Are rudder cracks common on a PA32?

Unit74

Unit74

Final Approach
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Unit74
I'm looking at a plane and found out it has a couple small cracks in the rudder skin. The cracks are in the scalloped part of the skin(depression) A person that I have assumed is " in the know" said PA32s often have them.

Are these common to kind on the Lance/Saratoga series and if you have experienced it, what did it cost to reskin the rudder?
 
Our club has two PA-28's that sports those cracks. Our Head of Maintenance blames it on aggressive pre-flights wherein the pilot pinches the rudder in order to move it left/right seeking excessive looseness. I don't believe this is the cause but I don't know what the cause is.

-Skip
 
Any idea what it costs to either repair it or replace the skins?
 
Unit74 said:
Any idea what it costs to either repair it or replace the skins?
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without pictures it's hard to tell the details of the repair....but, repairs to control surfaces are a no-no. I'd find a servicable part and paint and replace it. Probably something in the $1,500 range....but, it's a guess.
 
It comes from being not hangared or properly tied down with external gust locks in wind storms.
 
Had a PA-32-300 with over 10,000 hours no cracks in the rudder.
 
Found an AD on them. Id guess the answer is yes, they are a problem.
 
Unit74 said:
Found an AD on them. Id guess the answer is yes, they are a problem.
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No dog in the fight as I don't own a PA32, but if I were to take that logic at face value, I'd never get up in the morning regarding flying vintage GA. You do realize the historically superfluous nature of the AD catalog, especially when it comes to recurring inspections right? I'm not saying throw the baby out with the bathwater, but an AD does not objectively establish there's a "problem". ADs are very often circles drawn around bullet holes by the obstructionist dopes at the FAA.
 
"Obstructionist dopes" LOL.

Great term and just in time. I was running out of ways to describe Republican lawmakers.

Now I have a new one! Thanks :)
 
They are both obstructionists when their party is majority and the president is opposition. Dopes are we the people that allow the vote to go that way.
 
hindsight2020 said:
No dog in the fight as I don't own a PA32, but if I were to take that logic at face value, I'd never get up in the morning regarding flying vintage GA. You do realize the historically superfluous nature of the AD catalog, especially when it comes to recurring inspections right? I'm not saying throw the baby out with the bathwater, but an AD does not objectively establish there's a "problem". ADs are very often circles drawn around bullet holes by the obstructionist dopes at the FAA.
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Yea, but the plane I'm looking at has cracks in the rudder as the AD calls for. I don't think this one is superfluous in this case.
 
If there are cracks and the AD doesn't allow them.....it's a non-starter till the seller fixes it.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
If there are cracks and the AD doesn't allow them.....it's a non-starter till the seller fixes it.
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That's exactly what I just told the broker who has it. I'm not buying a plane that has AD issues. I'd think that if he doesn't disclose the problems to another buyer, he might have liability in the mess as he is now aware of the problem.

I will say, the broker is the one who told me about the cracks and I believe he is a stand up guy. He noticed them before we were to head to the prebuy and told me about it. I'm waiting to hear if the seller is on board or if I am back in the market. I don't care if this was "the plane" . I'm not going to knowingly buy someone else's problem. That's just foolish.
 
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