New Guy

[Clint H]

Morning Everyone,

I'm a first time poster, long-time lurker. Been interested in RVs since I was a teenager, but I lacked the money and time (mostly the money) to act on that interest.

Now that I'm approaching my 40s, I'm starting to toy with the idea again. The RV-3 has caught my attention for several reasons, and I've come across a few built ones for sale that are tempting.

Problem is, I don't know what I don't know at this point. Curious if anyone has tips on what to watch out for when looking at purchasing built planes? I'm aware of the spar change notices, but that's about it.

Also curious, if it's allowed, could I post a picture here of the plane at the top of my list and see if anyone in the community recognizes it and knows some of the history?

Thanks,
Clint

 

[DeltaRomeo]

Welcome New Guy!

Embrace the hobby! It's full of really nice people.

v/r,dr

 

[Clint H]

Welcome New Guy!

Embrace the hobby! It's full of really nice people.

v/r,dr

Thank you!

 

[Mike S]

Clint--welcome aboard the good ship VAF

 

[blaplante]

I've done some work on a once flying 3...

Compared to later planes there is a LOT more hand work / craftsmanship that goes into them. Which makes the build quality entirely dependent on the skill of the builder. Find someone in you area that has experience with building / inspecting the earlier airplanes (3, 4, 6) and have them show you what to look for to evaluate the build skill. Consider going to the EAA metal course / workshop (2 days) to get hands on. Once you do that you'll begin to know what is good, vs OK, vs unacceptable metal work.