Martin, Fat Albert is a 1957 Apache... Serial number 23-969... The
guys have pretty well covered the gotchas in their posts...
The flap torque tube AD is a killer because you have to extract it,
drill out the rivets, dye penetrate, etc., every year... After a
couple of times you will go looking for non AD parts... The steel
torque tube itself is not too bad a hit on the wallet - though
everything for airplanes is ten times overpriced... The torque arm is
the killer - Piper wanted $1600 for a dash-6 arm... I lucked out and
found a used one for half that... So, that AD has gone away... The
annoying part is that the failures have been in planes that were
abused, dumping full flaps above the white arc, etc., yet we have to
pay the piper (pun intentional) for their behavior...

The hub/blades AD is recurrent... Someday you will belly up to the bar
for a non AD set... I've been happy with mine and the big spinners make
it look good... Fat Albert has been putting on airs every since he got
the new blades, thinks he is a mini airliner now...

The heater is another issue as the guys pointed out... If you are in a
warmer part of the country, just cobble it up and keep it going... If
the fire tube is cracked then you are at the cross roads between
overhaul and new... I chose to spring for a new C&D heater (gorgeous
stainless can) with a warranty - living where I do at the 45th
parallel....

The guys did forget the rudder hinge, dye penetration AD... Important,
especially if the airplane has set out in the weather with the rudder
banging around...

If your plane doesn't have the dorsal fin and wing fairings on the
inside engine cowlings, get them and install... Night and day
difference in engine out handling...

Beyond that, it is only the usual problems of flying old iron... So
grab yourself a fist full of throttles and feel like a real man....


denny