I have an opportunity to purchase a low-time RV6A. The seller is the builder and his hangar is just down the taxiway from my club's hangar.
[text referring to non-VAF advertiser site deleted per VAF rules; S.Buchanan]
The builder built it 2001-2003 from a QB kit, and it has had 211 hrs on the freshly-overhauled engine in 19 years. It flew regularly the first few years (into 2005) but appears to have sat until 2018. It has been flying regularly this summer, including a trip to Oshkosh. A local AP who does the annual engine inspection told me recently "clean aircraft!" My wife and I have gotten to know the builder and his wife. The builder is a former MT ANG fighter pilot and also flew with Alaska for many years.
It's what I think I'd like in an RV: quick enough for my wife and I to travel regionally (and nationally), IFR certified (so I can get my IR in my plane), and available for "gentleman's aerobatics" (with me and very little fuel), low time. However, I recently had a chance to review the logs and POH and have discovered a few things that may be "red flags," but I am not enough of an expert to know for sure.
Do these amount to "walk away" red flags? Or should I continue to consider this aircraft? I would not commit to anything until I had a pre-buy done. I'm in the process of finding someone who can perform that for me.
[text referring to non-VAF advertiser site deleted per VAF rules; S.Buchanan]
The builder built it 2001-2003 from a QB kit, and it has had 211 hrs on the freshly-overhauled engine in 19 years. It flew regularly the first few years (into 2005) but appears to have sat until 2018. It has been flying regularly this summer, including a trip to Oshkosh. A local AP who does the annual engine inspection told me recently "clean aircraft!" My wife and I have gotten to know the builder and his wife. The builder is a former MT ANG fighter pilot and also flew with Alaska for many years.
It's what I think I'd like in an RV: quick enough for my wife and I to travel regionally (and nationally), IFR certified (so I can get my IR in my plane), and available for "gentleman's aerobatics" (with me and very little fuel), low time. However, I recently had a chance to review the logs and POH and have discovered a few things that may be "red flags," but I am not enough of an expert to know for sure.
- It's heavy.
With an O320-E2C and a fixed-pitch Sensenich cruise prop, it still weighs in empty at 1142. From other threads here on Vans, I've learned that this is a pretty piggy weight, especially for a "smaller" engine + FP. Interiors are nice but not overly so. Panel is relatively generic (left side, middle is breakers, switces, and ipad mount, right side).
If I ended up buying this plane, I know I could "put it on a diet," but is this just too much of a diet? I confess that I think the plane flies well with two full grown men on board (one of whom is a bit wispy, however) and is quite responsive, but I only have time in a C172 as a comparator (and most everything flies better than a 172, I'm told).
- MGTOW in the POH is listed as 1800.
This seems to be a point of contention here on VAF in that Vans designed the RV6A at 1600 so it should stay at 1600 but others suggest that 1800 is completely doable, provided landings are gentle.
At 1800 MGTOW, full fuel, 50lbs baggage, and my wife and I, the plane is still well within CG limits, though as fuel is burned, the CG is pushed aft, of course.
- Some service bulletins are missing from the logs
I went through the log books yesterday and, although I am no expert, I found several SBs that have not been identified as having been completed in the logs. My understanding is that SBs are not mandatory (but there are at least two that I found that ARE listed as mandatory on the SB: 07-11-09 and 06-2-23) but one of the two mandatory SBs has not been completed (06-02-23).
SBs 00006, 14-01-31, and 14-02-05 have all been logged consistently at annual.
Do these amount to "walk away" red flags? Or should I continue to consider this aircraft? I would not commit to anything until I had a pre-buy done. I'm in the process of finding someone who can perform that for me.
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