NetHeads, In the search for a "turnkey" KR to fly, Steve Glover reminded me that Marty Roberts' plane has been for sale, but at a price that was a bit on the steep side. I've corresponded a bit with the present owner, and the plane has now come down to a price that I had a hard time resisting, $14k. I seriously considered it myself, but chose a different path to get back in the air. Below is something Joseph Ferraro sent me a few weeks ago. I'm forwarding it to the list in hopes that somebody who needs to fly a nice plane and doesn't have the time to build one will buy it. Marty has given a lot of people some very thrilling rides in this plane over the years (me included), and it's a shame to see it sitting in a hangar as the 40th Anniversary of the KR rolls around. Please contact Joseph if your interested. There are some photos on www.krnet.org ,( http://www.krnet.org/barkley2000/00092103.jpg is a good one), and also sprinkled throughout the various KR Gathering sites. If nothing else, this plane has a history of thrilling people to the core. Do search through the archive for Marty Roberts and you'll see what I mean.
I should preface this offer with this...if you're clueless about flying taildraggers or high performance airplanes, please don't buy this plane unless you get some dual from an experienced KR pilot first, preferably in Marty's plane. This is not likely to be an airplane for your average student pilot. The last thing we want to see is an iconic plane with such a great history spread all over the runway somewhere. Having said that, there's no easier way to join the community than to buy that airplane and start flying it. Keep in mind that it would need a current condition inspection before being flown by anybody. Below is the story from Joseph and some questions with answers. --------------------------------------------------------- I purchased the KR-2 in 2004 with full intentions of getting back into general aviation, after I retired from a 22 year military career. Little did I know that I would lose my KR-2 instructor pilot and get a full time mountain manager position. The KR-2 has always been stored inside a heated shop and is in great shape. Engine now has 684 hours on it and runs with electronic ignition and one standard magneto. Please see my answers below to more questions, and I'm available to answer any additional questions. I still have dreams of flying this beautiful little aircraft someday, but I really have a difficult time seeing it "just sit there" any longer. I know you will enjoy flying it, as it is very fast (220MPH+) and very agile. a.. Empty weight 783 lbs a.. Max take off weight 1403 lbs a.. Fuel capacity 40 gallons, two wing tanks and a single center tank, behind the firewall a.. Stall speed 48 mph however, using ground effect to land you can go much slower a.. Date of last engine overhaul 13 Apr 1993/ Cylinder overhauled 19 Aug 2004 a.. Date for next annual 1 July 2012 However aircraft is sitting in my shop without the wings assembled since 2006 a.. Hours to next 100 hourly 74 hours a.. Are the logbooks (engine and airframe) available? yes a.. Are the builder logs available? Yes Somewhat, Marty Roberts was not the best with logging anything on a regular basis. a.. Does the aircraft have a current certificate of airworthiness? Yes, Experimental with no expiration date a.. When was it last flown? July of 2004 a.. How regularly has it been flown in the past few years? None, Lost my instructor and ran out of time to fly. a.. Does the aircraft have any accident history? Early years, 1985 wings and gear were rebuilt after hard landing. a.. Are the wings the original RAF airfoil or the new airfoil? They are original RAF. a.. Is the airframe built to the standard KR2 dimensions or is it longer or wider? Standard a.. Does the aircraft have flaps? No Flaps a.. What is the overall length (wondering if it will fit in a 20 ft container)? 15 ft 8 inches a.. Where is the aircraft located? Spokane, Washington, USA a.. Recent compression test on O-200. #1 78/80 #2 79/80 #3 78/80 #4 80/80. I really want to see this airplane go to a KR-2 enthusiast. Joseph Ferraro (509) 292-8654 or 939-1220 skygo...@live.com 1
