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#1
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Me and couple buddies are considering buying a early 80's model 8KCAB
but I am a little worried about doing sportsman level aerobatics in a plane that old. Not having owned a plane before I was wondering if anyone on the group have experience with older decathlons and how they hold up to that type of abuse. Someone mentioned to me it wasn't a great idea because airframe fatigue. The last thing I want is for something major to go 'snap' while I'm at the bottom of the box and have no hope of surviving. Thanks. |
#2
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I had a 1979 8KCAB Super Decathlon for around four years before moving into
an Extra. They are great planes- easy to maintain and fly. In my opinion, Sportsman should be no problem, but should be flown smoothly, just as a Pitts is flown differently from a monoplane, although I'm far from an expert. If it still has a wood spar, a thorough inspection is critical to look for broken nose ribs, compression cracks on the top of the spar, loose rib nails, cracks on the lift strut attach fitting, and cracks on the seat hinge as well. So, it really would pay to get a good pre-purchase inspection by someone who is intimately familiar with the aircraft. They are great planes. |
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