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Pictures of a 4 project

MS1095

Well Known Member
Here are some pictures of a project that I am looking at. I realize they are not the best and not closeups, but does anyone see anything that jumps out at them as a problem?

















 
Look at the weldments in the 4 corners behind the firewall. Make sure the bolts that run through the longerons have proper edge distance. Check the flanges on the wing spar where the fuel tank attaches. Make sure if the holes are countersunk properly. (Not too deep). Also see if the tail has been mounted that the bolt edge distance is correct on the rear longerons.if any of these items are bad then you will have major problems. How do I know? This was what I found on a partial biult kit after I got it home.
 
Kit

It?s worth the money to pay an experienced builder to go over the project and let you know how much you?ll have to re-purchase and do over.
 
That from experience is the best way to do it. How do I know? Well a good friend and long time pilot who should have know what was good or bad being an owner of several different aircraft over the years and being a Nuke QC.
I bought an RV3 that in his words over the phone needed just a little more work, an engine and insturments and it was ready to fly. So I sent him the money built the required stuff to haul It home, off I went to Ft Collins CO.
Upon arrival there was little light in the hangar, kind of broke into it and started saying four letter words from five feet away. Seems the fellow who built it was in the air force and had some of the guys help him who worked under him.
Got it home and it got worse, stab leading edge twisted root to tip down on one side at the tip and up on the other. And that was just the start, it was too poorly done on every thing ended up selling it along with the one I had started from a very early kit bought from Vans original work shop. I figure between the two had about 10K into them got 3K out of them both.
Lesson learned do my own pre buy. Boyd in Chiloquin OR under the highway to the mother ship.
 
I apologize if I insult anyone, but here goes. In the second picture down where two bulkhead pieces attach together, it appears that no deburring of edges occurred. The flight surface that shows the internal ribs do not have any tapering done to the ribs. Don't like pull rivets used in the triangulation piece just below the roll-over bar. The bars attaching the empennage to the tail section were not tapered (lightened.)The firewall has holes in the corners of the foot wells. Overall these items indicate a lack of fastidiousness' that I would find objectionable.
 
Straps supporting wing on left end between leading edge ribs may have damaged leading edge skin.
 
Barn finds

I won't speak specifically to this kit, but in general I'd be very wary of kts that have sat a long long time. I've looked at used kits to buy and in my experience there are always issues that weren't mentioned or able to be seen in the photos before I spent the time and money to go look. Even in person,unless the kit has been barely touched its difficult to inspect and catch everything as others have also mentioned.

For inexperienced first time builders, I'd never suggest a partially done kit, as it's almost certainly going to be frustrating unless you got super lucky with some cream puff kit that some experienced builder needed to sell due to sudden financial hardship or something. Most of the half done kits I've seen, the builder stopped because they were overwhelmed after many mistakes, and now the kit is on its way to frustrating more builders. I've built 3 kits now(all completed), two of which I picked up partially done, and used kits still freak me out.

It's sad to say, but many of the kits sitting up in the rafters of old leaking hangers are worth 35 cents a pound minus your effort to get it to the recycler.
 
THere is nothing so bad, almost, that you couldn't fix it, if you have the time, the skills and the cash. Its just frustrating to have to do it.

You can use pulled rivets in the triangular brace below the roll bar but that looks like too many and they look non-structural. Also the line of rivets isn't straight. Why does the hinge piece go all the way around the firewall? HTat's not what the plans show. The little holes in the corners of the wootwells are hard to impossible to avoid and just need some sealant, but the lack of edge finishing ideed suggests a lack of care, so what else is poorly done? Arlie's list is a good one - especially the point about over countersunk holes for the fuel tank attach on the spar flange, and the edge distance on the engine mount weldment bolts..

You MUST (I write this with feeling!) get someone who has built and flown an RV-4, to look closely at it. If there is any doubt about the kit and you are not confident that you can fix it, walk away. Like some of the others here, I bought a part built kit, spent money trying to remediate when it was really scrap, and eventually gave up. THe vendor is still refunding me money......

Good luck,

Chris
 
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