PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Help + Info wanted. Buying a fire exposed air frame.
Old 27th Sep 2011, 20:14
  #2 (permalink)  
Genghis the Engineer
Moderator
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 14,234
Received 52 Likes on 28 Posts
I'd be cautious, but not regard it as a show stopper.

Having an aeroplane that old which is, in effect, a "new" aircraft built from bits from numerous sources is really not that unusual - the frame has been re-used to carry the serial number and give it an original identity.

So, the issue is the condition of that frame, which may in reality have been a new-build item by a competent fabricator. So, there's a a possibility that it's good as new.

And there's a possibility that it's extremely dangerous and fire damaged.

If the second, the rest is fine, it needed re-covering anyhow, and you can get hold of a new frame to transfer the data plate onto, then this might yet be a bargain.

If you can find a good licenced engineer, who knows welded steel spaceframe structures (and in an ideal world who is also a qualified welder) they should be able to look over it and give you a useful opinion - they can probably also tell you how much work the rebuild will take you!

G
Genghis the Engineer is offline