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Does anyone know what determines the CT model year? I know that the serial number reads:

Year - month - number of the plane for that month.

But some planes are started in one year and finished the next. It seems that it takes longer for a built from start to finish in recent years than it did back in 2005 thru 2010.

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So two planes could be built side by side, and shipped from Germany in November. One goes to the East Coast and gets there in December. The other goes to the West Coast and get there in January. So the East Coast plane is a year older than the West Coast one? I'm sure that the factory goes strictly by serial number, but you see adds stating the model year.

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So two planes could be built side by side, and shipped from Germany in November. One goes to the East Coast and gets there in December. The other goes to the West Coast and get there in January. So the East Coast plane is a year older than the West Coast one? I'm sure that the factory goes strictly by serial number, but you see adds stating the model year.

 

The serial number is just a production number given to the airplane as production is started not when it is completed. The airplane is technically not completed until it has been issued an airworthiness certificate. So in your example the two airplanes would be considered to be a different model year. Just because they are a different model year does not make one a year older. Just like cars the model year has to start and stop somewhere, and you can have 2 cars built a day apart be different model years.

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Part 91 is weird. In big aircraft, they don't care as much about the year of the aircraft, they focus on equipment, cycles, and history. In our world, everyone is worried about being able to recover the money paid in, and the model year is being used as a significant metric, when it shouldn't. If I had a 1960's airplane that has had absolutely meticulous care and had modern state of the art hardware retrofitted, it still won't be anywhere near the price tag of a 2010 version that has been used and abused.

 

That said, don't worry too much about the model year. Just enjoy your airplane :P

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Does anyone know what determines what model year a CT is? I know that the serial number reads:

Year - month - number of the plane for that month.

But, some planes are started in one year and finished the next. It seems that it takes longer for a built from start to finish in recent years than it did back in 2005 thru 2010.

 

Today we saw an FDCT setup for law enforcement with engine out, wings off in a shop.  The build date on the plate said 03-14-2014 yet the tail had the old style beacon on top.  Confusing.

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