Not a 170, but have to post my new toy!

[15A]

I just purchased a ground-looped Champ that needs a little fixin' up! Right gear was pulled off, wing tip damaged, wooden prop destroyed. Kind of a shame. This plane had less than 15 hours since total restore! I'm going to start with the wing. The 2 spars are cracked at the tip, so I'm in the market for some wood (spars that were damaged that I can get a couple of pieces from?) Plan to splice the tips, repair the bow, and recover the outside 4 feet of the wing. Haven't opened the belly yet, so that remains a mistery. I've got a C-90 that I'd like to put on it, but I need the "long mount" motor mount to accomodate the starter & generator. Also looking for a couple of 5 gal. wing tanks. Anybody out there with some of the parts I'm looking for???

Thanks!

[ak2711c]

Do yourself a big favor and bite the bullet and exchange those wings with the factory for aluminum spar wings. The AD on those spars is written in such a way that it is extremely difficult for even new spars to pass. I know of one case where both wings failed the inspection and they were rebuilt with brand new spars and the next yeat at annual they failed again. I have yet to inspect a plane that had all of the spars pass. The AD is just so detailed that it really ties our hands. Now having said that I have never seen a spar that I thought was a safety issue. That is the frustrating part about this AD.
I love champs though. They are fun to fly. The 90 hp really brings it alive. I can't tell from the pics if you have the larger dorsal fin installed or not but I think that is one of the requirments for putting the 90 hp engine on. Good luck.
Shawn

[djbaker]

Champs are one of the great flying machines. They do almost anything you want and never bite back. Take your time and enjoy the rebuild then your going to have the most fun flying ever!

[dogbird]

Champs, yes this a great way to airknock. I learned to fly in a 7EC and spent some great times in Florida puddle jumping a buddy's AC.
Last year some friends and I found a disassembled Champ in a hanger. The owner had converted an AC to EC with a C-90 and all the mods to make it correct, including two 13 gal. tanks in the wings. After completing the conversion and flying it for about 80 hours, He took it apart and stored it for his kids to learn to fly in when they got older. They never took it up and he passed away. Twenty something years later we acquired it from the widow and began to put it together.
Everything but a few bolts were there and it was well preserved and it was together fast. Cranking it over until we got some oil pressure, it fired the first blade when the Eisman mags were made hot and idled like it had been flown everyday.
Believing we had been signed off, (long story!)We chose one of our members who had done a lot of the work to be the one to fly it. We were all qualified and ready but only one can be first. He made just a hop down the runway and we put it away. The generator was running away.
The next day we got our liability insurance and the test pilot decided to prop the plane to set the voltage regulator. We had left the charger on and cooked the battery.
Well, the engine took off full song. blew the door closed before he could catch it and ran through the door of a, luckily empty, hanger destroying a wing, a gear leg (also tearing out the lug), the beautiful polished metal prop and windshield.
Now for the good stuff.
We got two new wood spars and the gear leg repaired and mount bracket from Ron Piecy (sp?) of Rainbow Airparts in Oregon (509-765-1606)
We also found several new or near new ribs around the airport and learned how to rebuild and cover a wing.
It's almost back together again and I can't wait to fly her. but now our IA has died!
Stay posted.
'wish I knew how to attach some photos.
Gene

[Metal Master]

[quote="15A"]I just purchased a ground-looped Champ that needs a little fixin' up! Right gear was pulled off, wing tip damaged, wooden prop destroyed. Kind of a shame. This plane had less than 15 hours since total restore! I'm going to start with the wing. The 2 spars are cracked at the tip,

(Warning) Every wood wing spar removed from a ground looped (Wing tip dragged on the ground) Champ or Citabria I have seen has had compression fractures all long the spar from the strut attach outboard. Contact Ron Piercy mentioned in an earlier post for details. I gave him a section of our broken spar that had the same features. I also have a section around some where.

[15A]

Gene!!!

That's a classic!!! It just falls back to the old "If you want it done right, do it yourself!" I've seen (heard) that before. Sounds like someone slamming a dumpster into a truck! Glad to hear it's coming back together. Needless to say, nah, never mind...!

Joe

[GAHorn]

If the prop was damaged due to the runaway... don't forget to turn in your insurance claim for the engine teardown/inspection per: TCM MANDATORY SB 96-11, Propellor Strikes

http://www.cessna170.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1913

[Indopilot]

George in his case that wouldn't apply since he said he purchased it with those " Modifications" already accomplished by someone else.

[GAHorn]

Yes, I'd thought of that, but I didn't know how far along the final purchase arrangements have progressed and someone (the previous owner) probably had insurance, ... in which case either the previous owner got paid for the engine (which should drop the price unless the inspection is included in the sale) ... or HA might want to include the discussion in his final arrangements (and mention to the seller how it will reduce his liabilities towards the new owners.)

[15A]

Plane is bought and paid for sitting in my shop. My intension is to put it up on floats. 65's coming off, 90's going on. And I have some mods to take care of. Motor mount, dorsel fin, wing tanks, etc... I don't need the gear. The one that was removed is repairable. I can't start this project until mid January (commitments), so I'm trying to locate the items now. I will be selling the 65, but it would be 'as is' with prop strike. (15 hrs SMOH)