Hi and thanks for the add into the group!

I'm seriously considering buying a Q200 and am having a buddy take a look at the airplane for me this weekend.  I'm pretty familiar with general items to look for during a prebuy, but I was hoping I could get tips for some Q200-specific items to check for.  Common wear items, likely damage locations, service problems, approximate wear limits, etc. and general tips would be extremely helpful.

Thanks!

Shaun

 

Look along the top surface of the canard. Any waviness means probable damage from hard landing (disqualifier unless you want to do extensive repairs).

Check log books and see when it last ran (long down time not a good sign).

check the locations where torque tubes enter the fuselage for any damage to the glass there means wings were over-flexed, not good.

Check cockpit for fuel stains or odors indicating tank leaks.

Check tailwheel assembly for cracks. If it is the original 5/8" fiberglass round rod tailspring, you will probably need to replace.

A positive sign would be if you see separate cables emerging from the fuselage to control the tail wheel and rudder independently. That would mean that a prior owner has been paying attention and has fixed some or all of the deficiencies in original design.

The rest are probably more like regular "plane stuff", or are easily updated.

Cheers,
Jay Scheevel, Tri-Q, still building