[wickedsprint]

I almost purchased a C-120 from a fellow member on here, but then found out potentially was going to be deployed for longer than originally planned(deployed currently), so that fell through. It did give me some thought though, I think when I get back I really want to find a clean Citabria. I have always loved these airplanes, they are Tandem like the RV-8 I wish to build one day, and they have the same stick and throttle controls as well. Plus, they're aerobatic(5Gs), although at a hefty price premium over the 120/140 series cessnas.

I think another biggie is that there is a Citabria available for rent and TW checkout only 40 miles from my home in the states, so when I get back, I'll get as many hours as I can in their Citabria to include checkout, that way if I find a nice one, it's an airplane I'm already familiar with, both legally and in the insurance people's eyes and can start flying it straight away.

Besides the whole wood vs. metal spar wing and damage history worries, anything specific to a Citabria I should be looking at as a potential "gotcha!"?

I'm mostly looking at the simple 7ECA versions. This is an airplane that I'd likely like to keep long after I get the RV8 flying if I can afford to keep both.

 

[jrvssgl]

Good choice

You mentioned the spars, and that is one of the big ticket items on those aircraft. If they have the wood spars make sure the mechanic that does your prebuy inspection really looks them over well to check for cracks. Other than that if the fabric is good and the motor is good they are typically a good aircraft. Make sure you do a prepurchase inspection though. This will help you know more about the aircraft and hopefully uncover any lurking gremlins.

The 7ECA is a great little aircraft, and is what I used to get some tailwheel time and it helped me transition very easily to my RV-7.

 

[TomVal]

Good Choice & Pre-purchase Inspection

First of all, thank you for your service. God Bless You. My son will be heading back out to the desert in July.

I assume this will be your first aircraft purchase. I would like to make several comments about pre-purchase inspections?and yes, over the years, I have experienced some of the horrors stated below.

The Citabria is a great choice for a tailwheel aircraft. It is easy to maintain and a very forgiving tailwheel aircraft to fly. When it comes down to the pre-purchase inspection, it is vitally important to choose a mechanic who has experience with this type of aircraft. As mentioned in this thread, the older Citabria?s have wing spar issues. There is also a high probability that the airframe has been over stressed or the engine has been over sped. Also, the tubular steel frame may have corrosion issues. Your mechanic needs to know what and where to look.

Hopefully, you have chosen an aircraft with a sound engine and airframe. Don?t fall in love with the paint job?that is just window dressing. Also, if you had to choose between an aircraft with a high time engine with a sound airframe versus an aircraft with a freshly overhauled engine with airframe issues, choose the former.

A detailed review of the aircraft logs, Form 337?s, AD?s, etc., is of major importance. It is not uncommon to find these aircraft with a history of ground loop repair history. It is also common to find that the record keeping was not in compliance with the FAR?s. Your mechanic will also have to check that all AD?s were in fact complied with, and that the Form 337 modification and repair history has met standards.

At some point, you also want to observe the aircraft with full fuel in the wing tanks. This may uncover some fuel leaks at the top end of the fuel system. Be suspicious if the owner states that he never tops off the tanks.

Also make sure that the engine does in fact have a valid data plate installed, and that the engine serial number is in fact the same serial number listed in the engine logs.

All too often the Buyer will ask the seller if he knows of a local mechanic who can conduct the pre-purchase inspection, or, the seller offers the aircraft with the annual recently signed off.

Probably the best money you can spend is to conduct a Buyer?s annual inspection at your expense with the understanding that the seller will make good on any major repairs or repairs above a certain dollar amount. If the buyer is reluctant to do this, this may be another red flag issue to consider.

You can check the aircraft records at the FAA. EAA and AOPA offer a service that can access this information for you. The report will research the ?reported? accident history of the aircraft, the Form 337?s on record, and a title search, verifying ownership and tax lien issues.

Now, after having bloviated?you can simply download a great pre-purchase inspection checklist from AOPA or EAA websites.

Good luck on your next aircraft purchase.

Regards,

 

[wickedsprint]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply, you both stress the pre-buy inspection which I likely would have skipped had the airplane looked good in person, I'm naive like that sometimes...thinking that anything I discover down the road I can simply worry about then.

I'll definitely find a good A&P familiar with the model to keep my butt safe though. Thanks again guys. -Tony