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Maybe, Catherine needs to put Wilbur on the market for prices like this one on ebay. [cgi.ebay.com]

Not a bad lookin' bird. Pricey but nice.

I wouldn't want to have 60K tied up in that thing.

I suspect more than a few of us here are at, or approaching those kinds of numbers, perhaps with not nearly so a nice a plane as that Aerobat!

A few nasty surprises or a steep learning curve, and there ya are approaching those numbers. Throw in a few pricey improvements like panel work or new paint and a person can get to those numbers even quicker.

I doubt any of us ever intended to get that deep, and we'll likely never see even half our money back, but hey, ya can't take it with ya, and we be livin' the dream!

I bought a former trainer that had been sitting on the ramp for a year. It had 1600 hours plus on a FREMAN O-200. The paint was poor, interior just OK. I flew it for a year until two oil samples came back indicating excessive bearing wear. That was fine with me. I wanted to start out with a freshly overhauled engine so I would have a good idea of what was out in front. I held my breath and started writing checks. Engine overhaul. Other associated stuff. Then the paint. I wanted to see the Temptress naked. I looked her over after all of the paint was stripped off and had every trace of the inevitable surface corrosion taken care of. Next, nice paint with all new mounting hardware for the control surfaces. Now I've got a pretty good idea of how this 40 plus year old looks inside and out. It cost far more than I could ever sell it for to do all of this (and continue to do,) but I don't feel like I'm waiting for some sort of failure every time I fly.

Russ, I know what you mean about getting deep into this. After reading posts on this forum over the past two years or so, I know we're not alone.

Tell me about it. I'm dumping all kinds of money into mine right now. I almost bought a new LSA before I got my 150. Even after I get done with this project it will cost me less then half of a new LSA. I installed a new engine right before the restoration started. I know exactly what I'll be flying when I get it back.

www.tnwings.com/n2673j.htm [tnwings.com]

Jeff,

Thanks for sharing the photos. 73J definies a true labor of love.

Mark

Trouble with putting Wilbur up for prices like that is that I'd actually LOSE money. Yikes!!!

I know, I know, not the best financial decisions with Wilbur. But when one is in love, what decisions are???

Cheers!
Catherine

I've seen some pretty hot 40 year-olds inside 'n' out too. And yeah, they do cost. Pretty expensive fo' sho..






...oh...



Are we talking about airplanes???





Sorry....




My bad....

Hey, A new mod! Simple, too! See those vents in the rear bulkhead? I'll bet they let air out! The cabin vents would tend to pressurize the cabin, which would decrease the airflow through the vents. Install the outlet vents to equalize the cabin pressure and increase the flow from the air vents. Pretty slick, huh?