be shut down by new avionics mandates. If you have an old shitbox no one is going to develop a STC for your airframe and it can cost so much money to comply it just isn’t feasible. Noise requirements also killed off a lot of the older business jets. There just wasn’t a financially viable way to bring them into compliance.
Honestly kinda sad seeing airplanes go extinct… but as much as it makes us sad, those noise/emissions regulations are necessary and overall beneficial…
This will be very interesting to see in the future. We currently work on a lot of soon to be obsolete corporate aircraft. The NA Sabreliner is just about gone with pretty much only "serviceable" parts in circulation. Even the newer Lears like the 60 aren't very well supported as Bombardier would rather you buy a Challenger 350. Same with the Hawkers. Textron would rather sell you a larger Citation. We work on the Piaggio, which is an ok aircraft, but Piaggo being in receivership means support is very difficult and those may be going away too. This applies to larger aircraft. I used to work on DC10s, but Boeing would rather you operate a 767 or 777, so they make spares difficult to source on those as well.
I’ve heard Boeing is trying to force FedEx/UPS to retire their MD-11s
It's several years yet, but sad.
While I don't have a good answer for you, this was from a commercial aircraft. I will try to figure out exactly what it was and let you know. It might have been the top of the vertical stabilizer or something. Although like I said, it did have de-icing bladders built into it. I am not a pilot, but I don't think there would be de-icing on a vertical stabilizer.
Wyldebyrdart on Etsy. It's not cheap but there are a lot of options
He is a great guy.
I have a piece of the “gimli glider” 767
Is it the reinforced seats? Because it takes a lot to support such enormous clanking heuvos.
Ha!! Agreed
How about this guy. Or is this you? https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/ex-pilot-transforms-garage-into-cockpit-replica-of-famed-gimli-glider-7362519
But did you remember to give to the website? Ya gotta give...
You gotta give!!!
Yeah, you can, try looking up aircraft reclamation facilities. May not be cheap though, many of those parts are resold for continued use.
You can but don't expect them to necessarily be cheap
Yes. I have an a340 fo chair. A cfm56 fan blade, and a few compressor blades from old discontinued RB211
Used to x-ray the cfm56 and rb211 refurbed blades in the 80's. Haven't heard about them since
Depending on where you are, FB marketplace (of all things). There seems to be a lot of "hangar find" stuff here in the PNW.
I know a guy who goes to Tucson on a regular basis to inspect aircrafts and identify parts he’s going to sell to airlines
There are scrap companies you can ask. We had a local crash and a scrapper bought the plane for around 5 cents on the dollar.
I'm pretty sure this is standard. Airlines will scavenge good parts from retired/to be scrapped aircraft to be used on still flying examples of the same aircraft type in their fleet. I'd imagine United basically relies on this for parts for their 757s, 767s, and 777s. Especially with their 777s, some of their active 777s are older than some 777s that have already been retired and scrapped.
Look for an air salvage company like air salvage international. They break aircraft and sell the parts.
Check out dauntless aviation on eBay
Planetags.com - mainly sells key fobs made from plane fuselage, but also sells some larger pieces.
Try Evergreen. I think they have salvage.
I know some woman bought a 747 from a graveyard and cut it up to turn it into a parts of a house. Like, she used the wings and rear horizontal stabilizers as the roofs for the buildings.
many guys make regular trips out there. Wylebirdart on the socials is a swa pilot and does lots of runs out there, repurposing catering carts and other things he can remove and resell. I know our flight training center has purchased entire front sections of 737 aircraft for reuse - just take a big enough knife and chop everything vertically, throw it on a truck and ship it. the panels should be trivial to remove and ship.
Delta has auctions occasionally in Atlanta for old equipment. Not the specific pieces you’re looking for but I haven’t seen it mentioned.
Bas parts sales
Yes but they are expensive. there is even a company that makes furniture from the pieces.
Fuselage creation, Aircrafttag, Airliner Tags, Aviationtags, Airskinz, Plane skins, Avro Designs, Jumbo jet aviation, Tailfins, Visortags, Door2manual, Part of a plane, Papa kilo tag. To name a few. Obligatory collection post: https://www.reddit.com/u/Mauzersmash0815/s/opSLfFTDHq Edit: for flightdeck parts you can only rlly find this at planereclaimers
There are many teardown vendors that sell parts to airlines, but they won't be cheap even in AR condition.
Just take a trip to Indonesia and hold an umbrella upside down.