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  #11  
Old 02-10-2011, 12:09 PM
gpiney gpiney is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The Beautiful NJ Shore
Posts: 409
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jdgold View Post
Thanks for all the advice. It looks like finding a 6 or 7 with an autopilot would do the trick.

I've never flown in one, so that is my next step in this process.

J.D.
Freehold!!!
I'm building a -8 in Brielle. there is a 7A, 9A, and 8A at Miller (MJX), I know of an -8 and RV-12 at OldBridge. None of them are for sale, but you can look.
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  #12  
Old 02-13-2011, 07:54 PM
gear1 gear1 is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Pagosa Springs CO
Posts: 243
Default Buying a flying RV

JD,

Buying a used aircraft requires due diligance, but a used experimental really requires study.
1. Get the checklist from Van's website which lists most of the paperwork items that you must have.
2. Hire someone who has expert knowledge about the RV aircraft to do a pre-buy inspection. Your local EAA chapter can help. Some DARs will do a pre-buy.
3. Don't restrict yourself to a specific geographical area - the best aircraft for you might be on the other end of the country.
4. Be willing to pay for your pre-buy inspector and yourself to travel to the prospective aircraft location, or to pay the owner to fly it to the inspector's location. The inspection should be to the standard of an annual inspection.
5. Every RV is different. The most important (read expensive if you make a mistake) items that you need to consider is the quality of the build (to be determined by the inspector) and the quality of the engine and constant speed propeller. A poor build will be apparent to anyone who has built one, and is always a negative. An undocumented engine and propellor will cost a fortune to rebuild or replace. I strongly recommend purchasing an aircraft that has an engine built by a professional (Lycoming, Aero Sport Power, Lycon, and many others) for the peace of mind. Obviously the Experimental owner can build his own engine, and many are capable of building a fine engine. It's not worth the risk as a second owner.
6. Since #5 is most important, do not worry about whether the aircraft has dated insrumentation and radios. You will probably want to build your own panel someday, anyway. Obvously a modern "glass cockpit" and multi-axis autopilot will demand a signifigant premium over the "steam gage" cockpit.
7. Be sure that all of the Van's Service Bulletins that apply have been done.
8. Be sure that all applicabe ADs and Service Bulletins have been accomplished on both the engine and propeller. (This takes quite a bit of research, especially if the engine is listed as "Experimental." You will have to go through each engine component by part number and compare them to the list of ADs applicable, whereas with a certified engine, the owner of the engine will be notified of applicable ADs.)

Even following all of the steps above, mistakes can be made. When I bought my RV8, I checked off "Airworthiness Certificate" on Van's checklist, not realizing that the operating limitations (part of the Certificate) were missing. I had to jump through a bunch of hoops with the Dallas FISDO to get that fiasco fixed.

You might think from the discussion above that I would reconsider my decision to buy an RV8. NO WAY! After nearly 2 years and almost 300 hours in the aircraft, I've still got the RV grin. Acrobatics, Formation, and ACM are a ball in the airplane. Plus it goes nearly 200 MPH at 7.0 GPH for cross country! And the RV community is the best bunch of passionate and helpful friends that you could find.

Go for it!

Craig
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  #13  
Old 02-14-2011, 02:04 PM
jdgold jdgold is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Freehold, NJ
Posts: 4
Default Great info

Bill R: I'll look into joining EAA 315. That seems like a good place to start (and to get a ride in a 6 or 7).

Greg: I'm looking to be based in Oldbridge, NJ (3N6). I'm on a list for a hanger there. Are you going to hanger in BLM once its finished? I'd love to see it.

Mike: Do you have an autopilot in your 6A?

Craig: Thanks for the great advice. I really appreciate it. I agree with you on everthing except #6. I think I would be better off finding an airplane that ALREADY has most of what I want in it (avionics-wise) and letting the seller take the depreciation on the avionics/autopilot. In the "conventional" plane market, sellers are only getting around 1/2 of what they put into their panels. But, if the right plane comes along at the right price with steam gauges in it, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. After all, I have about 7000 hours sitting behind round gauges (T-37, T-38, C-141, C-5A, 727) and am very comfortable there...

Also, are there any RV professional builder/pilots out there who offer their services (eg. pre-purchase, evaluate build quality, flight tests to see if a plane meets the numbers, flight training, etc.) on a fee basis?

J.D.

Last edited by jdgold : 02-14-2011 at 02:09 PM.
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  #14  
Old 02-14-2011, 02:40 PM
Jack Tyler Jack Tyler is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 219
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J.D.

You'll probably get all the answers you need and also be able to network with other RV'ers here. As someone researching a build project (an RV-12), I've found this forum to be very helpful and the members individually quite gracious.

But let me add, there is also another way to work the RV Network (and many RV owners aren't active members here) and that's using the owners/builders mailing list that Vans works hard to maintain & keep current. A very nice gal at Vans - Cynthia - can on request offer you a list of RV builders/owners that is sorted by zip code for your state. I found this very helpful e.g. by identifying for me an RV-12 project underway right near my home but which I didn't/couldn't know about via VAF. You can email Cynthia at cynthias at vansaircraft dot com Others have used the list to ID an RV owner near them whom they can approach for a ride. It's just another way to skin the cat...

Jack
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