Horace Escue: Techwing has a good answer but he missed one thing, some corrosion is not economically fixable!I once saw a Mooney with what looked like very minor corrosion around the tail cone and around the gear wells, turned out it needed about 55K in "repairs".... the plane once repaired would only bring about 60K on the market! The 40K bargain price it was being offered for sale, wasn't! If any major structure is involved, wing spars etc .... RUN to another aircraft there are hundreds of aircraft in just about any category for sale, why buy a fixer upper? The money you save won't be yours!...Show more
Marti Declue: It depends on the amount of corrosion of course, but if corrosion is found the current owner of the aircraft should fix it at his cost or deduct the amount to fix from the cost of the aircraft. In my opinion if corrosion is found its time to start looking for something else (unless its some sort of classic, one of a kind).Nothing in aviation cost a! thousand or less.
Margart Stimpert: There isn't a general cost involved. Like it to termite damage on the lower corner of a building. Sure, you see a single 2x4 that looks like it needs replacing. Take the sheathing off (just like aluminum skin) and then you find some of the floor joists and walls studs (structural ribs) eaten away. Some of it can be ground off, some parts might have to be R2.We see corrosion all the time during our C-130 ISO inspections. It can get ugly fast.Like techwing said, depends on extent and definitely location. Caveat emptor....Show more
Gladys Worthing: Depends on what kind of corrosion and how widespread it is. An aircraft in a hot, humid climate like Florida could easily have corrosion that is uneconomical to fix.There are all kinds of corrosion, but only a few classifications an aircraft mechanic is concerned with. It is widespread or localized? Is it surface or intergranular corrosion? If it is surface corrosion, how deep is ! it?I am fortunate to live in a fairly dry climate, but most ai! rcraft over 30 years old will have light surface corrosion over the interior exposed metal surfaces. This looks like patches of white that make a bit of powder on your fingers if you rub it, but you can still see the direct reflection of a flashlight in most of the metal.If this is what the aircraft has, it is fine, and don't touch it or you will be in for years of woe. This plane will last like this for years. Get it fogged with ACF-50 or sprayed with Dinotrol or some other anti-corrosion compound, but do not attack the metal with scotchbrite or anything else.Heavier surface corrosion will be totally white or gray and have a very rough texture when rubbed with your hand, resulting in a removal of quite a bit of material. If it is only a few patches around the aircraft, have it ground off, material measured (usually you can only remove 10% of material thickness) and then treated with acid etch, alodine, and primed with zinc chromate. If under every inspection panel you! see something like this, run! Corrosion that is too deep will require replacement of the affected part, which could be entire skins. For most older aircraft, it isn't worth it.Intergranular corrosion is the worst. It is for the most confined to castings, which mean expensive parts to purchase and replace.A better bet would be to buy an aircraft from the Southwest or even the Midwest (though be wary of hail damage, not always apparent if the aircraft has been repainted or is a high-wing). It's still a recession and a buyer's market......Show more
Abby Herwood: That depends entirely on the extent of the corrosion. The more corroded metal you have to replace, the more expensive it gets. My rough guess is that any corrosion that you detect is likely to be expensive to fix, with perhaps a starting figure of a thousand dollars, but it really depends on the extent (and the location). I'm sure there are some minor bits of corrosion that might well be reparable for less t! han $1000.The more carefully you have that aircraft inspected before yo! u sign anything, the happier you'll be. Florida isn't exactly an ideal environment for avoiding corrosion....Show more
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