Pinecone wrote:I don't recommend that you pilot the airplane, but going for a ride can't hurt. Just keep the altitude low. If you ascend too much, the descent could be painful.

Congratulations on getting it home. Pictures. We need pictures.

X2. Pictures!!!

Did it get there?

Pretty gusty on the coast yesterday, we had 30kts. Sporty!

Made it as far as Langley, about 90 minutes by car from home.

Kind of a mixed blessing, because the shop doing the changeover from amphibs to wheels is in Langley, so more efficient that way, but I was hoping to have it close to home for a bit before I send it in to the shop for work.

I think I'll drive out there today and take some photos and take the checklists home to review.

Weather is crap around here for the foreseeable future, so it is probably best to let it sit there and get some work done.

My next dilemma is the PPonk. I spoke to Steve a couple weeks ago and we agreed to do an exchange, my 1100 hour engine for one of his freshly rebuilt Super Eagles which should be ready to go any day. They are only a couple hours south of me so if the shop can get the engine out I can run it down and swap it out at PPonk while they do the amphib changeover back at the shop.

IF everything goes smoothly, I could be into my new engine and on wheels by late next week but if things do not go smoothly I will be sitting with a torn-apart airplane.

Lots of moving parts in that plan (still need to get 3 blade prop and an engine analyzer), but with the weather so poor I feel like I might as well bite the bullet and get it all done now. I'll still have the panel (radios, remove IFR stuff, intercom), the BAS harnesses, selkirk foam and light rear seats to install, so I'll definitely be able to fill the next stretch of poor weather.

I think I'll head out there today and will bring some photos back.

Well, I had a bit of sort of good news last week.

The 86" McCauley 401 was my first prop choice for raw, off-the-water power, but it isn't STCd for a 182 on floats or on wheels.

My second choice is the 84" Hartzell which is STCd for seaplanes but only on land planes IF the plane has the heavy duty fork and larger tires.

Turn out, my mechanic has a 3 hour 84" Hartzell on his wall that someone else bought but it was not harmonically compatible with his engine. He is selling it cheap enough that I can pay for the Landis fork and a portion of the larger tires for the same price as I'd pay for a new prop.

For some reason, my wheel gear does not have the original Cleveland front wheel so I have to find a 40-76a front wheel but I will have a sweet 850 main/800 nose set up for a good price.

I'm delivering the exchange engine tomorrow, Steve is trying to ship my new engine by Friday after removing the necessary parts from my donor engine. Nothing ever goes without a hitch, so my optimistic timeline to be airborne is the end of next week.