Don't know about Avid specifically but more than a year ago I bought a
Kitfox III that is 17 years old and sat quite a bit over the years and also
has a 912 engine. The original GCS prop was trash and had to be replaced.
Other than that I have put on 150 hours with only normal maintenance. As
for 912 TBO yes it was shorter but I believe if you do all the updates it
will equal or exceed TBO. Now I have never flown an Avid but my Kitfox is
NOT any harder than most Taildraggers. Can't speak for other Kitfoxes but
whoever said "Kitfox and its relatives are particularly nasty" is a girlyman
and should turn in his pilot's license.

Pete


"jan olieslagers" wrote in message
...
I have an opportunity to buy an Avid Flyer at a very atrative price. There
seem some drawbacks, though, and I'll be glad to learn how to weigh them.

-) It is 17 year old and has not flown for 5 years. Seller claims it spent
those 5 years in a dry hangar, though. But I have my concerns about
corrosion on the frame, plus about having to redo the covering.
-) The engine is a Rotax 912UL, i.e. the basic 4-stroke Rotax, 80 hp.
Somewhere I heard that older Rotaxes have a lower TBO than the recent
ones, if so how to make sure? And what measures ought to have been taken
before storing for 5 years? How to test if the long hibernation was well
survived?
-) It is a taildragger and I am but a beginner pilot, took all my training
on tricycles. Can a taildragger Avid Flyer be converted to tricycle? If
so, how much of an effort does it take?
-) I hear rumours that even if all taildraggers are nasty suckers, the
Kitfox and its relatives are particularly nasty - and they're all
descended from the Avid Flyer. Any comments?

Thanks in advance,
KA