flyinghawkes wrote:Looks nice...I love my 58' Straight tail...its been a work in progress. It will go to most of the Big Four, like Big Creek, Johnson Creek, Moose Creek and I can't remember the other one...if it was a tail wheel it would go more places.

LOL. I've seen your videos...

Progress is happening now at a rapid pace. The most important thing to share is the engine has run! Despite a non-firing #6 cylinder, it came to life quickly and relatively smoothly once I found a happy idle spot. The CGR30 instantly proved its worth by immediately showing me the bad cylinder, so I'm already liking that. Video here (and a new YouTube channel):

https://youtu.be/mRpxPv8Ucp8

I'm at a point where the next batch of items require tools, expertise, or facilities outside of my own, so it's currently in a shop on the field. I'm still doing a bit here and there while they tackle the G5 and transponder installs and a couple other things I asked them to look at. They also replaced my lower nose strut brace, as the one on there had a mysterious chunk of metal missing from it. Today I dropped in with new brake lines (steel braided for the outside, new black lines for inside) and borrowed the brake components for a bit. New pads are on, along with new O-rings in the calipers and everything cleaned up.

Plugs in #6 have been gapped and cleaned and wires checked out to both mags, so we'll run it again early next week and see if that clears it up before digging any deeper. I also discovered why my new audio panel was blowing the breaker -- the custom harness PSE requires you to buy from a dealer to prevent issues like power in the wrong place had the power and ground backwards when the dealer pinned the connectors. An easy fix for the avionics guy next week, but I'm just hoping it didn't blow anything up. Fortunately I played by the rules there, so this bad wiring shouldn't void any warranty. The magic smoke stayed in so I'm optimistic in any event.

Despite the weather getting marginally warmer in between snow storms, I've been glad to get a little break from the hangar and let someone else wrench for a bit. I don't really have an ETA on the rest of the shop's work, but the transponder harness was almost done this morning so it's conceivable they might have it out of there by end of next week. After that I will need to connect the left wing wiring, re-locate my cowl exhaust hole (I may do this during the week the shop has it) and patch up the old holes, reinstall SCAT hose and mount the fuel flow better, reinstall the whole interior, do extended baggage, and probably a half dozen other things I just forgot about. But I'm sitting down with my primary A&P on Monday to begin the final paperwork preparation since he'll need a while to write it all up, and that means we're getting closer to a first flight!

Onward.

Your strut needs to be cut and the scissors need to attached to the fork block itself. The forces on the tube in that configuration can be pretty high with big tires. Also really opens you up to shimmy

Mark Y. wrote:Your strut needs to be cut and the scissors need to attached to the fork block itself. The forces on the tube in that configuration can be pretty high with big tires. Also really opens you up to shimmy

Thanks for the note! We'll get to that when the nose fork actually goes on -- right now you're seeing the stock fork and tire sizes, so it's OK at the moment. Airglas STC will be followed per those instructions including any strut cutting and reattachment.

As for the plane, I'm still pending some of the avionics work but am told they're on it this week. The Stratus transponder tray is in and harness mostly built save the power wires. G5 should be straightforward as long as the GMU plays nice. I was able to get one of the Quasar CX tips wired up yesterday to help them power everything up in the right wing for the GMU calibrations, man those things are bright! The CX tip will come back off at the end of this, and both will get installed with the STOL kit in (hopefully) early May.

The brake master cylinders were nasty when the shop went to pull them apart. Both were corroded, and one actually broke the shaft in two upon disassembly but the other was saved. Waiting on a new part there but they should have it by early next week. But hey at least the brakes will be in top shape!

Can your stratus transponder provide GPS signal to the G5 or are you going to run 2 GPS antennas?

asa wrote:Can your stratus transponder provide GPS signal to the G5 or are you going to run 2 GPS antennas?

2 antennas. Actually putting in 3 while I have the roof exposed and everything apart, and may use the 3rd for my GDL52. The G5 or Stratus can get signal from an IFR navigator if that ever happens, so on that day I'll just tie something together. That's a future problem I haven't fully planned out.

Been a while between updates, as it took a while to get the plane back from a pretty small amount of avionics work. But I want to fly dammit, so I've more or less been living from my hangar during daylight to get this done. It has been interesting, with Cambodian hippies and Amazonian women (well, just the one) stopping by, plus the occasional cameo by Jaudette to bang rivets and talk shit about my lack of a polished-metal airplane. In all seriousness I am lucky to be at an airport with a strong community of pilots who don't mind getting greasy to help a brother out.

No pics today but I will have a bunch next week. The engine is running strong (like, brakes wouldn't hold it at full throttle strong), that MT prop and acorn exhaust sound amazing, the panel is wired (though out of the plane currently), extended baggage gets bolted into place next time I'm there, new Nav and Com antennas are installed, and my interior guy is about halfway done installing his stuff. All wiring is done and the CX tip lights are dazzling, though they came back off until the STOL kit is installed next month. Over the next few days I anticipate the panel being in, interior done, last few inspection plates on, and about a dozen other little things completed...

...all leading up to scheduled weight and balance/pitot static cert on Monday, followed by a massive amount of paperwork going to the FAA and a solid nod from my IA as the plane transitions back to airworthy, legal status! It has been 620 days since this airplane last flew and my saga unfolded piece by piece, but we're down to T-minus 5 days and counting until she's ready to go once more with a bevy of upgrades. I'm really interested to see where the W&B end up, and more interested to push the throttle forward and feel that high-compression P-Ponk do its thing.

So close!

This picture just about says it all!


I've had it up for a few flights now and other than working through the expected tweaks (mostly avionics config), she performs amazingly well! The 520 and MT pull hard. I don't have enough data yet to decide cruise speed benefits (other than it seems faster), but climb is awesome. Takeoff roll is quite short, and should improve even more with the STOL kit in a few weeks. I'm loving the new seat foam and leather, the panel, and the view. Fuel burn is expectedly a bit higher, I suppose about 1.5gph more than before in cruise though I haven't had it above 7500' yet. A trip up to my usual mountain cruise altitude of 12,500 should be more telling. It's a small inconvenience for the ridiculous power increase, and MPG probably went up anyway.

Interior and panel pics coming soon. The Sportsman STOL kit and Airglas fork will be installed in a few weeks time. I have radio updates later this summer to wrap up that part with a 430 in FedEx now, and a Trig TX56 coming once they're released. The PSE 450 audio panel is a big step up from all the old clunky stuff I've used in rental planes, and I really dig the bluetooth capability. The Stratus transponder is also working fantastically well.

It took almost two years to get this bird back in the air, but the wait seems to have been worth it. This is a completely different airplane now, a full-on mountain beast with some nice cross country capability and situational awareness designed into the new systems. The mods aren't done, but she's legal and flying again, and I can't stop grinning every time I take off!

Congrats man! That has to be an awesome feeling. I have really enjoyed following this thread. You have a real jewel of a bird!

I have a ‘60 182C and am in the planning/parts collection stage of your project. Mine probably won’t be quite as comprehensive as yours but same idea, give or take. I’m really interested to see a few more pics of your panel and also your performance numbers once you get everything sorted out.

What are you going to run for tires?

Also are you running a single CGR 30? Does it function as fuel flow and primary fuel quantity in addition to rpm, manifold pressure and CHT/EGT? I’m trying to wrap my head around how I want to accomplish integrated engine monitoring (CGR vs. MVP vs. JPI900).

Nushi -

For tires I'm putting an 8.00x6 on the nose and 8.50x6's on the mains. I'm going to run it that way for a while and see how I like it, and decide later on if I want to bump them down a notch (7.00/8.00's are also popular). My CG is also really forward and I'm probably going to desire VG's once the STOL goes on just to retain any elevator authority while slowed down, and how that all plays out will also determine how far I push that nose strut off-pavement.

I have the CGR30 combo kit. I have all gauges as primary that way, with just the -P you are limited on what can be primary since they all have to be up front (no primary instruments on page 2) and I'd have needed to keep my fuel gauges or something else. It's set up to show me MAP, RPM, oil P/T, 6-cyl EGT/CHT plus all their analysis goodies, fuel flow, levels, CO, bus volts, alt amps, bat amps, and something else I think I'm forgetting on the primary screens. The secondary screens get into even more detail, and I am still in learning mode on these instruments. The initial presentation is very simple to understand but you can get into some cool features if you learn the interface. I may do a PIREP video just on those and show how they work. Also -- I picked them up around Sun n Fun due to the deals they offer. I think similar deals may pop up around that little fly-in happening in a few weeks in Wisconsin. Definitely time your purchase around those, you can save a lot on the rebate!

I also changed out the fuel senders for Cies. It's just weird having accurate fuel levels while I fly now, with numbers on the display telling me reality. I also need to see if I can put a delay on the low fuel annunciation, because it tracks it so well now that maneuvering will cause the level to "drop" and the CGR thinks my tank is dry for a bit. Highly recommend either Cies, or the similar magnetic senders that EI now offers (those weren't available when I bought mine). It's a nice upgrade from the corroded resistance-wiper Stewart-Warner senders you have now.

FWIW my planning phase was laughable compared to the end result, and parts collection was more of "might as well do X" once I dug in and realized what I was facing. The bird is solid, but 60 years takes its toll on systems and parts. Anticipate doing more refurbishing than you plan because it will happen.

Oh - since I mentioned CG... My weight went up exactly one pound from before! I was actually hoping for a little drop, but with the heavier engine mount (and slightly heavier engine), leather seats, spools of new wire with full ground runs (which means thicker gauge wire too), etc it adds up even with a light prop and light battery, no vacuum, and so on. The empty CG is almost to the forward limit, but anything inside moves it back and it was pretty forward before as well. Flying feels about the same. I've done the math and cannot exceed aft CG with any legal weight combination; my real challenge is moving it rearward quickly enough as weight rises to stay within the envelope slope, so with a heavy copilot I will need ballast in the rear. The extended baggage helps since I can load 50lb really far back if I need to. Something to consider in your planning.

Nice job, Ralph. Congrats.

Thanks Zane!

This weekend I flew it down to Monte Vista to have Steve Colman install my STOL kit and Airglas fork / tires. He appears to be wasting no time, he only had it about a day before sending me these pics:

Steve is wasting no time on this install. Leading edges already wrapped around the formers, and the obligatory old-tire/new-tire shot.

I’d definitely go with an 8.00 x 6 on the nose with 8.50 on the mains.

You’ll like that cuff, by the way.

Great project.

MTV

mtv wrote:I’d definitely go with an 8.00 x 6 on the nose with 8.50 on the mains.

That's what we're doing. He'll put on the Airglas fork and tires after he's done with the cuff I expect, unless he needs a distraction. I wish I could have stayed there and helped, but family stuff requires me to be at home. I'll pop back down to MVI late this week and see what all the fuss is about with the cuff and fun tires when I get to fly those mods for the first time. I'm also a bit curious what the airspeed loss will be with all that meat hanging out on the gear, but the 520+MT do add a bit back in so hopefully it's a wash compared to what I flew at before this all began.

Man, what a great build!

Well, how's the new wing cuff feel ?