Buying a Used jet. What do you look for?
03-01-2016, 06:00 PM
#1
Buying a Used jet. What do you look for?
Ok this weekend I'm going to pick up a Gen 2 Jet Legend L39 1/5 RTF with very old Titan Jetcat
Ill be honest every jet I own are from my hood flying buddy's. I have finely saved up 5k after selling one jet and a 120cc Krill Katana
its one thing to buy on RCU and never meet the guy or get to see the jet iin person, you take it on fath, but what would you look for if your planning on driving 2.5 hours one way this weekend to pick up a jet?
Do you change your mind when you meet the seller?
what are some signs that the jet in question has been flown to hard?
Do you think every jet has a life span? And if you didn't know how old the jet what would you look at or ask to help you determine that?
Ill be honest every jet I own are from my hood flying buddy's. I have finely saved up 5k after selling one jet and a 120cc Krill Katana
its one thing to buy on RCU and never meet the guy or get to see the jet iin person, you take it on fath, but what would you look for if your planning on driving 2.5 hours one way this weekend to pick up a jet?
Do you change your mind when you meet the seller?
what are some signs that the jet in question has been flown to hard?
Do you think every jet has a life span? And if you didn't know how old the jet what would you look at or ask to help you determine that?
03-01-2016, 07:00 PM
#2
Look at the gear mount blocks, see if they have been repaired, could mean a bad landing with more damage unseen. Also check every former you can see, look at the epoxy fillet on the sides for cracks or if it has moved. Also grab every control surface and move it checking for excessive movement in the linkage, possibly meaning servo gear train worn out. I dont care what anyone says, when I buy a used plane I put new batteries in it. Period.
If you dont like the price negotiate and explain why, beig respectful, dont just try to lowball. If you dont like the plane, WALK AWAY, its your money, its your choice, but tell the seller why,
If you dont like the price negotiate and explain why, beig respectful, dont just try to lowball. If you dont like the plane, WALK AWAY, its your money, its your choice, but tell the seller why,
Last edited by raron455; 03-01-2016 at 07:04 PM.
03-01-2016, 07:27 PM
#3
I would definitely start off with communication. Communication is key. I like to talk to sellers and get a feel for the owner and ask everything that worries me about the jet. In most cases, a good honest seller is more than happy to talk about the aircraft and any work or modifications may have been done. This is your time to learn the most you can about something that you are attempting to purchase blindly. Remember, a 5k investment needs some digging in to. If a seller blows me off or doesn't make time for me, it is usually a red flag "FOR ME" and I will move on. No matter the deal.
I can tell you that when I sold my jets, I had conversations that lasted up to an hour at times, took video and pictures and disclosed everything I could so that when it arrived, there were no surprises.
If possible, ask the seller if he is the original owner, if not ask who was. And if It is ok to contact them. I had a big learning experience with trying to obtain a "bargain deal" on a jet. The plane was sold from another site, acquired by the new owner, painted in primer and posted here. It had passed through two hands and was sold to me as "JUST ADD ELECTRONICS AND TURBINE" Upon arrival I knew I was in trouble. I had to strip the airframe of primer paint and discovered all the hidden secrets. Spent a good time making repairs to get the airframe safe and air worthy. Things that were just not disclosed at purchase and I failed to dig deeper. did I mention I bought from a seller with a 1 rating? I took a chance with a "Bargain add engine/electronics and fly" but ended up with a project. I usually never make that mistake but was attracted to a deal too good to be true.
There are those that flip planes for a living and those who fly/sell to support their flying. It is hard to tell the difference, but what I have learned is that a good communication and tons of pictures gets me the warm and fuzzy's really quick. If I cant get good communication, I am OUT!
Good luck with your purchase.
I can tell you that when I sold my jets, I had conversations that lasted up to an hour at times, took video and pictures and disclosed everything I could so that when it arrived, there were no surprises.
If possible, ask the seller if he is the original owner, if not ask who was. And if It is ok to contact them. I had a big learning experience with trying to obtain a "bargain deal" on a jet. The plane was sold from another site, acquired by the new owner, painted in primer and posted here. It had passed through two hands and was sold to me as "JUST ADD ELECTRONICS AND TURBINE" Upon arrival I knew I was in trouble. I had to strip the airframe of primer paint and discovered all the hidden secrets. Spent a good time making repairs to get the airframe safe and air worthy. Things that were just not disclosed at purchase and I failed to dig deeper. did I mention I bought from a seller with a 1 rating? I took a chance with a "Bargain add engine/electronics and fly" but ended up with a project. I usually never make that mistake but was attracted to a deal too good to be true.
There are those that flip planes for a living and those who fly/sell to support their flying. It is hard to tell the difference, but what I have learned is that a good communication and tons of pictures gets me the warm and fuzzy's really quick. If I cant get good communication, I am OUT!
Good luck with your purchase.
Last edited by Dblex; 03-01-2016 at 07:29 PM.
03-02-2016, 09:43 AM
#6
Bob
03-02-2016, 07:35 PM
#9
First, I would want to see it flown and ground-handled by the seller. This can say a lot about how well the plane flies, whether it has problems, and whether it has led a hard life due to poor landing skills and ham-fisted flying. If the guy slams the plane down onto the runway every landing and flies around the sky at 200mph pulling 10G up-lines every circuit (as some of the so-called jet pilots on here claim) , you can bet the airframe has seen better days. I would also ask to see the radio and review settings - just say you want to cut down on your trim time. Again, how the jet is set up can tell you plenty about whether there are issues with stabs, incidence, wings warping, poor servo setups, etc. Presence of a 3-axis may also be an indication of problems, either with the pilot or the airframe.
I categorically DO NOT buy turbines online that I have not seen fly in person, the only exception being a known personality in the jet community like Bob Fiorenze, Ali M., or the like.
The rest is up to you. Check all the formers carefully to see that there are no cracks in the Hysol, and obviously check key mechanical pieces. If the plane looks good and has clearly flown many times, then it was well treated and should last many flights longer.
Also, this is a JL. The older ones were well constructed. But the new honeycomb versions, I would personally stay away from. I don't know this model, so G2 may not be an issue here.
As for the turbine and fuel system - I would not mess around with that. Regardless of what the owner tells you, I'd send it in to JC and have them go over the motor. While the engine is there, I would overhaul the fuel system, again regardless of what the owner tells you. I bought a jet from an experienced mfr rep who is an experienced pilot and supposedly used a qualified builder (with said individual supposedly checking everything out) - and the fuel system was a disaster waiting to happen.
I categorically DO NOT buy turbines online that I have not seen fly in person, the only exception being a known personality in the jet community like Bob Fiorenze, Ali M., or the like.
The rest is up to you. Check all the formers carefully to see that there are no cracks in the Hysol, and obviously check key mechanical pieces. If the plane looks good and has clearly flown many times, then it was well treated and should last many flights longer.
Also, this is a JL. The older ones were well constructed. But the new honeycomb versions, I would personally stay away from. I don't know this model, so G2 may not be an issue here.
As for the turbine and fuel system - I would not mess around with that. Regardless of what the owner tells you, I'd send it in to JC and have them go over the motor. While the engine is there, I would overhaul the fuel system, again regardless of what the owner tells you. I bought a jet from an experienced mfr rep who is an experienced pilot and supposedly used a qualified builder (with said individual supposedly checking everything out) - and the fuel system was a disaster waiting to happen.
Last edited by TTRotary; 03-02-2016 at 07:45 PM.
