blueldr wrote:"Originality George" has spoken! You wont catch him flying one of those new Hawker Beechcraft airplanes with a composite fuselage!
I wasn't speaking of "originality", per se. I was thinking of fiberflass or plastic. I don't think of those materials as in the same league as metal and wood. And... if I were to try to duplicate an original panel because I wanted it to look original.... then I'd value more the original materials over fiberglass or plastic.
Bruce's example is a good one. While the fiberglass wheel pants which resemble original certainly look good and are a less expensive manner to obtain that classic look.... real metal ones are more accurate replicas, and therefore carry more value in my view. I don't differentiate between OEM originals and all metal replicas... they are of equal quality and value in my mind. In fact, the later, Cessna-produced all metal ones are the ones I'd prefer because they are genuine "factory" (therefore not technically replicas), and they accomodate modern Cleveland brakes without cutting/modification. My airplane has them.
My airplane only resembles originality. In many ways. (Hence my signature.) While at first glance it appears original, in fact it has a later 6-bolt engine/crank, and appropriate prop., BAS tail pull handles, Cleveland wheels/brakes, P-ponk gearbox beef-up, wingtip strobes, digital/solid-state radios, shoulder harnesses, and (as a necessity due to it's incredible speed) a boat anchor. (ELT)
It also has L-19 towing adaptors and tailwheel tie-down ring. And co-pilot and passenger reading lights. And double-walled baggage compartment. And (horrors) auto fuel STC.
![Image](http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z233/gahorn/MVC-001S-1.jpg)