thinking about buying somones dragonfly project

[the4ork]

first off this would be my first home-build, but im no slouch, im an F-16 mechanic so i know my way around an airplane pretty well...

 

second, i really like this airplane and im really set on buying/building one and i think i can do it with my budget, although having never flown in one or seen a completed plane in person this is sort of a gamble for me. my current flight time consists of getting my private in a 1950 170 taildragger, and a few hours in a 1952 vtail bonanza. both are great airplanes!

 

a guy a few hangers down from mine has a dragonfly project that he's had for a few years he wants to get rid of to clear some space... the fuselage and wings are already built and together... the main wing has been load tested and he said it did VERY well, and i talked to a few of the older guys out at the airport that know the guy who built it and who were there during the load testing... all of them have very good things to say about the builder, and the guy that saw the load testing sounded pretty impressed and also had good things to say. guess the guy is sort of a perfectionist...

 

so... the wings and fuselage are put together, the flight control wires and pulleys are ran, looks like its maybe 1/2 done i would say? the landing gear has not been installed yet but its setup for the wingtip wide wheel base taildragger style gear. comes with the gear, no instruments, unpainted, sanded wings, unsanded fuselage, comes with canopy but not installed yet, no interior... sounds like he has all the pieces to put the rest of the air-frame together minus electrical and engine

 

so what would you expect to pay for a kit in that shape? he says $5,000, but im pretty sure if i offer him $3,000 cash he would take it...