Mark L Said - "Trust me on this...trailer the thing home instead!" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The NTSB called me about this crash. Definitely a sad thing. I have something to add to what Mark suggested and is a bit long. I have purchased a few KR's over the years. One was in Florida and one recently in Northern California. They both "appeared" ready to fly. I initially intended on flying the Florida plane back to Cali after some basic maintenance. The further I was into it the more I realized how much work it needed to be safe. We wanted another KR to fly for the Gathering so we went and grabbed another one. The last one would have been my last flight, no question about it. The plane had passed through a few hands over the years. Upon initial inspection it seemed in reasonable condition. There were a few tell tale signs that would be easy to overlook if one is excited about the new plane and is in a hurry to get it home. #1. I saw just a little bubbling near the firewall at the longeron that could have been easily been mistaken for bad paint. #2. It had a new prop with a little over spray. (new paint touch up for the sale?). When asked about the prop the seller stated they didn't know what happened to the original prop but assured me there had never been a prop strike and that he ran it up without issue but had not flown the plane. Hmmm. #3 It had a home brew tri-gear that I wasn't fond of but knew I had the stuff to replace it. I could tell the plane was originally a tail dragger so was on the fence about what I wanted to do. The more questions I asked about the airplane the more suspicious I became. I found a few other minor issues which I knew were not deal killers. Until the last one... #4. The interior was fairly new so it was obvious recent work was done given the plane was built in the 80's. It was an interesting installation as the seat back was behind the rear spar and the bottom was set on the "rear" spar. We had brought a trailer to pick the plane up and the seller was rushing us along because he "had things to do". I negotiated a new price based on a couple issues I saw and we loaded up. Once home at Chino we started to take the plane apart for upgrades. New hydraulic wheels and brakes instead of the mechanical, pulled the engine, getting ready for the gear upgrade. We find that the bubbling near the firewall was actually a fuel leak. The fuel tank and forward deck was built by bonding on the top deck to the lower part of a home brew fuel tank using chopped fiberglass and some dissimilar resin. The bond had failed and fuel had been leaking inside the plane on a bunch of wiring, just waiting to be a fireball in the sky. So the forward deck is cut off for a new fuel tank and forward deck. Not too bad since I wanted to make the deck removable anyways I guess. Engine just didn't seem right so off to Revmaster I go and now have a fresh overhaul that has been upgraded to a 2100. Then comes the shocker! THERE WAS NO REAR SPAR IN THE CENTER SECTION!!! If I would have attempted to fly this plane I am confident the wings would have folded. It seems some rocket scientist wanted more room in the cockpit and cut the center of the rear spar out. Their quality upgrade included bead board paneling, utility pine, and drywall screws from home depot to make the "upgrade". I seriously doubt the repair complies with AC43-13. They then covered it all with purty upholstery. Anyhoo, It will basically be a new plane with a new engine, new rear spar scarfed in, new hydraulic wheels and brakes, new rudder pedals with master cylinders, new cowling, new fuel tank and forward deck, new instrument panel, and I'm sure several dozen other odds n ends. Sad thing is it will not be ready for the Gathering. The upside is, (at least for some people), I'm still breathing and able to fly again. If anyone wants a complete restoration done right, this will be for sale once completed and wrung out. You still have your choice of landing gear configuration and possible instrumentation. We bought it to fly for awhile and then sell so I can finish up our KR-2S and my KR-1 that is nearly back on the gear. Bottom line...don't trust what sellers are telling you and rush trying to get a plane home because it is a "flyer". It may not be the home you want to go to just yet. See you in Chino next week! Steve Glover
