By Lisa Turner, EAA Lifetime 509911
This piece originally ran in Lisa’s Airworthy column in the May 2020 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
“Traps and Tips for the Secondhand Homebuilt Owner” in the February 2020 issue of EAA Sport Aviation hit a nerve. Apparently, a welcome nerve, as more than a dozen secondhand homebuilt owners responded with their own traps, tips, and stories.
“It’s a tough position to be in,” wrote one owner. “You look at the airplane you just bought, and don’t have a clue what is what, or why the builder put things where they did, or how exactly to take care of it.”
Another owner wrote, “Ah … falling in love. Especially at Oshkosh; it’s a toy store. You find a used kit airplane and simply have to have it, then find out there are some problems because you didn’t have an expert look at it beforehand. Then you have to find the right person to correct it because you want to fly, because you are still in love, no matter what its problems are.”
“As many traps as there may be considering a used homebuilt, when I was choosing mine, I kept thinking back to your words about value,” another reader wrote. “That you can get simply outstanding performance in what is essentially a new aircraft with all the latest gadgets plus economy. I did find a few problems, but it was well worth the effort. I’m amazed at what I got for the money.”
“I’m not a builder; I’m a flyer,” another secondhander wrote. “I would much rather have a used homebuilt than a used Cessna. But the airplane I bought didn’t come with any manuals or documentation, or even the original plans and instructions. I had a tough time for a while, seeking out other owners who had built the same model, and I was able to construct some documentation for it. But it was difficult the first six months.”
Another person commented, “I was stunned at the quality of the used homebuilt I bought. I’m the third owner, and the airplane is pristine. It came with a POH (pilot’s operating handbook) and all the builder documentation. I’m working with an A&P to understand systems and maintenance. I couldn’t be happier.”
Yet another writer remarked, “The used homebuilt I bought had lots of extras on it, including soundproofing material on the inside of the fuselage, extra panel items, plush upholstery, and a fancy baggage compartment. It flew well going home but felt heavy. I had an A&P go over it when I got home. It was a good thing I didn’t carry back any passengers — the aircraft was overweight. Apparently, the weight and balance had been done before the builder added another 100 pounds to it.”
More Traps and Tips
All of these writers had “traps and tips” to share. Appreciative, I asked them if I could use their stories and ideas in a follow-up article. They were all excited about it and hope it helps secondhand owners avoid potential problems. They also emphasized that they were amazed at how durable their airplanes were. In spite of an array of problems and issues they found after the purchases, the airplanes didn’t display obvious safety deficiencies to the owners. They don’t recommend letting anything go and do recommend going through the checklist (Secondhand E-AB Owner Checklist) in detail. They also marvel at how tough the homebuilts seem to be.
This is a theme I also heard from designated airworthiness representatives and technical counselors. After inspecting some of the projects that had been flying for some time, they were amazed when they identified issues that troubled them, such as missing safeties, inadequate or wrong electrical wiring, missing or wrong hardware, and structural workmanship deficiencies.
I assembled secondhand owner advice into six topic areas.
Technical Counselors
In the original article earlier this year, I mentioned taking advantage of a technical counselor who could walk you through systems and maintenance for a particular model. The secondhand owners emphasized the importance of this advice, saying that it was critical to their own success with their new secondhand homebuilt.
Many secondhand homebuilt owners don’t think of asking a technical counselor to visit their airplane because they think the TCs are only for building advice. But, getting a TC to look at your airplane can be a big safety advantage and also shorten the learning curve for the new owner. The TCs that I talked to about this said they would be delighted to help secondhand owners and think it’s a really good idea. One TC said, “Don’t trade safety for pride. You can’t be expected to fully understand an airplane you didn’t build, even if you know your way around aircraft. A TC can help you identify the idiosyncrasies and correct problems that the previous owner didn’t see.”
Research
It turns out that research, according to the owners I talked to, was the most important advice, and that traps do await the unwary. Here’s what they recommend:
Get to know the builder before the sale if you can. You’ll find out a great deal about the details of the build and the quality of the build. If you get an uneasy feeling, walk away.
Stay in touch with the builder after the sale if you can. The builder is an invaluable resource. Half of the owners who wrote to me said that the builder was extraordinarily helpful and made the ownership transition a safe one. After all, the builder is proud of his or her creation and wants the next owner to enjoy the airplane as much as possible while staying safe.
Fly the airplane, or a similar model, before buying. One owner said, “I thought I knew what I wanted. I’d flown as a passenger in the airplane and thought, this is it. But, after I bought it and started flying, I found out that it flies like a rock with lift. That’s fine for the high-lift rock flyers, but I didn’t like it. I should have flown one first.”
Do more research than you think you need to about the model you want. Know everything about it. There will be far fewer surprises later.
Visit the factory. Most kit builders do this when they are researching their kit, but it’s a great idea if you’re thinking of buying something already built. You’ll see the level of quality, be able to see and get all of the documentation, and experience the expertise and enthusiasm that the factory people have. They may also know of owners who are ready to sell their airplane and have some history on it.
Transition Training
Look for any transition training you can get from the factory or from the builder’s group. Taking this step may also deliver lower insurance rates.
If there is any way you can talk the builder into doing the first condition inspection with you following along, it will be enormously helpful.
The Impulsive Buy
Take a friend with you when looking at aircraft to buy so you don’t make an impulsive purchase. I replied to one letter writer, “Do you think that will really help?” He replied, “Ah, probably not, but it’s a start.”
Outsource Maintenance
If you’re clueless on aircraft maintenance and don’t care to learn, find a good A&P mechanic experienced in experimental aircraft and get out of the way. Enough of the respondents said that they didn’t build because they just didn’t want to get involved in the nuts and bolts. If that’s the case, then it’s far better to pay a qualified mechanic than to try to do it yourself.
Systems Understanding
Similarly, owners mentioned they’d experienced enough routine maintenance troubles to feel they needed some help understanding systems. Several said that they experienced hydraulic leaks, oil leaks, and fuel troubles. These were not necessarily the fault of the homebuilt airplanes, but rather that the new owners didn’t know what to look for.
Some homebuilt aircraft lacked an adequate preflight checklist, and the new owner wasn’t sure what to add or how to improve it. This is where other owners can really help complete the picture.
The biggest problem that the secondhand owners said they had was when they went through the Secondhand E-AB Owner Checklist. They cited extensive hardware and workmanship issues, with about a 20 percent problem discovery rate overall. It might be rare to find any airplane that could pass this checklist review at 100 percent, but there’s no reason why owners wouldn’t want to try to achieve it.
The biggest pet peeve of these secondhand homebuilt owners? Hardware, labeling, and documentation. That’s a lesson to the rest of us who are building now. Remember that another pilot may fall in love with your airplane someday. Make it the best it can be.
Lisa Turner, EAA Lifetime 509911, is a manufacturing engineer, A&P, EAA technical counselor and flight advisor, and former DAR. She built and flew a Pulsar XP and Kolb Mark III and is researching her next homebuilt project. Lisa’s third book, Dream Take Flight, details her Pulsar flying adventures and life lessons. Write Lisa at Lisa@DreamTakeFlight.com and learn more at https://DreamTakeFlight.com.