what would be a fair price ?

[fairchild1934]

if I ever run across an unbuilt factory fuselage someone has decided not to go forward on--- what would maybe be a fair price for something like that ?
It could be an earlier one when Mark was running things that was unpainted-tack welded and didnt have all the tabs--- or it could be one that was finished welded and painted. might be hard to find--- but what would be a price range. ????? I would think that might speed up my build quite a bit..... if one ever appeared.......

[Pbruce]

They do pop up from time to time. Usually with issues. I looked at one that was factory built, but then the guy had the local farm tractor worker MIG-weld tabs all over it. Knowing almost nothing about welding, I deferred to the many strongly held convictions of people on this forum (especially the designer) who expressed alarm. That one came with some wing spars, struts, skins and and a bunch of hardware. I can’t remember the asking price but builder’s widow called me back to see if I would give her $6500 for the lot. I had moved on by then (thankfully) to a QB kit.
I’d say $5-$10k, but in my opinion you would be far better off to buy a pristine fuselage from the factory in whatever stage of completion you have the skills to complete. Cheap out on instruments, wheels, non certified fabric, paint, etc. I think the wings might be do-able if you’ve built a metal plane before, otherwise not (at least for me). Hope this helps.

[Bearhawk Aircraft]

If you're interested in an old 4A kit for cheap, mark still has an older kit that was left over from the transition. Could be a good buy. Give him a call.

[Pbruce]

That is very good advice, IMHO

[geraldmorrissey]

I've heard from several people that a scratch built bare fuselage takes an average time builder 150 - 200 hours to cut, fit and weld. The quality of workmanship is an issue. Many scratch builders start welding with the fuselage. By the time they are really proficient at welding they are putting the fabric tabs on. Buyer beware. To sleep well at night I would try to find a factory kit with no work started, a factory welded fuselage or a scratch built with exceptional workmanship.. If in doubt get a second set of eyes. My guess for a basic factory fuselage is $12-$15,000 if you can find one. If you can find a legitimate factory welded fuselage with documentation, buy it.