Looking at buying a non flying EZ, need advice

[matt cozy1429]

Oh wise builders/flyers of canard aircraft.

 

Looking at buying a non flying Long EZ. Engine, avionics, controls have all been removed. Good work but an empty shell. I would love to rebuild it myself. It has previously been registered.

 

There is no way to get a repairman certificate out of it no matter how much work I do...correct?

Is it legal for me to work on it and then have an A&P check the work?

Would an A&P sign off another guys work?

Does it all have to be done by a certified mech?

 

Good advice from an experienced guy was that most A&Ps are not familiar with Long EZs and beware or any work they do on anything other then the engine.

 

The other option I have is to pay to have the work done at a shop that specializes in composite work put it back in flying condition and pick up a flying aircraft. But it will cost a lot more and I will not gain any experience.

 

Any opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Matt

[Wayne Hicks]

Looking at buying a non flying Long EZ. Good work but an empty shell.

 

----> Sometimes it's better to take an airframe and install your own engine and avionics. It's really hard to screw up an airframe. If the workmanship is average or better, there's little risk of there being something wrong in the airframe. Most "problems" occur with fuel systems and electrical systems. Still, it would be worth your time to find someone local with EZ building experience to look over the airframe and give thumbs up, thumbs down.

 

There is no way to get a repairman certificate out of it no matter how much work I do...correct?

-----> In the pure spirit and intent of the major portions rule? Probably not. The intent of the major portions rule is that you participated in the building of most of the parts and pieces. Now, I know of several indivuals who bought unfinished projects and spent more hours installing the engine, avionics, and doing the finishing work than the original builder did in building the airframe. All were able to obtain the repairman's certificate. They claimed they built over 50% of the plane. Again, hours alone is not the intent of the major portions rule. It all depends on what the DAR does when he inspects the plane. Good documentation always helps.

 

Is it legal for me to work on it

----> Anyone can work on an experimental. You don't have to hire an A&P mechanic like you hav to do on standard certificated airplanes. Anyone includes you son, daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and the bartender down at the corner bar.

 

Would an A&P sign off another guys work?

----> You don't need an A&P to sign off any of the work. You do that yourself. You enter the work performed into the logbook and you sign it.

 

Does it all have to be done by a certified mech?

----> Nope. That's the beauty of the experimental certificate. You do need an A&P to perform the yearly conditional inspection IF and ONLY IF you do not hold the repairman's certificate.

 

The other option I have is to pay to have the work done

---->Nope, you can finish building the plane yourself. No A&P required.

[Drew Swenson]

What Wayne said...

 

 

I did not hold the repairman cert for either my Long or Cozy. I did the engine, electrical system, inst panel and a bunch of stuff on the Longez. My experience on almost 10 yrs of EZ flying is that the AP will spend 99% of the time looking at the engine, ELT, and maybe looking at the master cylinders but only spend 1% of the time looking at the body. I usually take my time looking over the fuselage using the OH checklist way before the AP shows up. I show him what I have done on the checklist. He signs off the aircraft.

[Wayne Hicks]

to add to what Drew says, I don't hold the repairman's certificate for the Cozy III that I'm flying. So I can't legally sign off on the yearly conditional inspection. An A&P has to do that. (The builder, Al Yarmey, died in a Lear Jet accident shortly after flying off the 40 hours on this Cozy.)

 

I found an A&P who was willing to do an "owner-assisted" annual. I did 90% of the inspections using the Cozy III POH and Part 43 Appendix D as guidelines. He followed up and looked over what I inspected and repaired. He did the compression checks on the engine. Not all A&Ps will do an owner assisted annual. But some do. So shop around until you find one.

[matt cozy1429]

I think I will look at this finished but "empty" Long EZ and see what I am up against.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Matt