[Larryr]

I'm at the early stages of exploring the possibility of purchasing an already-built RV. Much as I would love to built myself, and without eliminating the possibility of doing it at some point in the future, I've reluctantly admitted that my present lifestyle and obligations just won't permit it.

So I'm considering the idea of purchasing something that's already flying. Of course, this means I won't get the repairman's certificate, which was something I wanted to possess, but life is full of compromises.

So my questions are: 1) How do you do a pre-buy on a plane that was built from a kit. I would think that there would be much to look at that you wouldn't bother with on a Piper/Cessna. The strategy I'm thinking of is to fly out my local A&P who also happens to be a DAR who's signed off on a number of RVs. But what else should I be doing?

2) Regarding ongoing maintenance, I've heard stories about A&Ps who were unwilling to work on an experimental for liability reasons. Is this urban legend, or is it a real problem? And is the 'hands-off' aspect of not having the Repairman's Certificate hard and fast in the real world? Obviously I wouldn't be able to sign off on the work, but is it typically done owner assisted?

I'd be curious to hear from those who have gone this route. What precautions did you take? Are you satisfied with the way things worked out? What would you do differently? Do you have any issues with ongoing maintenance? Etc. Basically, how would you council someone considering shopping for an RV that's already flying?

thanks,

-lr

 

[Ron Lee]

I can do the work on my bought RV-6A. I have an A&P who signs off selected work (big stuff) and does the Condition Inspection. No worries. Of course some work I have competent people do it. I know my limits.

The hardest part is finding a suitable RV. I made three trips before I found the one I have. Part of that was not knowing enough about planes and the second was poor workmanship that was not visible in the pics. I knew within minutes of seeing the plane that it was a wasted trip.

 

[Ironflight]

If you have a local A&P who is also a DAR, and he's willing to inspect your choices, I don't think you have anything to worry about when it comes to assuring that your choice is a good one. I would be a bit cautious of "generic" A&P's without a lot of homebuilt experience - they are liable to find things that they don't normally see or understand as normal for experimental, and might bias your results.

From the standpoint of workign on the airplane - you don't legally need anyone to sign off on your work if you are doing maintenance or modifications. the only signature you'll need will be from an A&P for the annual condition inspection. this does not mean that exercising caution isn't a great idea - you just don't need to worry about going to find a signature every time you change oil or a tire.

Paul

 

[flyboy1963]

Builder knowledge...essential for maintenance

I bought a well-built RV-9a, but every time I did some maintenance, or even wanted to add a cigar/accessory electrical plug, it was great to have the builder nearby to answer the inevitable question " how or why did you mount this thingy here, and where is it wired to?"
...So if you can have an ongoing relationship with the builder, and he doesn't mind answering questions about his 'baby' ( I think most won't) then that's a valuable resource.
He/she can be a big help at annual time, and troubleshooting etc. when there are the inevitable problems/snags.
Failing that, then you would benefit from an AME A&P who is, as others have said 'home-built' friendly and knowledgeable.

 

[Snowflake]

Last January I bought a used RV-6 after a number of years of stop-and-go work on my RV-7 tail kit. The work on the tail kit, the observation over the years of other RV's during various stages of construction, and my background in mechanical and aeronautical engineering has given me a pretty good idea what a "good" RV should look like, so I took all that knowledge with me when I made the two day trip to see the one I ended up buying. Even so, I took about a hundred photos and emailed them to all the RV experts I knew for their opinions before I made my offer.

Here in Canada, I am allowed to do my own maintenance as per Transport Canada regs. No requirement for anyone but me to sign anything off for my aircraft, except for static system and ELT tests. Still, I have stacked the deck in my favour... I am based at an airport that has at least a dozen RV owners, many of them "repeat offenders" who have built more than one. And I share hangar space with one of them who also happens to be an AME. So I have a lot of resources to draw on if I get in over my head, which seems to be about every other week. Thankfully nobody has told me to get lost. At least not yet.

If you will be based at a reasonably active airport, there's a better than average chance there will be some fellow RV owners handy, and you probably won't be alone in being a second- or third-owner who needs an AME to sign things off. Get to know your community, and start asking around, and you'll probably find that it won't be an issue.

 

[java]

...If you will be based at a reasonably active airport, there's a better than average chance there will be some fellow RV owners handy, and you probably won't be alone in being a second- or third-owner who needs an AME to sign things off. Get to know your community, and start asking around, and you'll probably find that it won't be an issue.

This is the secret. Heed Rob's advice.