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I'm doing an article on buying an entry-level aerobatic airplane. The 150/152 Aerobat fits perfectly.

I'm looking for insights and recommendations as to what to look for when buying one. Any things to look for on a prebuy or in the logs that may be peculiar to the Aerobat and would cause a potential buyer to either walk away or negotiate a lower price because expensive maintenance is needed?

Thanks,
Rick

Any concerns or issues with purchasing a standard 150 would apply equally with an Aerobat- engine & airframe times, paint, interior, corrosion, avionics, etc...damage history, corrosion...
One item is the rudder stop AD must be C/W if you wish to have an unrestricted Aerobat, so hopefully the stop kit was installed when it first came out and the cost was acceptable. Current kit costs are a lot more.
One thing to consider is the rarity of Aerobats, so parts can be elusive should your plane ever be damages. For example, a recent club inquiry sourcing lost wing struts is a perfect example- the parts don't exist or cannot be had from the salvage yards off the common 150's. Then when found, the prices are shocking.
Simple items like strut fairings were impossible to find, except from Cessna for CE$$NA prices, although recently some of the aftermarket suppliers are offering them.
Also, I would be very wary of an Aerobat that was worked hard all it's life as an aerobatic trainer and severely abused. Any 150 could also suffer that as well, and I certainly know of stock 150/152's that have has their share of (illegal) aerobatics.
The biggest problem is associating "Aerobat" into the sales price. Just that alone seems to bump the price way up beyond what a similar condition stock 150 would sell for, even if it were a clapped-out dog.
Restoring an Aerobat is pretty much on par with what you would spend on an engine overhaul, interior, paint, and avionics on a stock 150.
The seats may be a bit more IF you had them re-covered exactly as the originals were because the Aerobat had removable back and seat cushions for parachute use.
The seatbelts are expensive because they are wider military type. I just bought modern Hooker replacements at around $650 for a set.
A paint job can be significantly more due to the multiple colors, stripes and checkerboard layout unique to Aerobats, SHOULD you desire an original factory look.
Mine was never a flight school abused plane, it was privately owned. However, 15 years out in the California sun faded it into an "uglybat". Nothing time and (lots) of money couldn't fix

Brian,

That's very helpful, thank you.

Love the "Uglybat" name.

Brian & Rick,

I talked to Catherine about snap rolls several years ago. Entry speed is more important than most pilots realize. She mentioned Bill K. didn’t let other pilots snap roll Orville. Catherine, apparently, runs the Vn diagram prior to snap rolling Wilbur. She recently wrote a great AOPA article about it. When looking for Aerobats several years ago, I fount two vertical stabilizers which weren’t vertical. Unfortunately, one was a nice A152 with a fresh SparrowHawk mod done by LyCon Visalia, CA. (Not the recently posted A152) This is what can happen entering a snap roll with too much airspeed. I also know of one that had the entire empennage corkscrewed 15* and the tail cone was oil canned from a really botched snap roll. (Long Story, bad decisions, both pilots walked away. Aerobat totaled.)

The airplane otherwise is very difficult to break. But I’d stand 25’ off the nose and make sure the vertical is vertical.

Brian & Catherine, Input?

Said the salesman.... the tail is straight. Must be your Astigmatism.

I want an Aerobat also, but they are hard to find. Two years ago I passed on a '75 A150M, which was "asking $35K" at the time I was returning to flying after 8 years..and did not realize the huge jump in prices. This one was "near perfect, low time".. however a standard C150 in similar condition is a whole lot less..no "Aerobat" premium. That said. I used to fly Brian's plane long before he luckily bought it. Never did aerobatics, and likely I would not today. Thus, I got a really clean C150K with low time for about $18K. No regrets.
Just the point being...are you "really" going to do aerobatics, or is it just like me.. "I want one".