Cars can and do last that long. But, it is the owners responsibility to make this happen. Comparing the life cycle of airplanes to cars is an apples to oranges comparison. As the owner of both a vintage airplane and vintage car. I can tell you from personal experience that it is both time consuming and expensive!
A few examples...
Two years ago, during the annual inspection on my old Supercub, it was discovered that there were cracks in some of the wings internal supports, one cylinder was low on compression and turned out to have some very small cracks, along with a few other problems. After peeling the cover off the wings, doing the needed repairs, replacing the covering, painting the new fabric, and then replacing the bad engine cylinder, the total bill was about $7,400. During an annual inspection, any corrosion found must be repaired in accordance with approved methods. This usually requires some pretty intensive labor. The list goes on, and on, and on...
A typical annual inspection, that finds no major problems, averages about $1,300 for my plane, and this is partially because I assist in the process and because my planes systems are very simple. This does not include any ADs (Airworthiness Directives). Ads are required maintenance or inspections that must be completed for a plane to remain legally airworthy. These directives are put out on specific models and series of aircraft by the FAA. These actions may be based on time (accomplished every X number of months, or even hours of operation) or any other interval that may or may not align with annual inspections. All repairs must be signed off by a certified airframe and power plant mechanic or a certified aircraft inspector with appropriate ratings.
Then there are the requirements of the engine maintenance alone. All aircraft engines come from the factory with a recommended TBO (Time between overhauls). This is not a requirement, but it is a good is a good indication of how many hours the engine will operate at rated specs, when operated as specified. Operation outside of factory recommendations can shorten this time. A very common TBO for small aircraft is 2,000 hours. An engine overhaul can easily hit and even exceed the $20,000 mark. To put that in perspective, imagine overhauling your car engine every 90,000 miles or so.
Corrosion and lack of maintenance are the killers of anything mechanical.
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My Beautiful 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix and 1953 Piper Supercub!
JW
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