Damaged and stripped down fuselage, road less traveled to join the Kitfox 7 ranks?

[PapuaPilot]

The serial number for the fuse is on the right shoulder harness tab. The way I understand it is that that if that serial number has been previously registered to an N number. You would be rebuilding an existing airframe.
I was considering this with a wrecked RV-6 and called Vans. They say it’s a no starter for them. They will not issue a new serial number for a wrecked airframe.
If it is just a gutted fuse and you are paying more than scrap for it, it’s over priced imo.

I totally agree. Once an aircraft has been built and given an Airworthiness Certificate you would be rebuilding it.

If I were to buy a wrecked plane I would be wanting to get a complete one with 50% or more of it undamaged/minor. I would pay $4-10k depending on the damage, equipment and presence of the logbooks. Besides the airframe damage most have had a prop strike, so you are looking at an engine teardown/overhaul, new prop, engine mount, cowlings, etc. This adds up quickly and often costs more than buying a similar flying plane.

[Squirrelnuts]

Thank you for the comments and advice. As it turns out the other needed parts would be a mile long list and most likely would cost more than a new kit, not to mention the other headaches. I will be looking for an unfinished kit If anyone has any suggestion where I should be looking or how often they come up for sale.

[PapuaPilot]

I would say there are usually a few used kits per year that are sold. You should be watching this forum's classified section and Barnstormers.

[avidflyer]

Thank you for the comments and advice. As it turns out the other needed parts would be a mile long list and most likely would cost more than a new kit, not to mention the other headaches. I will be looking for an unfinished kit If anyone has any suggestion where I should be looking or how often they come up for sale.

Just out of curiosity, did you ever put the question to Kitfox saying, I have the fuselage, sell me everything else for the kit. How much less will the cost be? in other words, a complete kit, minus the fuselage. Also, was the question ever put to a DAR: will I ever be able to register this plane, being as how the fuselage was from a different plane? That being said, an uncompleted kit may be the best bet, but they don't come up often, or last long when they do. Or maybe they are like the barn find kitfox thread where lots of the work is questionable if not unexceptable. Hope you find what you are looking for. JImChuk

[Eric Page]

Or maybe they are like the barn find kitfox thread where lots of the work is questionable if not unexceptable.

Indeed, much of the previous owner's work on my "barn find" was a mess. I saw some of it before I bought the kit, but because of the way it was stored (stuffed in a semi trailer with stacks of the owner's other property), I wasn't able to look at anything in great detail. I could only see the ends of the wings and control surfaces, so I had to throw the dice. I was willing to take a chance, I expected to find some rough spots, and that's exactly what's happened. Everywhere I've looked, the previous owner did things poorly, or flat out wrong. I'm a month into the project and I'm still moving backwards, undoing a lot of the previous work. The only things I'm not undoing are items that were bonded together with structural adhesive.

Anyway, be cautious if you do decide to buy a second-hand project. Go into it with your eyes open, and expect to undo/redo a lot of the previous builder's work. My advice would be that unless the first builder was your buddy from engineering school, who you know to be meticulous, check EVERYTHING.

[PapuaPilot]

I bought my kit second hand and it was from an engineer. Most of the work was done properly. I still decided to undo just about everything, much of it needed to be redone in some fashion. Thankfully the kit was less than 20% completed. I spent the first few months going backwards too.

Let the buyer beware. The farther the project is completed the greater the potential risk you are taking in buying it second hand. For me it turned out well, I bought the plane for about 40% of cost of new. It included everything, including every possible option in 1999, and a new Cont. IO-240 engine in the crate. Part of my consideration was that the engine was worth as much as I paid for the entire thing, so I wasn't going to loose out financially. As an A&P-IA I also had a good idea of what to look for on the pre-purchase inspection, including doing a borescope on the inside of the engine.

[Squirrelnuts]

I did contact Kitfox and they were very friendly, but all parts would have to be individually purchased. Aside from the time and frustration on both sides that would have to cost more in the long run than a new kit.
An unfinished kit with poor workmanship is definitely a concern, I would figure someone building an airplane would live by the philosophy that “good isn’t good enough at 5000ft”, but I suppose that is why an unfinished kit gets abandoned in some cases.
Not sure how I will go about procuring one at this point...ordering new and waiting until Christmas 2021 seems so long away! Even wing kits the backlog currently is May 2021.

[GuppyWN]

Don't get hung up on being the builder so you can do the condition inspection. You can do ALL the maintenance. You just need an A&P to do the yearly condition inspection.

[HighWing]

If you repair the fuselage you are not the builder of the plane, you just repaired an existing aircraft. If you rebuild an airplane from used parts you won't able to get the repairman certificate, period. I am pretty sure that would be true even if you built new wings to go with this fuselage. If you are wanting to get the repairman certificate I would suggest getting a complete new kit.

Personal experience tells me that this may not be true in all circumstances. When I build my second Model IV, licensing was fairly soon after the "regulation" that required a paper trail back to the manufacturer - Denney Aerocraft - at the time. Rather than going through all the paces, I simply put my X in the box saying "built from miscellaneous parts". I was registered and the FSDO guy signed me off without any conversation on where the parts came from. Talking to others, I have heard of some removing the serial number and adding a new one of their own.

Then, a couple of years ago, I helped a guy repair some upper wing damage on a carbon fiber European LSA that had a nose wheel bind resulting in a nose over. My friend worked on this airplane for a year or so, then applied to having it declared "Amateur Built" I sent him a note last week asking if the airplane is now registered as EAB and if he has the Repair Man Certificate. I knew from past conversations that it was re-registered as EAB, but asked for confirmation as to his ability to sign off the Annual inspections. His answer follows.

"Yep. I can sign off annuals and work Make it a lot easier and not so expensive. Just finishing up the painting on the wings today. Hope all is well with you."

These are my personal experiences and if I were repairing a fuselage with the intent of acquiring other parts for completion, I would have no concerns about the ability to get the Airworthiness Certificate and Repairman Certificate. That said, though, all of my experience has been working with FAA employees out of our local FSDO. I have heard some interesting stories, though, about others in Northern California working with a DAR.

[Squirrelnuts]

UPDATE: I have turned around and no longer am on the road less traveled...I put in my order for a new Super Sport 7 kit today. I am very impressed with how helpful all of you are in this group and I look forward to sharing the sky's and backcountry landing strips in the future.