New In The Aircraft Salvage Hangar - March 18, 2024

Columbia airplanes have an interesting history that is unlike its competitors. In the early 1990s, the general aviation market was very deflated. A combo of very expensive legal liability settlements and new regulator requirements had made the business of producing general aviation aircraft unprofitable. Most GA manufacturers had pivoted to building business turbine aircraft instead. General aviation aircraft for sale in the early 90s were essentially the same aircraft for sale in the 1970s, and there was a thriving market for used GA aircraft. The kit-built airplane market was hot during this time. The kit-built airplanes performed well and were much less expensive than a certified aircraft model. Virtually no design work was being done on general aviation aircraft through this period.

In 1994 NASA launched the Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments project that would re-energize the general aviation market. Columbia and Cirrus are both products of the AGATE project. As part of this project, NASA used a Lancair ES to test advanced avionics. In 1995, Lance Neibauer, the founder of Lancair, established Pacific Aviation Composites USA in Redmond, Oregon. This new business and new factory were originally intended to support the existing Lancair kit-build business but were quickly repurposed to build the Lancair LC-40, which would go on to become the Columbia 300. The new factory was renamed Lancare Certified, and the first Lancair Certified Model 40 flew in 1996.

The LC40-550FG was certified in September 1998 and marketed under the name Columbia 300. Neibauer sold the kit-build business in 2003, and Lancair was renamed Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation in 2005. When it was introduced to the retail market, the Columbia 300 was the fastest fixed-gear aircraft in the world. It was quickly surpassed by the LC41-550FG, or Columbia 400, which first flew in June 2000. The Columbia 400 also featured the "Glass Cockpit," a development of the AGATE project.

In 2007, Columbia Aircraft was purchased by Textron and merged with the Cessna division. The Columbia 350 and 400 were renamed Cessna 350 and Cessna 400. And Cessna agreed to support all existing Columbia aircraft. In 2009 Cessna closed the Oregon facility building the Columbia airplanes and laid-off 150 Oregon employees.

The Columbia 400 in our disassembly shop is well on its way to becoming a series of parts, as it once was. The team is already disassembling this aircraft so if you need something, get in touch quickly. Some of the highlights from the parts recovery process include...

•    Continental TSIO-550-C (Prop Struck)
•    Garmin G1000 System and Components
•    Avidyne TAS600 Traffic Advisory System
•    Garmin GFC 700 AP
•    Rosen Sun Visors
•    Seats and Interior Components
•    Rudder 
•    RH & LH Cabin Doors 
•    Baggage Door
•    Controls