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Well, I'm getting ready to sell my Starduster Too. It has been fun and has gone through a transformation from a complete nightmare to a tame kitten. I bought it in 2007 and flew it from Wisconsin to Oklahoma and came closer to dying in it than in any of my military experiences! It had CG problems, too much weight on the Tailwheel, and all of the engine accessories took turns breaking on the long scarry trip home. To top it all off, the Tailwheel assembly had been damaged and was canted a degree or two to the side so every time I touched down I would hear a metal "clang", which was the Tailwheel going to it's limit and releasing, then the wild ride was on!
After I got her home I tore her apart. It took me 4 years to get her flying again and about the same amount of time to get me flying again because I had 5 back surgeries during this time. I used the project for my physical therapy, working for 15 minutes and then laying in an arm chair for 45 minutes and I would repeat that for as long as possible. So the progress was slow, but she started coming together! I did so many things to her that I can't list them all, but I'll attach a before and after pic.
I'm going to miss flying her and miss all the attention she draws. I always get a chuckle when my $23,000 plane gathers a crowd! I have met some cool characters in my travels in this plane, it seems that a biplane reminds everyone of early aviation and their love for it!
I have her in Colorado now and she struggles with the higher altitude because I have an O-320, most have an O-360 or bigger. However, my fuel bills are a lot smaller!
Anyway, I have to sell her so I can finish my Magnum project.
If you know anyone looking for a cheap biplane let me know.
Thanks,
Ron
Before
After
Here is the short list...
New longer Engine mount, new longer Engine cowlings, new fiberglass turtledeck, all new fuel lines, complete new electrical harness. New instrument panel with GPS and other new instruments, electric elv trim, two cameras, new 78" ground adjustable prop for climb performance at high altitude, new vacuum pump, new fuel pump, new alternator, new Tailwheel, new gear leg spats, much more...
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I just read an article about lining cowls with metal to protect the fiberglas - Now got to find it and remember what it said - I think it was mostly in the exhaust area.
EdMo
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Which insulating material do you guys suggest for the cockpit side of the firewall?
Should I look into insulating the fiberglass engine cowls? My engine fills the cowls and I'm concerned about the heat causing the fiberglass to sag. Is this an issue?
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Motor and Trans are out. Have spent the last 3 weeks prepping the engine bay for paint. Getting close then hopefully I can start putting stuff back in!
Nasty
Right before I pulled out all the generator wiring
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Slow but sure progress on the Mustang....
Not much really but was quite a bit of work so thought I would take the time to post a few pictures. I almost just bought a whole new one but looking back I'm glad I put in the time and just made this one pretty again. My interior is all black so I figured painting it wouldn't hurt. My original intention was just to put in a new core because the heat has never worked in the car but there was no way I could put it back together the way it was. I didn't make it perfect but it's a whole lot better than it was.
Found this laying in the bottom...once again another half *** job at trying to fix something before I got it.
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Leni, You mean you would take his wings and leave his struts? There was a derelict at Birchwood that probably could be bought for scraps if it is still parked there by the office. If you could find it in the weeds!
EDMO
I wonder if those spars are in two pieces?
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I have been trying to talk Bob out of his. If they had big wing tanks in them I would have already snuck over there and stole them. I would probably have to make new struts but that would be easy and well worth it to have those long wings.
Of course, they only cruise about 65 with a 582, but they should get in and out quick!
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FWIW - If you have 2 sets of Matco single-puck brakes, you could either order the double backing plate to mount them, OR, cut one of your plates and weld it to the other to make a double mount.
Then, again, guess you could do the same with any brakes. Just put a line to join them, or, with a T fitting.
EDMO
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It is INDEED a major project. I'm curious too as to the final selling price. Likely will take at least another 8k in parts to make it airworthy is my best guess.
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I got a couple of them. I keep an extra one in the tool bag in the plane. A buddy has a shop so getting them at dealer cost makes them even cheaper than cheap. I think it would be 10 bucks and 10 minutes well spent at every condition inspection to replace these. The one time I got stuck at -30 with a primer that did not work made me put one in the tool bag.
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Yup it is the one with the big black knob says primer on it, and once they leak it's a throw away. Bob Robertson of light engine left me a phone message and told me as much. I pulled the end with the fuel fittings off but couldn't get the knob off the shaft without destroying it so yes it is replacement time. And the brand name was actually Dapco made in Dexter Michigan.Sorry for the confusion. This primer is probably the original that came ith the plane.
Mike
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Loved the TreeTopFlyer video and music!
My wife and I do genealogy research for our families and published a book on her son's in-laws.
The oldest one in the family that we found was 103 years old, and had survived the Trail of Tears.
He was celebrating his birthday, got drunk and was dancing on the front porch - then fell off of it and broke his neck!
Guess he was doing what he enjoyed too!
EdMO
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Well done. Plane pretty much intact and at least someone got some "tundra experience", landing in those shrubs.
A good pilot is one that has landed virtually ANYWHERE and on EVERYTHING, once. Glad the guy didn't get hurt.
Friend of mine put a deltawing in the trees and wasn't really dead until he scientifically proved that the human body is not generally known to survive hard impacts following long falls.
After his funeral, people kept repeating that they were glad that he died doing something he loved.
I wasn't there but I doubt he was screaming "Oh Heck, I love this!!!" while falling 65 feet, hitting every possible branch on the way down, before landing on his noggin and snapping his neck. Never made it to the hospital alive.
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I have been in the Kitty, I rotated it level, extended the gear, put an auto jack under each gear, and used a ladder to get me up to where I could step on the sponson. The banopy frame is attached, so I closed it to check on clearances, with me. I got a photo with my not so smart phone, but it doesn't want to send it to my computer. I hate that phone.
I have since trimmed the left sponson again, and I finally got the proper ground to sponson clearance. I am currently doing the fiberglass work to finish the left one. I have to make aluminum covers for the side openings on the sponson, so I can remove the wheels. I will take photos of it with the Nikon, so I can easily post them.
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Don´t know what´s a dexter primer is, but I have one of these and it fail after 2 years of operation, and I bought another one.... to cheap to spend time fixing it!
Regards
Dimi3
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I did a quick search for Dexter primer and did not come up with anything. Is this the cheap primer that CPS used to sell with the big black knob? Like the ones used on most snow machines?
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Looks like a rather significant restoration with possible frame tubing replacement etc., time has not been kind to that one IMO. Be interesting to see the selling price.
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IIRC, there are shuttles operating from both MKE and GRB to Airventure grounds during the show. Take a look under 'Transportation' (or similar) info on the official Airventure website for schedules.
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Guess the next step is to take it off and see if it is possible to pull it appart and if then what can be done. When time permits I'll get on it and report back as what's what.
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Maybe I misunderstood - I saw the $2K bid, but in the print below I thought he said $20K -
EDMO
KF 912 exhaust, muffler, mount. 2 blade Warp Prop for sale
in For Sale and wanted, you got it, I want it
egp8111
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complete exhaust system off a KF IV motor mount off same (slightly bent but easily repairable alum. pipes for the radiator system 2 blade Warp Drive prop(off 582) PM me if interested for pics EG