This is how we cool off in Ontario, Canada

Mapleflt wrote:

Simon & 170B.jpg

This is how we cool off in Ontario, Canada

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Now that's how you do it!!!

Absolutely gorgeous. That's a dream of mine to someday experience straight floats on a 170B. [emoji1360]

I spent the whole day working with Eddie Johnson from Johnson Helicopter Service in Porterville.

He trained me on how to wrench on a Hiller UH-12B helicopter that my friend owns. It was a lot of fun! He completely rebuilt this particular helicopter so he knew it inside out.

I have tons of pics of what I learned and will probably write them up, but I don't want to clutter this thread/site with the info. The Hiller can't qualify as a backcountry bird because it can't go very far on its 24 gallon tanks at 60 mph. LOL



On the Citabria, I fiddled with the headliner a bit and managed to start getting the pedals installed.

Hiller not a backcountry machine? My dad flew Hiller's all over Alaska in the 60's, they hauled extra gas with them at times in cans on the baskets that were mounted to the skids. I have a soft spot for Hiller's, looking forward to your thread on them.

Kurt

[emoji16] You just gotta carry a lot of spare fuel aboard to go very far! And oh my goodness is it S L O W. [emoji1787]

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Aryana wrote:[emoji16] You just gotta carry a lot of spare fuel aboard to go very far! And oh my goodness is it S L O W. [emoji1787]

[emoji1360]

Yep! Lots!

G44 wrote:Hiller not a backcountry machine? My dad flew Hiller's all over Alaska in the 60's, they hauled extra gas with them at times in cans on the baskets that were mounted to the skids. I have a soft spot for Hiller's, looking forward to your thread on them.

Kurt

Ok Kurt, this one is for you...after this it's time to get back on the Citabria so I don't lose my audience!!

I got trained by Eddie Johnson of Johnson Helicopter Services out of Porterville, CA on maintaining my friends Hiller UH-12B helicopter.

It was really fun and Eddie is a super nice guy and knows everything about these helicopters...inside and out.

He worked at the Hiller factory for more than a decade before he started his own business and repair station, and he actually completely rebuilt this particular helicopter less than 40 flight hours ago.

I can't bore everyone with the details of each and every step of the inspection, so I'll just post some pictures to share the highlights of the process.



Remove the paddles and using dye penetrant, check for cracks.





Then primer the steel paddles and insert them into the aluminum cuffs while they're still wet.





Also have to check some holes for cracks inside rotor system using the dye.









Drain the oil



Next is the screens







Remove the seats and access panels



Remove the air filter



Remove rear spark plugs



Clean the fan and inspect for cracks. If it gets too dirty, it can get out of balance and that can cause cracking.





Remove the cover from the electrical bits and inspect everything for loose connections, chafing, damaged wiring, etc...



And the fuel system fittings/valves



This generator is the hardest thing to R&R on the helicopter.



Some chafing here



So we loosened the fitting and moved the hose



Check the APU solenoid and associated wiring



Serviced the water in the battery



Inspect the magneto points



Driveshaft universal joints which are automotive origin



So many fittings to grease. It was A LOT!



Filled the cuffs with oil.



Inspect the rotor blades



Drain, flush, and fill the tail rotor gear box.





Inspect the tail rotor



Tail rotor cables



Check mixture, carb heat, and throttle controls





Check everything on the instrument panel



Check compression



That's about all the pics I have. Just put everything back together then we test ran it outside.







Here's a good pic of Eddie. Nicest guy you'll ever meet.

WOW! Fantastic post! Thank you for taking the time to post. I love old Hiller's! Now, back to the 7ECA.

Kurt

I'm at the Oakland FSDO right now getting a replacement airworthiness certificate and data plate.

I need a FAA letter to American Champion to grant them permission to produce a new data plate for this 7ECA.

The airworthiness certificate was hammered and illegible, and the dataplate was sun faded. We gotta have a pretty new one on this plane with the nice silkscreened ACA logo on it. [emoji41]

I got lucky and met with the FAA inspector that signed me off for my A&P testing authorization, so I was able to thank him and let him know I passed. [emoji16]

Got the new airworthiness certificate and the letter for ACA to manufacture a new data plate. Woohoo!

Now we're working on the headliner



Applied anti friction tape on some of the sharp edges.

I really enjoy seeing the restoration. Howerver, the cross pollination of photographs with the helicopter is very nice. Thank you.

My pleasure.

I'm going to try and concentrate on the Citabria content from now on though. Gotta get a big chunk of work done to feel like some progress is being made.

Too many things are distracting me right now and it's not good!

Headliner installation in progress





The reassembly of the oil sump and accessory case on the Eagle sucked up a lot of time.

Brand new gear from Superior had a suspected crack but it turned out to be nothing.





Excuse the hair, it ain't mine. I'm bald.











Intake back on





Crank to cam timing marks



Acc case, alternator, governor back on

I appreciate the Hiller pictures. We had Hillers and Houghs 269 in Army primary. I flew the "Mattel Messerschmitt" so I didn't see the Hiller up close much. It looks like a really small Sprag clutch. The T53 series on Hueys ended up with one with two clutches. It was Murphy proof as it could be installed either way. Elimination of transmission seems good on Hiller. I lost all transmission fluid three times in combat and twice here on actual instrument approaches.

Yikes! That doesn't sound good.

What happens when you lose all the transmission fluid? Does it operate for a while or do you start having a bad day right away?

Filter gasket problem that was eventually changed. Bell guaranteed 30 minutes empty.

Got the tailwheel leaf springs and Scott 3200 installed.



Spent some time cleaning the firewall when I discovered an ugly crack.







Yes we could repair it, but it's the perfect opportunity to install a brand new firewall from ACA. It really improves the look of everything FWF with a brand new one framing everything.

Big box full of goodies



Yeah baby!!!





Lots of other brand new goodies from ACA in the box









Gotta offer it up to the fuselage for kicks.

Oh, new bits & pieces

A lot of fun stuff for one aviation unit! [emoji16]

A lot of fun stuff for one aviation unit! [emoji16]