Rust

[DrPappy]

In my seemingly never-ending quest to find an aircraft of my own, I have come across many with some obvious external rust. Things like around the door hinges, on some rivets, etc. Should any rust be a deal breaker? I have also seen several old aircraft with new paint jobs and think these most likely were more than a bit rusty before the new paint. Obviously before any purchase I would have a pre-buy done. The question is, if I can see rust even with my uneducated eye, is it still worth me driving/flying up to see the plane in person and to pay for a pre-buy?

 

[frfly172]

Depends on how much rust,and its location. Minor rust is no big problem.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Aluminum doesn't rust.

 

[Stewartb]

Screws and hinge pins rust and leave tracks over time. A little fine rubbing compound will remove it in seconds. No worries. Not any indication of trouble without other glaring clues.

 

[sourdough44]

One has to factor in the budget. It's hard to find pristine for $30k. A few years ago I volunteered to help a relative find an older Tacoma for a woods vehicle. He was kinda wanting a $10,000 truck with a $4,000 budget. I was able to line up an older Tacoma that spent it's life in CA and OR. There was very little rust but it did have a few issues.

As your budget allows, newer, lower time, well cared for, hangared most of it's life. We all like newer avionics too.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Rust can also indicate a problem between the steel and aluminum. I have found severe pitting in the aluminum under rusty steel fittings. It's one reason that aluminum washers are sometimes specified between steel hardware and the aluminum structure; the aluminum washer will suffer first and save the airframe.

Dan

 

[Henning]

In my seemingly never-ending quest to find an aircraft of my own, I have come across many with some obvious external rust. Things like around the door hinges, on some rivets, etc. Should any rust be a deal breaker? I have also seen several old aircraft with new paint jobs and think these most likely were more than a bit rusty before the new paint. Obviously before any purchase I would have a pre-buy done. The question is, if I can see rust even with my uneducated eye, is it still worth me driving/flying up to see the plane in person and to pay for a pre-buy?

If you're talking about a bit of streaking on the paint, that doesn't disqualify anything, especially when you're just talking about something running down from the hinge pins. If you have steel rivets rusting but are tight, an inspection of the level of erosion on the head will answer your question, remember this, there are ships, buildings, and bridges, that constantly bleed rust that have been in service for over a hundred years.

 

[txflyer]

Look at it like anything that is rusted is weaker than it was brand new. So the next question is, is it a critical component to flight?

 

[Henning]

Look at it like anything that is rusted is weaker than it was brand new. So the next question is, is it a critical component to flight?

That is not necessarily true. A bit of surface rust has no measurable affect on strength.