Aeromatic on Craigs list

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gjordan

New member
I just noticed an Aeromatic on the Seattle Craigs list ,under aircraft,but it is titled as a Beach Roby. It is also a very unAeromatic red color. It seems to have the correct assembly number for the Cruisair. Good Luck. Grant
 
Did anyone talk to this guy and/or buy this? I called him a couple times last night and only got voice mail.

Kevin
 
The prop is off the market. The owner thinks it might be airworthy and worth up to ten times as much as his original price. Dan
 
I believe I encountered this guy before. Somebody had a Beech Roby for sale advertised as an Aeromatic. The ad had photos, no listed price. I wrote him, informing him what it was and asked if he had the adjusting rod and crank (you adjust the pitch by turning a little hand crank in the panel). It appeared to be the model suitable for a Luscombe (the airplane's TC includes them) and they do make quite a difference. He didn't have all the hardware so I never got to the bargaining phase. Maybe its a different fellow but his location and what he was offering would have been quite a coincidence.

You see a lot of stuff go up for sale, vanish, and appear yet again over the years...usually overpriced airplanes. One guy in Florida has been trying to sell an uncovered Skyote for several years for 30k. Yes, the Skyote is among the most astonishing and capable homebuilts ever created, and it's nearly impossible to build to the plans' specs, but 30k for a single seat biplane project is a bit much. You could compile quite a list of interesting aircraft and rare parts that cycle through all the ad venues....a 1929 Great Lakes...a Luscombe Phantom project....a Skyrocket basket case...all will end up either thrown in the trash one day or in some estate sale, alas.

Jonathan
 
What he had pictured in the ad is not a Beach Roby, it is an Aeromatic with the correct part numbers for a 165HP Franklin powered Bellanca so he has a pretty small audience for this. Just because he thinks it is airworthy does not make it so. At the least it needs to go to Tarver for overhaul if for no other reason then to get that red paint off it. I was willing to gamble the asking price and shipping but I guess he has gotten greedy and figures he has a red pile of gold and doesn't want to answer his phone now.

Kevin
 
Then again, maybe he found someone to give him ten times what he was asking for it. If so, good for him.

Kevin
 
When I bought my 14-13-2 for a project, it had a very good looking Aeromatic prop which made the whole thing more appealing. I sent it to Tarver to make sure it was airworthy and about $3,500 later I have it back. I learned that you can't go by looks as it had major internal problems.
Gary
 
Ditto on not relying upon the prop "looking" airworthy. I was told my Aeromatic was in good condition and I spent another $3,750 with Kent Tarver due to rusted screws, etc.
Gary Walentoski
 
$3,500 may seem a lot of money to put into a 60 year old prop. Believe me, some of these props haven't seen the inside of a qualified shop since manufacture. I've known Kent for years and he's relayed horror stories about internal corrosion on the lag screws, broken screws, etc. Unless the prop had relatively recent maintenance or inspection at Univair, I'd consider sending it to Kent's shop. In spite of the potential, to my knowledge, no Aeromatic has thrown a blade. Kent works with his son and things don't happen overnight. If you are AOG, he'll put you at the front of the line. Kent has a web on the Aeromatic, as well
 
That's why the one he has is only worth the $300 he was asking in the first place unless. I was prepared to buy it for that and still am but thats about all I would gamble on it. But, like Dan said, it is not on the market now. The ad on Craigs list is gone.

Kevin
 
Guys,
It is well worth going to the Aeromatic Prop Web site and have a read. Kent is a great guy and sent me all the information I needed to check if my aeromatic were able to be overhauled. Being in Australia I didn't want to send a worthless prop back to American. The blades are paired and if one is U/S you can throw the other away, all lag screws in the blade ends must be removed and if they are corroded they grip and break, Ouch!! a pair of blades are $2000. These 15 screws are loooong suckers with the 6 inner - six inches long. I had my " be careful gloves" on, fortunately all the buggers came out. Yep it was beer o clock!!!
 
Scott Ryan, up here in the Seattle area sent his prop for O/H a little more than a year ago. One blade was 'bad,' but Kent was able to match another blade that he had in inventory. So, Bernie, you don't have to scrap both blades.
 
I actually did hear about an Aeromatic throwing a blade. It was a used prop that was purchased and was put on the plane without being sent in to be checked out. They said that he was just off the end of the runway when one blade flew off. He managed to bring it around and make a safe landing but his motor was destroyed in the process. I believe one of the guys in our EAA was involved or at least knew the guy who lost a blade.
Gary
 
Maybe some of the tipping came off. I've seen that happen on several different makes of wooden props. If a whole blade is thrown, I will guarantee that no single engine airplane will make it back to the runway - unless there's plenty straight ahead. One of two things will happen. A quick pilot will reduce power and shut the engine down and make the best landing possible. If power remains on for more than 1-2 seconds, most everything FWF will depart the rest of the airframe - making a very poor glider. I've seen the results of this, too.....a Swift, a 170, and a Waco. Check out the Lancair on You Tube a couple months ago. Kent Tarver had to investigate a blade failure on a Fairchild in the Salt Lake area. Apparently the prop had been damaged on the ground prior to the takeoff incident and Kent was able to prove it. Dan
 
The SAIB regarding Aeromatics that the FAA issued a few years ago was as a result of the Fairchild event that Dan noted. Kent told me about it a few years ago. At the time it was issued, I think that Kent had just obtained the TC for both the Aeromatics and the Beech Roby.
 
I just saw the same red Aeromatic on EBAY. It is only up to 53 dollars at this point. This might be interesting to watch.___ Grant
 
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