1972 GRUMMAN AA1A AIRFRAME, 5,398 TT, NOSE GEAR FOLDED BACK, SUPER REPAIRABLE UPGRADEABLE, CHEAP!THE.



1972 GRUMMAN AA1A AIRFRAME, 5,398 TT, NOSE GEAR FOLDED BACK, SUPER REPAIRABLE/UPGRADEABLE, CHEAP!THE GRUMMAN AA-1 SERIES IS A 2 PLACE, SIDE BY SIDE SEATING ALL ALUMINUM LOW WING AIRPLANE WITH A SLIDING CANOPY.DESIGNED IN THE 1960’S TO BE A KITBUILT AIRPLANE, THE DESIGNER INSTEAD SOLD THE RIGHTS TO A COMPANY FORMED JUST TO PRODUCE THE AIRCRAFT (AMERICAN AIRCRAFT, HENCE THE AA-1 DESIGNATION). THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALSO GIVEN THE NAME YANKEE, WHICH IS SOMETIMES USED INSTEAD OF THE AA-1 IDENTIFICATION.AFTER PRODUCING THE AA-1 FOR A FEW YEARS, THE WING WAS REDESIGNED TO REDUCE THE STALL SPEED AND IMPROVE THE LANDING CHARECTERISTICS. THIS MODEL WAS CALLED THE AA-1A.IN LATE 1971, THE COMPANY WAS SOLD AND THE NEW COMPANY CHANGED THE NAME TO GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVIATION BUT PRODUCED THE SAME AA-1A FOR THE 1972 MODEL YEAR, SO THE AIRCRAFT FOR SALE HERE IS A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-1A.WITH IT’S SLIDING CANOPY, FULL CASTORING NOSEWHEEL, SMOOTH, HONEYCOMB ALUMINUM SKIN WITHOUT MANY RIVITS AND FIBERGLASS MAIN GEAR LEGS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE AIRPLANE NEXT TO AN RV-6A, YOU SEE MANY SIMILARITIES, EXCEPT THE RV6A WASN’T PRODUCED UNTIL 1985!MANY RV-6’S WERE BUILT AS THE STRAIGHT RV-6, WHICH FEATURES A CONVENTIONAL GEAR (TAILWHEEL) LANDING GEAR ARRANGEMENT.WELL GUESS WHAT, THE GRUMMAN HAS 2 DIFFERENT STC’S AVAILABLE TO ALLOW CONVERSION TO A TAILWHEEL CONFIGURATION!THE OTHER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AA-1A AND THE RV-6 IS ENGINE INSTALLED.THE AA-1A CAME WITH A LOW COMPRESSION, LOW POWER (108 H.P.) LYCOMING O-235 ENGINE, WHILE MOST RV-6 AIRCRAFT WERE FITTED WITH LYCOMING 150 OR 160 H.P. 0-320 ENGINES.WELL GUESS WHAT? THERE ARE CONVERSIONS FOR THE AA-1A TO INSTALL 150 H.P. OR 160 H.P. LYCOMING ENGINES AS WELL!THERE ARE EVEN AUTO ENGINE CONVERSIONS FOR THE GRUMMAN, USING V-6 AUTO ENGINES!THE LYCOMING 160 H.P. TAILDRAGGER CONVERTED AA-1 SERIES IS A FIXTURE IN CROSS-COUNTRY AIR RACES, WHERE THEY CLOCK 190-200 MPH AIRSPEEDS!!SO AN AA-1A IS A FINE LITTLE AIRPLANE, GOOD AS A CHEAP CROSS COUNTRY BIRD OR TRAINER WITH THE 0-235, BUT IT IS A PERFECT PROJECT AIRPLANE AND CAN BE TURNED INTO A LITTLE SCREAMER!THIS AIRPLANE WAS BEING LANDED BY A FAIRLY LOW TIME PILOT (NOT THE OWNER), AT A GRASS RUNWAY AT A RESIDENTIAL AIRPARK IN North Carolina.THE STORY SEEMS TO BE SHE CARRIED TOO MUCH AIRSPEED, FLOATED HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, FLARED AGGRESSIVELY AND BOUNCED HARD ON THE NOSEWHEEL, WHICH ROTATED THE NOSEGEAR BACK ON ITS ROUND, FIREWALL MOUNTED SUPPORT TUBE.LUCKILY, THE AIRPLANE DID NOT GO ONTO IT’S BACK, NOR DID IT CATCH EITHER WINGTIP.THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME IS AS FOLLOWS:THE NOSEGEAR SPRING TUBE HAS SHIFTED ON ITS SUPPORT, ALLOWING THE SPRING TUBE AND FORK TO GO UNDER THE CABIN.THERE IS A DENT/SCRAPE TO THE BELLY FROM THE NOSE FORK.THERE IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF SKIN DAMAGE TO THE LOWER LEFT CORNER OF THE FIREWALL FROM THE SUPPORT TUBE ROTATION AND AN EVEN SMALLER AMOUNT OF DAMAGE AT THE RIGHT LOWER CORNER.A SMALL TEAR AND A SLIGHT DENT TO THE METAL LOWER COWL. REPAIRABLEA SMALL PUSH TO THE FIBERGLASS NOSEBOWL VERY REPAIRABLE.THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE UPPER COWL.THERE IS NO OTHER KNOWN DAMAGE TO THIS ENTIRE AIRFRAME FROM THIS INCIDENT!!THE PROPELLOR WAS DAMAGED, WHICH MEANS A PROP STRIKE ON THE ENGINE, SO THE ENGINE, ENGINE ACCESSORIES, PROP AND SPINNER WERE REMOVED AND ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SALE.THE TUBULAR ENGINE MOUNT, WHICH IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE GEAR ON AN AA-1, IS UNDAMAGED.THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND CARB AIR BOX/AIR FILTER ARE ALSO INCLUDED HERE.THE ENGINE WAS PROPERLY REMOVED, WITH ALL ENGINE CONTROL CABLES INTACT, NOT CUT, AND ALL ELECTRICAL WIRES INTACT AS WELL.SIMILARILY, THE NOSE FORK AND WHEEL APPEAR UNDAMAGED.THE BALANCE OF THE FUSELAGE, INCLUDING THE CANOPY AND FRAME, THE CARRYTHROUGH SPAR, THE MAIN GEAR LEGS, ATTACHMENT POINTS AND CLEVELAND WHEELS AND BRAKES ARE UNDAMAGED.THE TAIL FEATHERS, INCLUDING THE VERTICAL FIN AND RUDDER WERE NOT DAMAGED (THE AIRPLANE ONLY NOSED DOWN, IT DIDN’T FLIP OVER)THE WINGS, FLAPS, AILERONS AND WINGTIPS WERE NOT DAMAGED EITHER!FULL DISCLOSURE: THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS ARE NOW SLIGHTLY SCRATCHED FROM MOVING THEM AFTER REMOVAL, ON A PAD, OVER ASPHALT. THE DAMAGE IS TO PAINT, NOT STRUCTURE. THERE IS ALSO A PIECE OF ONE OF THE HORIZONTAL TIPS (FIBERGLASS) CHIPPED AS WELL.ONE FLAP HAS A DENT AT THE TRAILING EDGE (NOT ME, IT WAS FLYING THAT WAY!)THE INTERIOR IS QUITE NICE, WITH GOOD SEATS.THE DASH IS SIMILARILY CLEAN.ALL FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS, ENGINE INSTRUMENTS AND SWITCHGEAR ARE INSTALLED AND INCLUDED.TRAYS ARE INSTALLED AND STILL WIRED FOR DUAL DIGITAL COMMS AND A GARMIN TRANSPONDER, BUT THESE 3 PANEL UNITS ARE NOT INCLUDED HERE.THE MODE “C” ENCODER IS WIRED AND INCLUDED.PAPERWORK INCLUDES THE AIRFRAME LOGBOOK SINCE BRAND NEW, 7/7/1972 TO THE LAST ENTRY 6/3/2021! STILL IN CALENDAR ANNUAL, NOT A SITTER OR BARN FIND!STACKS OF RECIEPTS, 337’S, INSPECTION FORMS, SERVICE BULLETINS, WEIGHT AND BALANCE, YANKEE NEWSLETTERS FROM THE PAST, OWNERS MANUAL, ETC., ETC., ETC.AND THE FAA BILL OF SALE!AND THE FAA AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE!AND THE KEYS!LOCATED IN A STORAGE YARD IN CLAREMONT, NORTH CAROLINA.WE WILL PAY THE STORAGE COST THROUGH THE END OF DECEMBER AND YOU CAN PAY FOR CONTINUED TIME BEYOND THAT.PUT IT BACK TO ORIGINAL, CONVERT IT TO 0-320, OR TAILDRAGGER, OR BOTH, BUT BUY IT CHEAP SO THE INVESTMENT IS IN THE UPGRADES, NOT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE!GOOD BIDDING!
WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT DOES NOT OBTAIN REPAIR ESTIMATES, AS WE DO NOT REPAIR ANY OF OUR AIRPLANES. WE ONLY FACILITATE THE SALE OF REBUILDABLE AIRCRAFT TO THOSE DESIRING TO SAVE MONEY OR HAVE MORE AIRPLANE THAN OTHERWISE POSSIBLE FOR THE MONEY.
REPAIR OF ANY AIRCRAFT WILL DEPEND ON MANY FACTORS, SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF USED PARTS, LABOR RATE OF THE REPAIR FACILITY, FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRCRAFT, ETC. AND WE WOULD NEVER PRESUME TO ESTIMATE THIS NUMBER FOR A BUYER. BEWARE OF THOSE WHO OBVIOUSLY GIVE UNREALISTICALLY LOW "ESTIMATES" FOR THE REPAIR OF THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT THEY SELL.
THIS ITEM IS BEING SOLD WITH A LOW RESERVE, THEREFORE WE FULLY EXPECT THIS LISTING WILL SELL TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER AT THE CLOSE OF THIS AUCTION, SO BID EARLY AND BID HIGH. THERE WILL BE NO CHANCE TO BUY THIS ITEM LATER!!
AS WE SET OUR BUY-IT-NOW SO LOW, MANY OF OUR AIRPLANES SELL BY THIS METHOD BEFORE THE END OF THE AUCTION. DONT WAIT TOO LONG HOPING TO SNIPE IT AT THE END, AND BE DISAPPOINTED !
WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT INC IS THE #1 VOLUME SELLER IN THE USED AIRCRAFT MARKET!
WE ARE THE REAL BRICK AND MORTAR WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT YOU HAVE SEEN ADVERTISED ON PAGE 6 OF TRADE-A-PLANE, AT OUR BOOTHS AT OSHKOSH, SUN-AND-FUN, AOPA, AND ELSEWHERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS !!!!
WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SATISFIED CUSTOMERS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, SO WHEN YOU BUY AN ITEM THROUGH EBAY FROM US, YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE WILL LIST ALL ITEMS AS ACCURATELY AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT WE WILL ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS TRUTHFULLY.
PLEASE ASK ALL QUESTIONS THROUGH THE LISTING(ASK SELLER A QUESTION), BECAUSE THESE QUESTIONS GET ANSWERED IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER.
PLEASE DON"T ASSUME. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE ABOUT ANY FACET OF ONE OF OUR LISTINGS, PLEASE ASK !
SO THAT ALL BIDDERS HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION,WE PREFER NOT TO ANSWER DETAIL QUESTIONS BY PHONE. OUR PHONE SALES STAFF HAS NO DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE ITEMS ON EBAY.
DUE TO THE AUCTION FORMAT, IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR FOR THE HIGH BIDDER NOT TO BUY THE ITEM LISTED, SO TREAT YOUR BID LIKE A HANDSHAKE!!
YOUR BID IS NOT A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL, BUT RATHER A CONTRACT TO BUY OUR AIRPLANE AT YOUR BID PRICE
SO BE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, AND FUNDSIN PLACE.
A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF $2,000 IS DUE WITHIN 72 HOURS OF THE BID CLOSING. WE PREFER PAYPAL FOR THIS DEPOSIT, BUT IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PAYPAL, LET US KNOW, AND WE WILL HELP YOU FIND AN ALTERNATIVE.
THE BALANCE OF THE PAYMENT IS DUE WITHIN 7 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF BID CLOSE. THESE FUNDS CAN BE BY WIRE TRANSFER, BANK OR CASHIERS CHECK, CASH, OR ANY COMBINATION. FULL PAYMENT IS DUE BY TIME STATED, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU HAVE VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT. BID ACCORDINGLY.
THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THIS LISTING, AND BE SURE TO CLICK "SEE SELLERS OTHER AUCTIONS" OR SEARCH WENTWORTHAIRCRAFTINC IN SELLERS,FOR MORE ITEMS YOU NEED OR WANT!
Current date: 2021-12-09