Buying a used plane - What to check?

[Akromaster]

So you've done all the personal assessment of fit-for-purpose and so on and ready to pull the trigger on a plane.

 

For the layman, what are some key things to check when inspecting a plane to buy?

 

I'm thinking before taking it to the next step and asking for or paying an aircraft mechanic to inspect.

 

 

[facthunter]

Things to watch are

 

(1) your enthusiasm. Is it well founded and will you still feel the same after you have purchased it.? Is it suitable for the intended purpose?

 

(2) Condition and price (related) Get someone who knows the type specifically, especially if it is an unusual plane or an older one, to inspect it THOROUGHLY. This will be the best money you are likely to spend, and it's easy to spend lots with aeroplanes. Does it have accident history and full maintenance logbooks? Repaired planes can be still good if done correctly.

 

How will you rectify faults. hangar and maintain it? Nev

 

 

[Akromaster]

Thanks FH..although the I was thinking more about general inspection of the plane itself. Like rust at particular spots, how to look for repairs, what to look for when popping the engine bay..etc

 

 

[Yenn]

What you are asking is practicly endless. To give the correct answer we have to know which type of plane and take it from there.

 

Just think what it was built of and how it was built and you will then get a starting point. Definitely get someone who knows the type of plane to help assess it.

 

 

[Akromaster]

Fair enough. Perhaps that question was too broad. Let me rephrase. When you bought your used aircraft, what few things did you check for?

 

I part own one at the moment and I just rent over the last couple of years neither of which are really satisfactory. Not being in the game that long I haven't really built a feel for things to watch out for, although I've learnt lots following discussions on this forum and others.

 

So my question was not about any plane specifically, but an attempt to capture that 'feel' if that's possible. For example, an RAAus plane with a couple thousand hours is high but GA world that's quite low. Other things like the recent discussions on batteries and the dangers of one type over another. Or avoiding short coupled tail draggers unless you have good training and hours already. <insert other mechanical/physical things here..can't think of any>

 

So perhaps rather than say tell us what you've learn over 10,20..50 years, how did you go about inspecting your last aircraft purchase? Not asking for an exhaustive list, just a couple of key pointers.

 

 

[facthunter]

You really would have to be type and model specific. In a general sense, you are correct about"Life" of GA vs many RAAus. Lighter structures suffer fatigue damage long before more solid types like a Piper Commanche where some have over 15,000 hours on the airframe. The corrosion problem is there on metal planes. How they are "treated " at manufacture and the environment they operate in affect corrosion .If you operate near the salt on the coast it will show on everything.

 

Some can be renovated forever( at a cost) like the Auster series of planes and the like. A fabric covered aircraft MUST be hangared to last long.

 

Some aircraft have "known" areas to look for corrosion but it often needs a very trained eye to see what most won't see. If it's been sitting in the open for years, I'd be very wary. It's fairly easy to get a plane that is uneconomic to get to good condition again. It can be done but you over capitalise it fairly easily. Nev

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I would be more comfortable with something that has been flying regularly. If it has been stored for several months, or even years, then the engine will likely need to be stripped if it was not prepared properly. Battery is not a concern - a new one at a few hundred dollars will be the least of your expenses. Look for obvious dents and dings and cracking as a guide to how it has been treated. Check propellor for nicks that might require replacement. The deeper your pockets the less it matters, it can be fun upgrading and improving a reliable airframe.

 

 

[Akromaster]

Re: engine

 

Engine inspection is definitely something I want to get better at. Something that I don't fully understand is TBO when it comes to usage hours (say 2000) versus age (say 15yrs). Sometimes you see first life engines in airframes built well over engine life. I assume in both cases engine replacement or overhaul is in order although perhaps age-expired engine may cost less to OH.

 

Re: dents and dings

 

Older airframes pretty much have dents and hangar rash in various places but on leading edges, other than obviously large dents, when does it become a problem?

 

I'd imagine the position of dents on leading edge probably plays a factor. In small planes like we fly would it even matter given people fly with cameras that would cause larger disruptions to airflow over the wings.