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Question:
What are the main items to look for when looking for a T-34 to
purchase? What are the questions I should be concerned about and ask
the seller?
Answer: Here is a collection of
responses from several T-34 owners that responded to a request for
answers to this question.
1.
Does the aircraft come with the original flight log book with flight
history clear back to delivery. (For the Navy "B" model that is a
large, thick, brown, hard cover book that has every flight since
delivery. The cover of the book says: "United States Department Of
The Navy. Bureau of aeronautics. Navaer 418" and it shows when &
where delivered as well as complete flight records until released by
the Navy.)
2.
Is there a complete record of all ADs with compliance?
3.
Do the recorded hours in the logs truly add up?
--
My B model books say they stop at 1968
because of a new method of recording (which are not passed along)
until Navy Flying Clubs started new books and just has carried over
total time. These books also don't account for B models coming back
from Navy overhaul with the same serial number wings and other
parts, just that they are back in service following Navy overhaul.
My 3 B models all have different serial
number wings with no matched numbers. Paul Pribble [Webmaster: Paul
Pribble (member #29) owns Mentor Aviation International which
services T-34s owned by countries around the world.] told me that
the Navy would send off the wings in for rework and would use the
next finished wing on the rack.
--
When shopping for a T-34, I did not find
any of the owners having the current Registration and AD documents
available.
A question I would ask is:
Do you have a current set of the
Registration and Airworthiness Documents information available from
the FAA?
The information is available in as
little as 2 hours here:
http://www.planefaxreports.com
The FAA information is here:
The Aircraft Registration Branch
maintains registration records on individual aircraft and serves as
a repository for airworthiness documents received from FAA field
offices.
Request Records - You can
mail or fax your request for aircraft records or
Request Copies of Aircraft Records online via
this link:
http://aircraft.faa.gov/e.gov/ND/
Format - You can order paper
copies or electronic copies (on CD-ROM) of aircraft records. Each
CD-ROM contains one aircraft record. You can view the CD-ROM files
using Adobe Acrobat Reader. We will include a copy of the latest
reader on the CD-ROM.
Fees - $10.00 per CD ROM (one
aircraft record per CD)
--
Once I decided I wanted to get a T-34
the specific questions I had in mind were:
1. Are the logbooks complete (mine only have records going back to
importation as the Chilean records were lost when Cliff Jensen past
or before)
2. Is there adequate enough records if
the originals are missing (mine went back to 1990 so I felt that was
sufficient and my Spanish is not that good anyway)
3. Has the aircraft ever been “restored”
or updated? If yes then by whom what was done?
4. Are ALL of the AD’s done? (forward
spar, carry through, rear spar, horizontal stabilizer, flap cable,
any engine/prop AD’s, etc.)
5. Are the STCs, 337s, 8130s, logbooks,
airworthiness, and registration in order and match-up?
6. Are times recorded in the logbooks
accurate? (often through the years mechanics make errors in
recording Hobbs/total times that if not caught can perpetuate and
get worse. It is a good idea to spend the 4-6 hrs “auditing” the
logbook times)
7. When were the wings last taken off
the aircraft, “split”, and checked for corrosion, cracked ribs, etc.
(mine had several cracked ribs and lots of corrosion)
8. Has the wiring and CB’s ever been
updated/replaced? (I had my aircraft totally rewired and all CB’s
replaced which was not cheap or fast)
9. What type of flying has the aircraft
been experiencing? Was it ever used for hard acro, dogfighting,
etc.? If so how many total hours in that usage?
10. What is the damage history of the
aircraft? (Gear-ups are common and are what usually lead to cracked
ribs, etc.)
11. Is the aircraft flown often?
(aircraft that sit for long periods of time often have “gremlins” in
the electrical system, seem more prone to leaks, and can have
corrosion in the engine)
12. Where is the aircraft based?
(aircraft based in “wet” and/or “salty” environments tend to be more
prone to corrosion) If the aircraft is based in a “wet” or “salty”
region is on a kind of corrosion prevention program? (thorough
inspections/ aggressive treatment)
13. Who has been maintaining the
aircraft? (are the annuals “pencil whipped” or is it maintained by a
reputable shop)
14. When was the alternator last
overhauled?
15. When were the magnetos last
overhauled?
16. When was the landing gear motor last
overhauled?
17. When was the propeller last
overhauled? (time AND calendar)
18. When was the engine last overhauled
and who by? (was it a “field overhaul” or done by a reputable shop?)
19. Is there a history of oil analysis
on the engine?
20. Have the magnesium parts been
replaced and if not are they in good condition with no or minimal
corrosion?
21. Does the seller seem conscientious,
professional, and thorough in his flying and maintaining of the
aircraft?
22. When was the aircraft last painted
and by whom? (reputable shops will remove all flight controls,
complete strip the aircraft, acid etch, and apply numerous coats
which will last 20 plus years at our usage rates if hangared)
23. What shops are “experts” in the T-34
and can I have a pre-purchase inspection done?
I think that if a prospective owner can
answer the above questions to their satisfaction and obtain a
pre-purchase survey of the aircraft and documents they should be
very protected and have peace of mind in their purchase and
aircraft.
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