1977 COMMANDER 114

Description

The Rockwell 114 is regarded as the Mercedes-Benz of the General Aviation fleet. It looks like what it is, a roomy well engineered touring aircraft. This particular aircraft was the pride and joy of a keen Pilot, who bought it from Commander Aircraft Company in 1990 and ferried it across the Atlantic. In 1995 he won the Kings Cup Air Race with it at Leicester, and the aircraft has been up to the Artic Circle in his care. The aircraft was used to fly up and down to France from his farm strip, and it is known to be a particularly fast example. In November 2025 we bought this aeroplane, brought it to Aerofab for an annual and had them upgrade the audio panel. The airframe is from 1977 YOM and has just 2568hrs TTAF. The engine is a Lycoming Factory roller tappet engine from May 2008 with 295hrs SMOH. The Two Blade Hartzell Constant Speed prop was overhauled in June 2018 with 82hrs ran. At the last annual we had fitted a new Concorde Battery, 12x new Tempest Plugs and a new mechanical fuel pump. The annual runs to 21st April 2027 and the aircraft is operated on an ODMP. The avionics have been upgraded with a Trig TMA44 Audio Panel, Trig TY96 Com and Trig TT31 Mode S transponder. The panel has a King KNS80 RNAV/ILS/DME, King KR-87 ADF and King KX-175 Nav/Com and a RAM ball mount for iPad/GPS. The paint and interior are original from 1977 and the aircraft benefits from factory corrosion proofing. The interior is comfortable with dual opening front windows and four place intercom, just dated cosmetically. There are plenty of modified, newer, heavier 114’s on the market and maybe that is what you are shopping for. G-LADS is that fast, light, original aircraft with low total time and a great engine that highlights what the 114 excels at. The aircraft shows 1075lbs of useful load and the previous owners notes show the aircraft did 144kts at FL105 at 18”/2300rpm burning 11.5 gph which is remarkably efficient for a big retractable that can operate off a farm strip. Down low at 3000ft and 23/2300 the aircraft still shows 140kts at 12.5 USG. There’s a lot of capability here in the right hands. In America they are very sought after for their twin aircraft cabin size, two door access and luxurious cross country capability, in Europe they fetch less money so at $94,950 we think this aircraft is excellent value for someone looking to step up to a 114. You could buy a 200hp Commander 112 at this price point, but the difference with the extra 60hp is night and day. The fuel injected 260hp Lycoming IO-540 is the engine this big aircraft deserves.