Damage History... Should I walk away??

[Uncle Jesse]

Sure could use some advice before I buy my first experimental plane! I have experience with two Cessna planes. Damage history was always a big deal that hurt values of a certified aircraft. Is it the same in the Experimental world? If I find a good flying Kitfox but it has two accidents in its history, how much does that hurt its value when I re-sell one day? Assume all repairs are excellent and has 300 proven hours of flight time since repairs. Thank you for your comments!

[Maverick]

Any airplane for sale is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Damage in tube and fabric airplanes is not so big a deal as long as the repairs are done properly. That is one of the beauties of tube and fabric. My big question would be what was and where was the damage. The wings are not so easily inspected internally and damage to the wings would not be easily repaired. Damage a wing, and unless it is light cosmetic, the wing would best be replaced. Tubing repairs are straight forward. There is a way to do it right and if so, it's not an issue. Look at how many 60+ year old tube and fabric airplanes are flying today, many of which were total wrecks and were rebuilt.

About the engine; if there was damage to the engine, as in a prop strike, you need to be sure the engine has been evaluated by a certified repair shop. I bought a used 912ULS that was in a plane that crashed. I sent it to California Power Systems to be completely checked out. The prop on the plane was a carbon prop and of course the PSRU helps keep shock directly from the crank. It checked out and it should be okay but, it is a risk to buy an engine that has been in a crash. If it were a Continental or Lycoming, I would have been less likely to buy that engine. Bottom line, due diligence is warranted to be sure you are buying a safely/properly repaired aircraft.