Hi folks,
There’s a Kolb Ultrastar now for sale that’s parked at an airport near Mobile Alabama.
The plane had a mishap in which the right landing gear broke. In the same mishap the wing struck the ground and it had a prop strike.
I had been planning to pick it up soon, thinking these were manageable repairs, but after speaking with a knowledgeable airplane builder and retired CFI, I decided not to.
He said the poly fiber covering of the wing that struck the ground would need to be removed and the wing structure thoroughly examined for any bends, cracks or breaks, then recovered.
The airframe where the wing and broken landing gear attached would also need to be professionally evaluated, and the Rotax 447 would need to be thoroughly examined to make sure the crankshaft wasn’t bent in the prop strike, which would necessitate a total rebuild.
He also said the original rivets in this Ultrastar may not have been stainless steel during that era, and especially since it spent its life near the ocean, they may all need replaced.
The 60” prop has been professionally repaired at Warp but it’s still in their possession and the bill for its $750 repair plus shipping is still due by whoever buys this plane.
These levels of repair are well beyond my technical and financial abilities, so I regretfully had to back out of this purchase.
Hopefully the full disclosure of this information will assist anyone else in their evaluation of whether to purchase this particular Kolb Ultrastar and their ability to make it airworthy once again.
There’s a Kolb Ultrastar now for sale that’s parked at an airport near Mobile Alabama.
The plane had a mishap in which the right landing gear broke. In the same mishap the wing struck the ground and it had a prop strike.
I had been planning to pick it up soon, thinking these were manageable repairs, but after speaking with a knowledgeable airplane builder and retired CFI, I decided not to.
He said the poly fiber covering of the wing that struck the ground would need to be removed and the wing structure thoroughly examined for any bends, cracks or breaks, then recovered.
The airframe where the wing and broken landing gear attached would also need to be professionally evaluated, and the Rotax 447 would need to be thoroughly examined to make sure the crankshaft wasn’t bent in the prop strike, which would necessitate a total rebuild.
He also said the original rivets in this Ultrastar may not have been stainless steel during that era, and especially since it spent its life near the ocean, they may all need replaced.
The 60” prop has been professionally repaired at Warp but it’s still in their possession and the bill for its $750 repair plus shipping is still due by whoever buys this plane.
These levels of repair are well beyond my technical and financial abilities, so I regretfully had to back out of this purchase.
Hopefully the full disclosure of this information will assist anyone else in their evaluation of whether to purchase this particular Kolb Ultrastar and their ability to make it airworthy once again.
