Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes New Plane

I am at Sun n Fun at the moment. I will give a "roll-out" presentation shortly.

Well N45291 is about ready to roll out of the maintenance facility here in Tallahassee, FL and I will provide some pictures later with the fire trucks shooting water over her. My guess is delivery Monday when the overhauled prop arrives. It has been there for four weeks today. After that it goes to the avionics shop across the street. Let's just say that this "annual" has probably been the first real "annual" this baby has had in 30 years. I expect her to be perfect.

It was a complete teardown and I will give you a partial list of the serious fixes, less all of the "O" rings.

1. Prop overhaul from lack of history. This is almost complete and is the critical path.
2. Brakes...McCauley on the left (correct), Cleveland on the right (wrong and from a C172). Replaced right with McCauley and new rotors and new pads on both sides.
3. Structural fasteners...some right some wrong. Corrected.
4. Magnetos...replaced with new.
5. Ingnition harness...replaced with new.
6. Vacuum pump...replaced with new Tempest.
7. Pin in nose gear assembly...(wrong)...replaced.
8. Nose strut regased.
9. Voltage regulator (faulty)...replaced.
10. Altimeter (faulty...off by 100 ft.)...replaced with new 20k ft altimeter.
11. Transponder (faulty repair...parts missing) replaced with same Bendix/King new.
12. Altimeter was encoding...replaced with blind encoder.
13. Plane sold saying corrosion treated...no such evidence...competely corrosion treated.
14. Shimmy rebuilt.
15. Nav lights...two inop...replaced.
16. Cigar lighter inop...fixed.
17. Airplane flight controls re-rigged and tensions set...done.
18. Vacuum filters (one dated at airplane delivery!!) replaced.
19. Static system check and ok.
20. All window trim, latches, and gaskets replaced.
21. ELT out of airworthiness...replaced new unit.
22. Many minor corrections found and corrected.
23. Clock inop...elected to put a blank there.
24. One wheel bearing replaced...both repacked.

Before you comment...was this expensive...yes. Was it worth it to me...yes. Will I get all of my money back when I sell her...no. Do I plan to sell her...no. Do I care...not one bit. Am I going to the FAA for logbook irregularities and violations? Am I going to ask for compensation from the owners? Well, you just have to guess on those.

Good attitude Paul. Although I have not gone quite as far in as you have, I am having to console myself on the Cherokee I bought too.

Hey....it's only money. Kind of like my wife told me. "Well we are still $40K ahead of the Cardinal with a rebuilt engine". Yup...that's perspective.

I won't be upgrading avionics anytime soon, but the rebuilt Mk12Dplus and Garmin 296 will get me anywhere I need to go.

Paul, I purchased a misrepresented junker death trap last year and thought I was reading about my plane when I saw your list. N1284Y will be new also. Do have to make parts as cessna quit making horizontal stab parts 25 years ago and it was broke in the middle except for the skin rivets holding it to gether. All the best on you life's journey in your C-150...don

Thanks Jeff and Don for your encouraging remarks.

Don, it sounds like you had more of a problem in the tail section than I have had in the entire plane. Good luck.

I almost bought a new LSA earlier this year, but I figured I would lose a bundle in depreciation when the wheels left the factory runway. So, what I would have lost, I have put into this rebuilt airplane. I feel pretty good about it too.

It is a way to justify my errors.

Regards,
Paul

Lucky man, Great wife.

Is everyone ready for the rollout pictures of N45291? Perhaps I am the only one excited about this after six weeks of annual hell. Coming soon.

Bring em on!

Signed off today. Pictures tomorrow.

Come on Paul, you're breaking my heart; I want to see the beast that ate your wallet!

Hope everything is just the way you wanted it.

Herb