A buddy offers a ride …

It would appear on first glance that something is going on with the frame behind that fabric. The "bunchiness" of the fabric seems like something is moving.

Easy enough to check out with that convenient inspection hole.

George

You have an articulated mirror. No flashlight. No borescope.

smartphone doesn't have a flashlight? Also, could stick a smartphone through the inspection port and take a picture.

Looks like a broken weld to my untrained eye

What's the worst that happens? The tailwheel breaks off on landing? How bad could that be?

What's going on around this bolt? Is it supposed to look like that?

On first glance from that picture, I'm not putting my fat butt in that plane. Even if I could inspect through that hole, the rudder looks janky too.

After an engine run up, 50 ft from the Rwy hold short line while sitting in the right seat, I recently told a friend “turn around and take me back to my hangar I ain’t going.” He’s an ATP, the airplane was factory built with 125 hrs on it but _I’m_ the guy that made the right call. It takes courage and conviction to go against the flow and resist peer pressure.

I think this might be Click Bait Doug

How did the rest of the Plane Look? Tell us, Did you go for a Ride or not?

If that Photo was indicative of the Rest of the Planes condition......

I'd say Thank You but No


Edit: I didn't notice that this was a Poll.......so Yes Definitely Click Bait

I'd go (assuming the rest of the plane has the correct number of wings etc)

The creases appear to be from impacts by front of the spring. Appears the spring is rotating about the mounting bolt Eric circled.

Doesn't look like a structural issue.

Am I dead?

I want to say no, but on the other hand I've done spin recoveries in flight school 172's with almost 20,000 hours.

TBH, I voted no, because you can’t visually make sure that lower rudder hinge is attached to the fuselage securely without some internal inspections. I don’t fly tail drag gets myself (yet) but if the tail wheel fell off, that’s manageable. Ripping the rudder off would be an end game so it’s a hard stop for me.

In the words of Kevin O’Leary, “I’m out.”

It's definitely not suppose to rotate around that bolt. Actually, that spring shouldn't move at all. It's designed to be fixed firmly to the frame, and the extending part flexes. The tailwheel itself swivels, but that's at the other end of the spring.

It looks like the fabric was glued to the metal plate and its now pealed off. That wouldn't worry me. I think the tail structure has been compressed causing the fabric to wrinkle. That's definitely worth looking into before flying.

I'm also wondering about the rudder bolt. The fabric on the rudder is rubbing against the fabric on the fuselage. That definitely should not be happening.

Need more context here.