Crash Repair R44 - Good buy?
 

Hi Guys,

i have an opportunity to buy a damaged R44. it was damaged as it landed and rolled onto the passenger side. obviously a substantial amount of damage was done to the frame and some damage was done to the mechanics as the sudden stop of the rotors occurred.

does anyone know what sort of cost would be to repair a damaged helicopter and does it need to get new certification etc.

i look forward to the reply

cheers:rolleyes:

Depends which country and which regime. If you know the registration, you could check the details of the accident with the Air Accident Investigation Branch (UK) or country equivalent. It would need new certification and I would suspect the cost to be high.

In the words of Yoda - Barge pole touch with it do not! unless you really know what you're doing.

Cheers

Whirls

Do you have access to factory approved jigs, factory drawings, etc....to ensure the airframe meets specifications?

Yes! Twice what you think, Half as much again as the quote, plus whatever money you have left, and your sanity +VAT!:ugh:

N split - so true.

I guess your best source of information is Robinson themselves. Despite their current size, and growing, you can pick up the phone to their engineering people most days. Being cautious types they will give advice but not direction, and from this you will probably be able to work out if it is economically repairable.

Another source would be an accident appraiser. Even if they are not from the helicopter's insurance company, they may, for a fee come and give an assessment. These engineers are very good at working out what is worth the repair.

My own guess from your description of the accident (sounds like one I am very familiar with) is that it will be un-economical. Even when rebuilt, it will still have the hours left on it that it had at accident. You will not be able to zero time it unless you use a complete factory rebuild kit.

And when you re-build it, whatever its value, it will still be an aircraft with an accident history, which can be difficult to sell on.

FWIW

dstone

I've looked at a couple of these in the uk, the advert on the web normally describes gentle rollover, the AAIB reports normally say something very different.

Take a friendly engineer with you to view it, cost it according their estimate and not the sellers. Make sure that everything you are buying is invertoried, avionics go missing but you'll pay for them.

Not all are bad I know of one owner whose 22 was rolled following a distinct lack of fuel in both tanks. Pilot submitted report said something completely different so insurance co. paid out, owner bought the wreck from them and 2yrs later it was flying again.

Job cost more than planned but less than an equivalent 2200hr rebuild.

V.

If you want to sell it again after the rebuild an early 44 may not be worth it as there may not be much of a market especially if it has an accident history.
Dont worry about the airframe damage thats the cheap part its the dynamic components that will determine if it is economical.
Get the specs for that first.

If either of the vertical or horizontal firewalls are damaged, Robinson says no to it being able to be rebuilt. Also same with the keel section I think.

Not viable
 

Having had a blade strike in a R44 with no other damage to airframe to worry about I paid nearly $200,000 Aud to have it rebuilt baldes, mrgb,hub,flex plates, etc sudden stop on engine that always doubles in price because they won't put it back in with anything remotely worn. Most of this cost was because frank says so if it had been a 500 or jetranger it would have been blades only. The market especially for 44's absoloutley hates accident history machines. Unless you intend to keep and use all these hours, you will never get your money back. If you send it back to the factory then it might work but that cost will be as much as buying a good one. Don't Don't Don't

Why is everyone so negative about buying a crashed machine ? !

I has to be worth a couple of hundred Quid !

Sell the engine to a developing country to run a water pump or something, drain what's left of the avgas and turn the tail boom and rotor into a garden feature !

BUY IT ! :ok:

This was succesfully done with a 22 that was rolled at Blackpool and written off.

The owner bought it back from the insurer very cheaply. New blades, head, gearbox, talboom, tailrotor, screen, fairing. Engine rebuild. Repairs to cab and firewall. Robinson were very helpful as were the CAA. It was not zero timed. The machine has been back in the air for a couple of years now and has done a few hundred hours. The repair was considered economic by the owner and the machine has recently changed hands. PM me if you want more details.
Its probably the machine refered to by V above. I was involved in the rebuild to a limited extent.

Oh, tailboom was repaired by Robinson, not replaced.

if its G-MAMK youre looking at email me cos i can tell you plenty about it - it belonged to us (not crashed by me i hasten to add)