It looks like I've bought a Pawnee and will be bringing it home by truck. It's recently out of annual and an AD requires the spar attach points be ultra-sonically inspected. Does anybody know where, between nevada and the Seattle area, I could get this inspection done? It would be really nice to just make a stop along the way to check that one off. Any other Pawnee maintenance or flying info would be welcome too.
I'm hoping to be checking out the PA-25 backcountry qualities. The gigantic space where the hopper was, the 1500 pound useable load and 235 HP seem to have some real potential. The 38 gallons of fuel does have its down side though. Any thoughts or comments are welcome even if it's just to say "Gee, that was stupid."
Chris

Go ahead and do the strut attach point fix while you have the wings off. It is just steel channel strengthening where it attaches to the fuselage. That will eliminate the need for yearly inspection.

I carried plastic jugs of auto gas and my gear in the hopper on long cross country. No guarantee you will make it to a place with facilities.

The bungees are stiff. Act like you will three point and then level and wheel it. Is you let it touchdown before level, it will jump up and down on the bungee without coming off. Shakes the whole airplane.

Good rough field airplane. You will love the beast.

YMMV, but my experience: landings with a lot of weight in the hopper were kind of goofey.

Other than that, a truly fantastic airplane.

--Tony

YMMV, but my experience: landings with a lot of weight in the hopper were kind of goofey.

Yup.

I used to haul fuel in one. Goofy is a good way to describe landing it really heavy. But, it has tons of potential for what you want to do with it.

Gump

You're supposed to spray all that crap and come back empty. Yes it is a pig when fully loaded.

Thanks for the feedback. I looked up the wing attach STC and have contacted Acorn Welding for pricing etc.
I still have to clear the airworthiness hurdle and get a normal cat cert issued but that sounds doable.
I'm hoping that I can find a mostly legit way to carry gear in the former hopper area. There is currently a turtle deck lid there that was fabricated on a 337 when the hopper went away. There is a ton of room and I'm thinking that some fuel cans, a bicycle and a back pack shouldn't effect things too much as far as landing goes.
I do have a bunch of Maule time and those oleos always seemed quite willing to re-launch you if you carried a little too much downward inertia, would that be similar to a Pawnee?
Chris

There used to be quite a bit of ag flying done there around the Skagit flats, seems like there should still be some Pawnee-savvy pilots & mechanics around. Also, the glider ops down at Arlington use at least one Pawnee, don't know who does their flying or wrenching but they could be a source of information.

The Pawnee is very forgiving bounce wise. It is not a light airplane empty and not squirrely like a Cub. The only two place airplane I flew with similar landing quirks was the J-5. Most of my students who didn't get J-5 time experienced the teeth jarring rattle on the stiff gear, even when slow enough, until they found 2" ground effect and stabbed it level on the mains.

I would so paint it like Dusty Crophopper!

I've never flown an agplane of any flavor, but judging from what the maneuvers I've seen done they must be pretty good at yanking & banking. In fact, I remember an article in some sort of Cessna-oriented book that referred to the AgWagon as "the poor man's P51".

Energy management. All less than two g unless ham fisted.

I did drive it around on the ground during the pre-buy and it handles very cool. After trying to stretch my neck up, ET like, and peer around the corner of the skywagon's nose, the cockpit of the Pawnee feels a bit like being in a control tower. The aircraft itself seems like it has tons of potential as a back country plane but there's a little bit of justification in that statement too. A long time ago, I spent time at an airport fence, staring balefully at a Pawnee that was for sale and it's been a bucket list (obsession) item ever since.
I'm now trying to contact any of the three STC holders for the wing attach AD but haven't gotten a bite yet. Probably need greener bait.
Chris

Is this the one you bought?

https://www.trade-a-plane.com/search?ca ... e=aircraft

Yup, that is the one.

The C model that is also for sale at Ely is very nice. At $45k I think it's a good deal too. It was just beyond what I was willing to pay to play.

Looks cool.
If you wanted, you could maybe get some work with it towing gliders at Arlington.
Seems like a good way to work it pretty hard for not much money, but what the hell.

Somehow this purchase reminds me of a long ago event. When I was chairing the Laramie Airport Board, one of the other board members was a Bonanza owner, and he was always spending money on his airplane for this or that new thingy. One day I was in his auto parts store, and he said, "Cary, come out back--I need to show you my latest purchase!" I was expecting some airplane improvement that he had yet to have installed. Nope--it was a little gray Ford tractor like this one!



I asked him why, and he said, "Because I always wanted one!"

I guess that's the best reason to get the Pawnee, right, Chris?

Cary

The tractor analogy fits like a glove
I have thought about gliders at AWO and was wondering if I could cook up a gig at BVS as well. If I can drum up any plausible excuse to keep two planes I'd be happy. For now, I'll just pretend I have a plan.
My occasional bouts of sitting on the sofa at 3 AM with insomnia have had me towing banners to promote my books. Not that the books are good and should be promoted, just that it sounds like a cool way to pick up chicks. Of course, my wife who always sleeps soundly, probably wouldn't agree but who knows.
Either way, for now it just seems like fun. I won't get down to Ely to bring the Pawnee home until May and it's killing me but, then again, at 3 AM, it does provide my brain something to chew on.
Chris

Now now Master Contact.

The Piper J-5 was one of the more fun and
easier planes I ever pushed the corners with.

I put several years on that J-5, all the way to AK.
and all over Ca. and other western states.

The only STIFF legged plane I remember flying right off was the Luscombe 8e.

Different folks etc. I guess.

CC

Billy Howell probably had Pawnee bungees on his J5.