In the left seat of the Spruce Goose. Oh yeah!

This is my friend Brandy in his Super Cub. Does anybody wonder why we love to fly in the Pacific Northwest?

This is what she looked like summer of 2009. Yep! That is yers truly. Over the winter I have removed the wheel pants. They look nice (when clean) but are a royal pain.

I haven't paid much attention to this blog since the airplane went back into the air. But I thought I would add a few items from time to time.

Grand Finale

November 8346 Juliet returned to the air today!

The first start. It all checked out!

The cowl is on.

Taxi-ing out to the fuel pumps.

Taxi-ing out to Runway 23.

departing 23.

Gotta love that climb prop!!

On approach to 23.

On final.

On short final.

On REALLY short final.

The flair!

Engine

Here is the engine, freshly arrived and ready to hang on the airplane.

Mechanic extradinaire Dennis Toepke hard at work. The engine is attached to the airplane and the prop has been mounted. The prop will need to come off. We discovered that the mounting plate for the spinner is cracked.

The interior is finished!

Progress

A lot has been done, but not much for photos. The majority of the carpet is finished, all except the right kick panel. It will get done this week. One seat is upholstered (see previous) and the left seat is left to do. It also must get done this week.

I invented a reasonable Push-to-Talk switch. The previous one was velcro-ed on and would not stay put. The above photo shows my invention. It is a standard cable clamp with a momentary contact switch bolting the thing to the yoke. It isn't much different than the previous one, except that its stays put.

The engine arrives on the 21st and everything should be complete, and the airplane airworthy, by the 22nd.

Seats

Here is the right seat, re-upholstered and ready to be installed. The seats won't go back in until after the engine is installed. Juliet is due for an annual inspection, which we will do while installing the engine. The seats need to be out for that.

Carpet

The new carpet is almost completely installed. The kick panels need to be done and installed and that project is over. Also note the the cleaned and repainted door panels are installed. The problem with the door panels is that they accentuate the ugly yellow door posts and other interior metal. The only cure would have been to completely strip out the interior and paint everything. That was too big a project this time around.

Just for grins

In case you ever wondered what a Cessna 150 looked like without an engine.

Excitement!!!

The panel is finished. Well almost. A few minor details and touchup. And actuall, the center stack overlay is a "final trial fit". Which is synomous with "I just gotta see what this is gonna look like!!!".

Panels

Here are before and after photos of the plastic door panels. The difference is stunning. I used Kryl0n's Fusion spray paint.

Progress

Last evening I pulled all of the interior plastic trim. It involved a little contortion. Great care must be exercised because the stuff is pretty flimsy. It will get painted this evening.

I also got the old, very ugly, carpet out. In terms of reassembly, the new yoke bushings are in. Once the left yoke is back, I will be ready to re-assemble the left panel and the avionics fillers.

The new seats and carpet arrived from Tnwings this morning. They look wonderful. Installation will start forthwith!

Photos

Here are photos of the right side overlay, INSTALLED! The upper avionics filler overlay is also in place. I think the tail number on the overlay came out pretty well. Last evening I got the right yoke installed, so the right side is finished. Yes, the acorn nuts will get touched up with black paint.

I need to get the Nikon up to the hangar.

Big Progress

The right side overlay is IN!! I will take photos when the whole panel is in place. But the right side overlay looks good. Though I need to take some Armor All to the lower panel.

The friend who was preparing the left yoke for a PTT has run into difficulties. I may go a different route. A company makes very nice leather covers with a built-in PTT. They are very proud of 'em though.

I just received a phone call from Shelby Isham at Tnwings. The new seats and carpet should be on its way tomorrow. I am very excited about that.

Real Progress

Here are a couple of photos of the completed panel overlays. I had to take two photos because I couldn't get far enough away in my basement to get everything in. These are now ready for installation. The right panel overlay will probably go in in the next few days. The left panel and the avionics stack fillers will have to wait until the left yoke is back in my hands.

In case anyone was in doubt as to the ugliness of the seats, here is a good photo. New upholstery, to be installed along with new cushions on the original frames, is on the way from Tnwings.

In addition, the propeller is now in my hands. It looks very nice. We will see how if performs. I finally made progress on baffles seals. They are about 2/3's done. I would have completed them today but my hands got too cold. It is not balmy in the hangar!!

Small Steps

The panel overlays are complete and ready to re-install. I don't have photos at the moment, but will add them soon. Installation will need to wait until I get the left yoke back. It is in Georgia being set up for a new PTT. The instant that yoke arrives back panel re-assembly starts and that job will be complete.

The overhauled and re-pitched propeller arrived yesterday. I am excited about that. I also received word that the engine will be complete by the end of the week. But there is much to do before it is ready to hang.

I started the task of preparing the new starter push button for installation. So far I have removed the old pull starter and am working on ways and means of enlarging the hole in the panel. It should be easy, but is turning into a bit of a project.

New Years Day

Baby steps are being taken. A friend is helping arrange a PTT for the left yoke. But it involves shipping the yoke off to him. I got that prepared today. MAN, was it cold in the hangar. I was thinking of doing the prep work necessary for the new starter push button, but it was just too cold to work there today.

I also re-painted the right side overlay. But it still isn't good. I think I will strip it back to bare metal and start over.

Once I get the panel and overlays painted to my satisfaction I will post photos.

Seats

Progress has been slowed by the holidays and the lousy weather. But I did get in a call to Shelby Isham at Tnwings yesterday. We had a pleasant conversation. The new upholstery and carpet has been ordered and should be on its way here sometime next week.

I am still battling paint issues on the overlays, specifically, the right side overlay. I sanded down the orange peel and re-painted. However, I didn't really get the paint properly feathered and will need to re-do, again. Which is OK, because it orange-peeled ... again. I gotta figure out why.

Christmas Report

Progress has been slowed by family events, work and the weather. I have been working on the dry transfer lettering on the overlays. The process is fussy and difficult with a steep learning curve. I am closing in on it and hope to have the overlays completed tomorrow, but we shall see.

The weather here in the Pacific Northwest has been frightful. I understand that some New England folks may not think of 20" of snow as much of a big deal. But we are not used to it. Snow "storms" around here usually dump 3-6" and hang around for a couple of days. This series of storms has blanketed the area with 15-24" and has lasted a couple of weeks.

I went up to the airport a couple of days ago. I had too. I had hidden my wife's Christmas present in the hangar (it seemed a good idea at the time). The snow was knee deep between the hangars and was blown up against the doors. For a bit I wasn't sure I would be able to get the hangar doors open. Getting there had been a chore as well. The access gate was inoperative, so I had to enter at the FBO and slog through the snow to the hangar. Fortunately, the main taxi-ways have been plowed, which cut down on the slog, but gave me the opportunity to fall on my butt!