Damaged RV-7, Nicely equipped, up for insurance bid

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lsaway

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Dec 8, 2019
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lsaway
I saw this very nicely equipped RV-7 on the insurance salvage bids. This is a list of the equipment:
2 x Garmin G3X Touch GDU460, Dual Garmin GSU25 ADAHRS units, Garmin GMU22 Magnetometer, Garmin GEA24 Engine unit, Dual Garmin GSA28 Autopilot units, Garmin GMC305 AFACS control head, Garmin GDL 39R ADSB-IN, Garmin GAD29 RS232/RS428, Garmin GAP26 heated Pitot tube, Garmin GTN650 NAV/COM/GPS w/ blue tooth, Garmin GTR20 Com Radio, Garmin GTX23-ES Mode S Transponder

Here is a link to pictures: https://www-265.aig.com/AviationSal...hotos.pdf&Extension=pdf&Type=p&PictureId=7307
 
Be quicker to build from scratch than repair. It's a deer killer... Impact was around 50 knots...High time pilot, just getting home with it after purchase. For the story, hop over to Vansairforce and search on "Buck meets RV7"
 
Craig said:
Be quicker to build from scratch than repair. It's a deer killer... Impact was around 50 knots...
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Hardly. IMHO, repairing this would be way quicker than from scratch; yes, it needs a new fuel left tank plus sheet metal work on both the left wing and forward left fuselage, but this work would be minimal compared to starting over on a new build.
 
Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water. BAM! A freakin RV7 rips off part of your head. Your brains are laying all over the ground in little bloody pieces. Now, I ask you. Would you care what kind of pants the pilot was wearing?
 
Somebody's future project for sure. That impact looks gnarly for the wing attachment.

The corona is starting to throw some really good deals on RVs out there. The DOD put a stop movement on me until May possibly June, so I couldn't go pick up the damn thing even if I wanted to LOL.

I'd say one of the silver linings of this pandemic is the piston market is getting corrected now that people in the "willingness to borrow" crowd are exiting stage again. Buyer's market my old friend, you've been missed :D
 
What was the RV-7 doing landing at the brook where deer drink?
 
jbDC9 said:
Hardly. IMHO, repairing this would be way quicker than from scratch; yes, it needs a new fuel left tank plus sheet metal work on both the left wing and forward left fuselage, but this work would be minimal compared to starting over on a new build.
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The assessment was that essentially everything forward of the panel would have to be rebuilt. Left upper longeron is damaged most likely, as well as the center tunnel. There hasn't been an inspection of the spar or carry thru structure or the gear towers from what I've read so far on the incident.

I've replaced all the structure on F-16's from the main landing gear bulkhead aft, below the fuel floor before. It's not hard when you have the factory tools and jigs, but it's still time consuming. We had to optically shoot in the bulkheads so we didn't have to demate the fuselages. We did 4 aircraft and it took us about 700 manhours per aircraft for just the structures work.
 
I have never been involved in any RV builds, so I don't know how many small parts require fabrication or are not included in the kits. Normally a wrecked Experimental plane is good for somebody building the same model already. Take the panel, engine, whatever specially fabricated parts, & parts not included in the kit to finish up what they already started. This is assuming that the wreck is not repaired.
 
flyingron said:
Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water. BAM! A freakin RV7 rips off part of your head. Your brains are laying all over the ground in little bloody pieces. Now, I ask you. Would you care what kind of pants the pilot was wearing?
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A couple of Rudolph’s cousins pranced in front of me one evening, right as I touched down. He met his maker right as the spinning meat slicer out front whammed into its hind legs. I now think about this event nearly every time I turn final.

3B7D89AB-78E5-421D-9E72-590E2CA9F8E0.jpeg 6EB892F3-9A8F-4864-A238-991E0BD9FEB2.jpeg
 
Hitting a deer on the runway happens more often than you think. I have seen more than a few salvage airplanes that description of damage was either hit a deer, or ran into something else avoiding a deer on the runway.. I have also seen it for Moose.
 
The RV's since the early 6 days have all gone to almost all pre-punched parts. By the time you tear that one down and figure out everything you need, you are probably not too far short of the cost of a new fuselage kit. A new 7 fuselage kit runs about $6500.
 
Craig said:
The RV's since the early 6 days have all gone to almost all pre-punched parts. By the time you tear that one down and figure out everything you need, you are probably not too far short of the cost of a new fuselage kit. A new 7 fuselage kit runs about $6500.
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That is what is so good about reputable kit plane manufacturers. You can still buy a complete fuselage kit or wing kit, etc.. and do the repair the right way.
 
Yeah, years ago when I was based at Philips Army Air Field (APG, MD), we had a real problem with deer. At night it was standard procedure to fly a few deer passes down the runway to scare them off before landing. We have had them on the runway here (one of our idiot neighbors was actually feeding them).
 
So what kind of money would you guys bid on that thing? I’ve bid on a couple aircraft now on that site. No idea where I am at compared to winning bid.
 
Bacho said:
So what kind of money would you guys bid on that thing? I’ve bid on a couple aircraft now on that site. No idea where I am at compared to winning bid.
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Well the avionics, engine and accessories together are probably worth around $50K.
 
Bacho said:
So what kind of money would you guys bid on that thing? I’ve bid on a couple aircraft now on that site. No idea where I am at compared to winning bid.
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tsts4 said:
Well the avionics, engine and accessories together are probably worth around $50K.
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Generally, the salvage yards bid the "used" value of the engine and avionics because these items are usually easy to sell and recover their money fast. They make the money off the rest of the parts. But, this is an experimental plane and many of the salvage dealers won't use this formula because there is not any real value to the rest of the parts, and they have to make some money. Look at Wentworth's salvage planes they post on Ebay. They usually sells them right after removing engine and avionics.

If the airplane is a builder, the price may sell above the engine-avionics price.

This is just my experience with a limited number of salvage planes I have purchased & information I gathered from knowledgeable people in the industry.
 
This guy posted about this on the Vans Air Force forum a few months ago. He was literally on his way home with a CFI after purchasing the plane when Bambi ran out in front of him on landing.
 
Wow! Both the deer and the RV were really butchered. Glad the pilot (and passenger?) were okay.

I’ve bagged a deer (Maule) and a Canada Goose (LS6 glider).

It’s hard to describe how lucky I was with the deer’s demise. Home runway, never saw it or any buddies, hit him in the flare inches off the ground. My wife and I looked at each other after the thump and said, “maybe a turtle”? We’ve had large turtles drag themselves across the grass and hitting one of them with a wheel made sense in the moment. After parking it, we had our neighbor use his mower lights to see what we hit in the gathering dusk.

The very dead deer was lying there with his hind quarters smashed. We had hit him with a wheel. There was a small cut in the skin above one eye where the prop may have nicked him but there was no evidence on the prop. Zero damage - Whew!

I used to do 1 night landing a week for 5 or 6 years on the strip and NEVER saw a deer. Then the little flight school left for harder pastures. The reduction in traffic meant the grass grows better and there are deer on the runway every single night. I avoid night landings but when needed, eyeballs are peeled and the go-around is locked and loaded. But I hate to go around because the airport is a black hole with minimal runway lighting and trees on all sides. Right now there are 2 distinct herds: I’ve learned to land over one and stop before the second one. Low passes have mixed results. Modern landing lights are great! IR imagery would be better.

That is a sweet looking panel on that ‘7. I’m thinking it could all be bought for the used price of avionics and a prop struck engine with the airframe ‘thrown in’. An experienced RV7 builder would have no trouble repairing/replacing damaged components. The CNC-intensive modern Vans’ kits are “cheap” and easy to fix that way.


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