N3966U – Cessna 150/150 Taildragger – PARTner 91 Arizona Aircraft Broker

Cessna 150/150 Straight Tail
"Texas Taildragger"
N3966U

150 hp Lycoming O-320,
Texas Taildragger, Extended Tanks,
Classic Straight Tail, "Baby 180"

$69,000 USD

Serious performance, beautiful straight tail-styled Texas Taildragger.

She may not win any beauty contests in her current livery, but this 150 horsepower Cessna 150E taildragger "Baby 180" is gorgeous in the eyes of anyone who appreciates the early straight tails with conventional gear. The upgrade to a Lycoming O-320 engine takes a Cessna 150 from mild to wild, with an impressive climb rate and much improved performance in high density altitude scenarios.

N3966U has very few hours on its airframe, presumably due to being in storage much of its life. Logbooks are missing prior to 2012, so we don't know a lot about its earlier history. When this Cessna 150E came back to life in 2012, the new owner did a lot to refresh and update the aircraft. All STCs were reinstated and the aircraft was inspected to assure conformity with those previously installed STCs. The current owner reports that the aircraft is a lot of fun to fly and that the performance does not disappoint.

Please carefully review the specs, the detailed high resolution image gallery, and the walkaround video below. You'll see every inch of the aircraft. If you reach out to me, I can digitally share logbooks and important documents.

General Specifications

Power (Lycoming O-320-E2D):	150 HP	Recommended Engine TBO:	2000 HRS
Altitude Ceiling:	12,650 FT	Fuel Capacity (STC'd long range):	40 GAL
Wingspan:	33 FT 4 IN	Height (approx):	6 FT 10 IN
Max Cruise Speed (est):	130 MPH	Max Range (est):	600 MI
Rate of Climb (est):	1000+ FPM	Vso (Stall, Dirty):	48 MPH

These specifications were gathered from a variety of sources (including the POH), are estimated in some cases, and are subject to buyer confirmation.

Numbers at a Glance

Born On (Airworthiness Cert):	March 1965
Factory Serial Number:	15061366
Flight Rules:	VFR
Total Time on Airframe (TTAF):	1525 hrs
Engine SMOH:	1240 hrs
Engine TBO	2000 hrs
Prop Time Since Overhaul (SPOH):	365 hrs
Gross Weight:	1760 lbs
Empty Weight:	1199.1 lbs
Useful Load:	560.9 lbs
Next Annual Insp Due:	Jan 2026
Xpndr and Pitot Static Due:	Jan 2027

Hours are a close approximation and will change as aircraft is flown.

Background

This Cessna 150E is hangared at Mesa Falcon Field (KFFZ), 14 nm ENE of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (KPHX), Phoenix, Arizona
Upgraded 150 hp Lycoming O-320 and increased gross weight (STC SA4795SW)
Upgraded long-range fuel tanks (STC SA5733SW)
"Texas Taildragger" conversion from trigear to conventional gear (STC SA2846SW)
Engine compressions last annual 73/74/74/76
Missing logbooks prior to 2012
NTSB reports an aborted takeoff accident when aircraft was 2 months old
Aircraft was presumably stored and then repaired decades later
All ADs C/W
Logbooks are available digitally upon request

Avionics and Equipment

Bendix King KX-155 COM Radio
Garmin/Apollo GX60 GPS and COM Radio
Bendix King KI209 VOR/LOC/Glideslope
Bendix King KT76A Transponder
Bendix King KMA24 Audio Panel
PS Engineering PM501 Intercom
Avionics Master Switch
uAvionix TailBeacon ADS-B Out
McCauley 1C172 2-blade Aluminum Propeller
Aero Fabricators Shoulder Harnesses/Seat Belts (STC SA1410GL)
8.00x6 Main Tires
Scott 3200 Tailwheel Assembly

Aircraft Evaluation

As the broker, I make a significant effort to represent an aircraft in as much detail as possible. I share with you not only the benefits and features I've discovered, but also the issues or concerns that I found during my extensive intake and deep logbook review process. I present dozens of detailed, high resolution images, and an extensive walkaround video. Please review this material in detail. All logbooks and other important documents are professionally scanned, well organized, and available for your review.

My goal is that any Buyer making the effort to look at an aircraft in person can first see the aircraft "virtually" on this web page.

Broker's Perspective - After 3 hours around this aircraft, taking detailed pictures and video, and digging through the paperwork, I took a real liking to this high-performing straight-tail Cessna 150E. I work with many pre-owned aircraft on a daily basis, and once in a while, one comes along that makes me think "this one would be a lot of fun to own for myself". As a tailwheel pilot, I am drawn to a tailwheel aircraft, and the docile manners of a Cessna 150 would make this one a lot of fun. I am certain that with a bit of TLC, this really cool 150 would bring years of enjoyment. And, what's more fun than a classic Cessna straight-tail taildragger with manual Johnson Bar-style flaps?

Here's what I saw when I evaluated the aircraft:

Exterior - The exterior is in generally good condition. The white paint is in good/fair condition, and may be a good candidate for professional buffing and the addition of vinyl stripes if you want to economically add your own custom colors. The aluminum looks straight with clean leading and trailing edges on the wings. There are some scuffs on the underside of the wing struts, and very minor dings on the wing tip and horizontal stabilizer. The Plexiglas windows and windshield do not show any signs of haze. Overall, the exterior is in reasonably good condition for an aircraft of this vintage.

Please review the Image Gallery (below) to see close-up, detailed, high resolution images of the aircraft exterior.

Instrument Panel - As expected for a Cessna 150, the instrument panel is basic but functional. The center stack has dual radios, a KX-155 nav/com and a Garmin/Apollo GX60 which provides VFR GPS and a COM radio. A basic Bendix King KT76A transponder works in conjunction with a uAvionix TailBeacon to provide ADS-B Out functionality. It's a VFR panel, but it wouldn't take much to make the aircraft IFR-capable. A RAM Mount ball is installed on the right side of the panel, making it easy to mount a tablet/iPad and run your favorite EFB such as ForeFlight.

Please refer to the "Avionics and Equipment" list above for complete details, and to the Image Gallery below for close-up images.

Interior - The interior of N3966U is spartan and basic. The seats have been reupholstered at some point in its recent history, and while the covers show wear, they are overall in reasonably good condition. The carpet is in good-to-fair condition. Plastic panels show some age and minor wear, and could use a good clean-up, but are in generally good condition. The headliner is clean and in good condition. Please review the detailed high-resolution images below.

Overall - If you're seeking a fun aircraft, perhaps something to build tailwheel skills, and want serious performance with good range, this Cessna 150 Texas Tailwheel with its Lycoming O-320 upgrade is a good choice. If cosmetics are important to you, then this aircraft is easy and economical when it comes to enhancing cosmetics.

Please reach out to me so that I may answer any questions you have.

Logbooks available digitally upon request.

Aircraft Walkaround
Here is a video of a complete walkaround of the aircraft.