P

Prop Job

Member
First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Alex, I'm a C-130 pilot at Little Rock AFB and I'm looking to get into a -4. I've got my eye on one in Oregon but am curious as to what you guys would appraise it at. Also, I've spoken with a gentleman named Gary Brown concerning the pre-buy inspection who sounded very knowledgable on the RV's, I just feel like I should at least talk to one or two others before I make a decision on who to go with. Would you guys have any other suggestions for good inspectors in Oregon?

The specs on the plane are:

Airframe: completed 07/1997 less than 500hrs, Engine: (I)O 360 A1A less than 400 SMOH, Prop: Hartzell 2 Blade Constant Speed HC-C2YK-1BF (recently inspected), Airflow Performance Fuel Injection, Christen Inverted Oil, Flop Tube Inverted Fuel, XCOM 760 comm with intercom and monitor 2nd frequency, Terra TRT 250D transponder w/ encoder, FS 450 Fuel totalizer, Aerospace Logic ASL EG100 EGT, Custom Metal Fairings, elevator skin replaced, Wingtips (not installed but part of sale), ECI Cylinders 74/76/74/78 compressions, paint and interior 6-7/10 (normal wear and tear)

Thanks for the help guys. And it looks like you guys have developed a nice community here, I'm looking forward to becoming a part of it.

Alex
 
You are in luck - there are probably more RV builders and inspectors in Oregon than anywhere else. Im sure you will get a bunch of replies of names that could do an inspection and probably know everything about the plane already!

Good luck and thanks for your service for our country. I have a son who flys Apaches for the Army and a son-in-law who is an Air Force attorney. You are right, there are a bunch of good people here.
 
Welcome to VAF!

Prop Job said:
First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Alex, I'm a C-130 pilot at Little Rock AFB -----------
Alex
Click to expand...

Alex, welcome aboard the good ship VAF:D

Good to have you here, thanks for your service to our country.
 
Gary Brown is...

...a former airline pilot, AP/IA, DAR and recently a Chief Pilot. He also built his own immaculate RV7. I met him when a few years ago a fellow hired him to do a pre buy on a -6a I had for sale. He did the most thorough inspection I had seen, missing nothing, even the wiring behind the panel.

He gave the RV a very clean report then the prospective buyer tried to lowball me. The buyer paid his fee which I thought very affordable.

You won't go wrong with Gary who is also a member here.

Jerry
 
That's about what I gathered from speaking with Gary. Sounds like he'd be a solid pick.

And I said I'm a 130 pilot, not a systems operator...I'm on H's. My buddy that I will potentially be purchasing the plane with is a J guy though, so I try to play nice with those guys...ish.

Also, what would you guys estimate the value of that plane to be?
 
Last edited:
Welcome, Alex. If the workmanship is good and the airplane's fairly clean, I'd guess $45,000 + with all the inverted equipment and the 0-360, plus CS prop could well bring it closer to $50K.

Best,
 
Don't be bashful about the pre-purchase. Have the airplane opened up and thoroughly inspected. A good inspection should take the most part of a day. Don't be afraid to do your own engine leak down compression test. Don't just rely on the numbers from the last condition inspection. Find the most qualified, highly experienced RV-4 builder who knows exactly what to look for and pay for a quality check. It's a large investment and you need to be sure you are getting a quality machine!
I've done many pre-purchase inspections of RV's across the U.S. and have walked away from most. There are some beautiful examples out there and there are many that might not be the highest quality build but are safe to operate and there are some ill maintained and absolutely unsafe. Hope that helps.
 
Prop Job said:
That's about what I gathered from speaking with Gary. Sounds like he'd be a solid pick.

And I said I'm a 130 pilot, not a systems operator...I'm on H's. My buddy that I will potentially be purchasing the plane with is a J guy though, so I try to play nice with those guys...ish.
Click to expand...

Nice, I've ridden around (and around and around) the pattern doing wheel vibe testing on three of y'alls airplanes (H's) this summer and then early this fall. The J's are just too long and silly looking.

That's a 200hp angle valve engine, or no? Assuming not, I'd say it's worth 50 if it's well built, maybe a bit more if it's 200hp....
 
RV-6 Pre-Buy

I also hired Gary Brown last summer for a pre-buy inspection, he did a great job and I would recommend him.

Chad
 
Yea, it's MM from TX. I've got Gary scheduled to check it out Wed.

It's the parallel valve O-360, 8.5:1 comp ratio, with Airflow Performance fuel injection so it should be around 180 hp. From what I've gathered on the aftermarket fuel injection it doesn't increase your power output, just makes it run more efficient.
 
gtmule said:
Nice, I've ridden around (and around and around) the pattern doing wheel vibe testing on three of y'alls airplanes (H's) this summer and then early this fall. The J's are just too long and silly looking.

That's a 200hp angle valve engine, or no? Assuming not, I'd say it's worth 50 if it's well built, maybe a bit more if it's 200hp....
Click to expand...

What did you guys come up with on those wheel vibrations? They just tell us to step on the brakes before we put the gear up now. Lockheed fix at its finest for you there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.