Advice when buying an aeroplane

[rauxaman]

I am getting very close to identifying and buying my first wholly owned aeroplane, I have previously had shares in CofA types.

I once closely observed the process of buying a flying club aircraft and realised the importance of the various log-books and having an engineer inspect the aeroplane.

I am going down the route of buying an aeroplane with a Permit to Fly... my question is what log books do these aircraft have to legally carry, how accurate will these be bearing in mind the self-maintenance aspect of these machines and how familiar are engineers with the types.

Basically I don't want to buy a pig in a poke!
All observations and advice gratefully received.

Thanks R