A few weeks later, I found that a distinguished neighbor resided next door. A contractor had opened the hangar door to adjust the cables, pulleys, and motor that control its movement. The shape of the aircraft parked inside left no doubt regarding its identity. It was a Boeing Stearman Model 75, also known by its military name, the PT-17.

This one clearly had not flown in many years—at least 15 according to airport gossip. It had all the signs of a long slumber, such as deflated tires and a coat of dust that dulled its silver finish. Access panels on the sides of its fuselage behind the exposed Continental R-670 were open, exposing frame members, brake cylinders, control linkages, and more. The lower panel had been removed and was resting neatly on the floor, as if someone had begun performing periodic maintenance years earlier and never quite finished. A yellow towbar was attached to the landing gear, seemingly ready to pull the airplane out for its next flight after a routine oil change.

I would find out later that the aircraft’s layup had coincided with the onset of a succession of medical difficulties that kept its owner out of the cockpit, but only recently compelled him to offer the airplane for sale.

On first sight, though, all I could think about was how badly this machine needed to get back into the air. It did not look like some neglected wreck. Everything appeared to be intact. There were no holes or tears in its covering, only minimal peeling paint and no small animals nesting in its recesses—none that I could find, at least.

Almost immediately I had visions of the Stearman one day emerging triumphantly from the hangar, cranking its engine to life in a swirl of oily smoke and slowly zigzagging down the taxiway. After a run-up, the engine’s full-power song would echo through the valley as the old bird rolled, tail-high, down Runway 21 and lifted off into the late afternoon light. What would it take to get there—to bring this classic aircraft back to life?

“It needs everything,” my instructor, Rich Bartlett, said in the same discouraging tone he used years ago when I contemplated banner towing. “New covering alone would cost 80 grand,” he added.

Ray Fagnano, the mechanic who looks after “Annie,” my Commander 114B—and counts a number of Stearmans among his customers—urged me to “forget about that airplane.” The asking price of $70,000 is too high, he noted, considering how much work the airplane will need to regain its airworthiness. Anyone with that much to spend, Fagnano said, should offer it to the pilot at nearby Blairstown Airport (1N7) who owns a solid Stearman that he flies regularly and “probably would sell it to you for the same amount.”

An Expert Weighs In

Wanting to understand more about the depth of effort involved, I contacted a number of people well versed in Stearmans, including staffers at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, where they display a meticulously restored model, and Mike Porter of East Liverpool, Ohio, who has spent the past two decades restoring vintage aircraft and specializing in Stearmans.

“I’m working on No. 26 now, but I have helped people with many more, you know, sharing tips,” Porter said, noting he consulted with the crew that worked on the Air Force museum’s restoration. He works on many types of aircraft but focuses on other warbirds and fabric-covered models when not working on a Stearman.

Porter said he got into the business essentially by coincidence. After earning his private pilot certificate at 17, followed by his commercial, he was towing banners in New Jersey with ambitions to join the airlines when the September 11 terrorist attacks halted aviation activity. He was already an airframe and powerplant mechanic, so he began working in local shops before abandoning the airline idea and eventually starting his own repair and restoration business.

He said that while many pilots are attracted to biplanes from aviation’s Golden Age of Flight, the Stearman stands out for several reasons, the foremost being its military history. The aircraft will always be associated with World War II, having trained thousands of pilots across the U.S. military services. Pretty much every wartime pilot had a Stearman story. “They are also well-designed, nice-flying airplanes that are fairly forgiving,” Porter said.

Because the aircraft was built in huge numbers—between 8,000 and 10,000—for the war and was a popular surplus purchase afterward, there are many still flying today. Indeed, it is a stretch to call the Stearman “rare.”

However, what is rare is its combination of Golden Age biplane and warbird status, which nearly guarantee the best parking spots at major air shows and fly-ins.

Military History

Lloyd Stearman began manufacturing aircraft in the 1920s for the civilian market and later the growing airmail service. The company turned out several models, including the C3 and Stearman 4 Speedmail, but it was the two-seater Stearman Model 75 that caught the military’s attention as an ideal trainer for combat pilots—in part because its rugged design, though dated, enabled it to withstand common mistakes made by flight students, including hard landings, ground loops, and nose-overs.

The military selection happened around the same time the Stearman company became part of Boeing, which brought to bear the capacity to produce the aircraft in higher volumes. This case of aviation serendipity sealed the Stearman’s place in history. For the record, Model 75s with Lycoming engines were called PT-13s while those with Continental engines were PT-17s. Others had Jacobs engines and were called PT-18s.

The airplanes’ steel-frame fuselage and wooden wings held up well through the war and kept them gong for decades afterward, often as crop dusters. Their high lift, low speed, and low prices on the war-surplus market made them the obvious choice for the booming aerial application business, dusting and spraying pesticides, fertilizer, and other chemicals on crops across the country. While people often worry about the possible effects of corrosive chemicals on the airframe, pilots and mechanics familiar with the type maintain the former agricultural aircraft are not necessarily problematic.

“It’s really a case-by-case process,” Porter said. “Many of these operators took great care of their air-planes while others might have run them into the ground.”

Anyone considering buying a Stearman, like any other airplane, should have an expert inspect it closely. Porter said he has seen aircraft arrive at his shop in a wide range of conditions, but even the rough ones usually can be returned to flying duty.

At What Cost?

While you typically can find airworthy Stearmans on the market for around $100,000, having one restored will cost more. How much more is hard to say because he figures vary so much, Porter said. “Once you get past recovering the airframe, which costs $60,000 to $80,000, you are mainly looking at time and materials,” with restorers typically charging $60 to $150 per hour, he said. The nice thing about new covering is that the process exposes every part of the airframe, making it possible to produce a like-new airplane.

The Stearman next door has been a source of temptation for me ever since I first saw it. It just has the feel of an old house with “good bones” or an old hound who needs a new home. Right now, it’s the last thing I need, but my own history with Stearmans makes it hard to forget this one.

• READ MORE: Taking Wing: Stearman Patrol

While traveling through Connecticut with my parents and two older sisters on our way to Cape Cod in1974, I spotted a biplane flying low, parallel to the highway.

Soon it turned and flew over the road just ahead of us. I was 8 years old and excited to see a real “two-winger” in action. Until that day the only biplanes I had seen up close were a couple of my father’s radio-controlled models.

The airplane I had seen overhead, painted creamy white with dark orange trim, appeared to be on final to land at a nearby field. I suggested that we follow it and try to find the airport.

My sisters moaned. They did not want our all-day drive to get any longer. But my father thought it was a good idea and turned off the highway at the next exit.

Crossing Paths

We were in a rural area without many roads, so it was fairly easy to find the one that led to the airport. An instructor was giving lessons in the airplane and we got to stand by the ramp—there was no airport fence back then—while the next student got going. They cranked the inertia starter, fired the engine, and took off across the countryside. It was a memorable mini-airshow for me and just barely tolerable for my sisters.

About 40 years later a friend was flying his Stearman across the country and met me for lunch at Sussex. Afterward we went for a long flight during which he was generous with sharing stick time.

It was early October, the weather was perfect and the forest canopy that covered that part of northern New Jersey and southern New York was a beautiful late-season green. We flew S-turns, steep turns, lazy eights, and stalls.

Almost as soon as my hand held the stick, I began to understand exactly why so many people love these airplanes. They simply fly beautifully. They are big, comfortable, and comforting in their movements—very smooth, not at all twitchy. There’s a sense of warmth that not all airplanes have that really comes through when you fly well-coordinated turns in a Stearman. I have kind of longed to relive that experience ever since.

Now this next-door neighbor has revealed itself. Is it fate or a trap? My wife, Alexa, suspects the former. Having heard my description of the aircraft, Porter said he would certainly give it a look, reminding me that “many of these laid-up airplanes turn out to be pleasant surprises.”

However, he also is booked with projects for the next three years. Perhaps that is a blessing, and enough time to change Alexa’s mind.

On the Hunt for a Classic PT-17

The Stearman was built in such great numbers during wartime in the 1940s that so many continue to fly today—making an excellent choice for a warbird that handles with docile flight characteristics and a forgiving nature. In the June 2000 edition of FLYING, former editor-in- chief Richard L .Collins extolled the virtues of the biplane that serves as both a trip to the Golden Age of Flight as well as a ticket to warbird parking at EAA AirVenture—perhaps.

“An airplane that flies in reasonable numbers and was as much of the WWII training effort as the T-6 is the PT-17 Stearman,” wrote Collins. “For some reason, though, it is considered more of a classic. At least that is the Oshkosh parking area favored by these airplanes.” Completely rebuilt Stearmans were available on order from Air Repair Inc. with a base price back then of $169,000. You would be hard pressed to restore one yourself for that kind of investment today.

This column first appeared in the July 2023/Issue 933 print edition of FLYING.

The post Restoration Nation: The Stearman Next Door appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

FLYING Media Group’s Larry Anglisano recently spent some time behind the scenes with museum restoration lead Bob Vozzola for an exclusive look at the restoration and preservation process, and produced this video.

Editor’s Note: Video produced by Larry Anglisano for AVweb and FLYING.

The post How New England Air Museum Restores Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It’s enjoyable to help, though. Whether it’s a new pilot exploring ownership for the first time or a seasoned expert weighing upgrade options, I find it rewarding to help others avoid some of the hard lessons with which I’ve had to contend thus far on my own journey.

• READ MORE: The Fizzled-Out Promise of the Lockheed ‘Flatbed’

I recently spoke at length with two individuals asking for ownership advice. One was considering a panel upgrade, weighing the pros and cons of a few options that ranged from some minor modifications to a complete overhaul. The other was torn between upgrading the engine and propeller on his Cessna 170 versus selling it and buying a larger Cessna 180.

In each case, the most attractive option was to invest a fairly substantial amount of money into the existing airplane. Panel guy knew he wanted full IFR capability, and he knew he liked Garmin’s latest avionics. And 170 guy loved almost everything about his airplane except for the modest power. Each recognized that a big upgrade would result in their perfect airplane…but each shared the same reservation—losing money on the airplane upgrade and reasoning they’ll never get it back through resale.

• READ MORE: Golden-Hued Memories of a Late Summer Fly-In

They’re not wrong. In most cases involving major upgrades, the money spent on parts and labor will exceed the additional amount you can command when reselling the airplane. The majority of the upgrade cost becomes sunk, and this was the hangup I kept hearing.

In the case of the full panel overhaul, the entire panel plus labor was forecast at around $60,000—nearly the value of the airplane itself. The resale value of the unmodified plane was around $80,000. Based on what I’ve seen in the classified listings, this would rise to perhaps $100,000 to $110,000 with the new panel installed. So about half of the panel cost would be money spent and never seen again.

It was the same story with the Cessna 170 owner looking for more power. Yes, he could upgrade the engine and propeller, but he’d never get that money back out of the airplane when the time came to sell it. This is why he was considering selling the 170 and upgrading to the 180. He loved his 170, but the spreadsheet said the 180 would be the wiser investment.

• READ MORE: Sizing Up Your New Aircraft

I asked both owners a few key questions, including how long each expected to own their airplane and what they enjoyed most about it. Their replies were predictable. They loved their airplanes and expected to continue flying them for another 20 years or so. Each had already spent significant time and effort to get them sorted and set up to their liking, and in each case, the upgrade they were considering would eliminate their least favorite aspect of the airplane.

It ultimately came down to the question of whether each upgrade must earn its place and someday recoup its entire cost. I advised the owners to pay attention to this factor but not live by it. In other words, try to avoid becoming upside down on each upgrade, but not at the expense of years of enjoying your perfect airplane.

In the case of the panel upgrade, I offered a scenario. Suppose the complete new panel ultimately “loses” half its value when the airplane sells. Over the course of 20 years, this amounts to little more than a cell phone bill every month. And chances are the appreciating value of the airplane itself will absorb that amount and then some. 

The flip side is to live with an airplane that’s almost perfect but annoys you in the same persistent manner throughout every flight. For panel guy, this would mean living with a panel that’s VFR-only or IFR-capable but imperfect. Personally, I’d almost rather have the option that’s far from perfect because I find almost perfect to be maddening. 

• READ MORE: Registering a Custom N-Number for Your New Airplane

For engine upgrade guy, this would mean one of two things. He could live with the relatively anemic thrust, takeoff, and climb ability of the stock 170. Alternatively, he could sell it and upgrade to the 180—but that would introduce higher fuel burn, higher insurance rates, and years of finding, buying, and sorting an airplane to get him back into the groove of stable, predictable ownership. For him, putting the finishing touches on an almost perfect airplane seemed to make the most sense.

Ultimately, I provided both owners with the same advice. Look at the cost of a major upgrade over the entire length of time you expect to own the airplane and take the appreciating value of the airplane itself into account. Twenty years from now, it’s unlikely any of us will look back and lament missing out on an additional $125 per month on an individual upgrade. But it’s entirely likely we’ll look back on a couple of decades of flying adventures made that much safer and more epic by taking place in the perfect airplane.

The post Airplane Math: When Do Upgrades Make Economic Sense? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“My dad took me and my brother David—who was 13 at the time—to the airport for a flight lesson. My brother went first, then I went. I sat in the front, no headset. I had never been in an airplane and it was overwhelming the senses, [with] the hand-propping noise and vibration and the fabric. It was totally otherworldly and exhilarating and frightening.”

Both the Preston boys were interested in aviation, but, as Philip points out, they did not come from one of those families where their parents paid for their hobbies. As a result, both Philip and his brother worked their way through flight training. David went on to become an airline pilot, eventually retiring from American Airlines, and Philip—although he loved to fly—had bigger dreams. “So I hitchhiked down the road to the University of Illinois,” he says. “My dream was to start a business and live in a house on an airport—and that all started with the Champ.”

A Dream Comes True

With an engineering degree in hand, Philip Preston started a plastics company that makes, among other things, parts for commercial aircraft—and those clear plastic doors you see on slushie and soft-serve ice cream machines.

“You have probably seen what the company makes,” he says. “I started Littlestar Plastics in 1991, making aerospace parts like for the [Boeing] 787 and 777X, and lots of ice cream machine parts. I built the company up from nothing, and when I sold just before the pandemic hit, it had 55 employees.”

The business allowed Preston to pursue flight training. He earned his private pilot certificate in 1977 but didn’t buy his first airplane, a Grumman Tiger, until 1997. A series of aircraft followed, including a Cirrus SR20 and a Waco UPF-7, which he purchased as a project.

“I took the UPF-7 and shipped the aircraft to Waco Aircraft Corp. for restoration. They take airplanes to Oshkosh every year, and every year they get [awarded] Grand Champion. I like things done right and will spend the money to get it right.” More aircraft followed, including a 1967 Cessna 310L, a 1980 Cessna R182RG, and a 2012 Tecnam P92 taildragger. The plastics company also gave him the resources to have the home he wanted on an airpark.

He resides at BelAir Estates, located at Poplar Grove Airport (C77), a privately-owned, public-use airfield three miles south of Poplar Grove, Illinois. The airport is also home to the Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum. The museum focuses on personal transportation from 1903 to 1957, and according to Preston, there is a diversity of aircraft in the airpark community with a heavy emphasis on vintage designs.

One day in 2019, he saw an Aeronca Champ project one of his neighbors was working on and realized it was the very same Aeronca Champ he’d taken his first flight in—the 1946 Aeronca 7AC, NC81986, serial no. 611.

“It was 54 years later and a mere 100 yards from my hangar,” he says. He had wondered what the airplane had been through in those 50-plus years. “The owner told me he planned to restore it. I told him to give me a call when he had [the project completed], and then one day, I heard from someone at the airport that he had sold his house and his hangar and was going to put the airplane in storage.”

Right Place, Right Time

Fortunately for Preston, the owner of the Champ changed his mind, and in July 2019, Preston purchased the project. “It was in pieces and stripped of fabric,” he says.

Preston opted to have Jerry Stadtmiller of Bipe Inc., out of North Carolina, finish the restoration job for him. “I wanted it done right,” he recalls. “The recovering and paint on the Champ ran about $20,000 to $30,000. A lot of the Champs out there are [only] worth $20,000 to $30,000.”

According to the company website, Bipe, Inc. focuses  on “museum quality” restorations for antique aircraft. Jerry Stadtmiller turns out to be the owner. He holds multiple pilot certificates in addition to an A&P/IA, and says the company specializes in vintage aircraft.

“Basically anything that is fabric covered,” Stadtmiller said in an interview. The shop is at Andrews Murphy Airport (KRHP) in Andrews, North Carolina. 

During the restoration project, Stadtmiller kept in contact with Preston, keeping him apprised of the progress. The aircraft was restored to “as original as practical,” which usually means the fabric covering uses modern materials, and the cockpit instruments are overhauled vintage pieces. Parts are sometimes hard to find, he says, but as he has been in the business so long, he has his ways.

When it came time to paint the aircraft, Preston wanted to do something other than the yellow and orange that most Champs wear. He wasn’t sure which way to go, then a friend gave him a book that inspired him. “The book had a picture of a 1951 sedan that was painted blue and straw, and I liked that, so I copied that for the paint scheme.”

You won’t find any space-age glass like the kind Preston’s company manufactured in this model. Instead, he was adamant that the instruments be period-correct. That limits the aircraft to daytime VFR conditions, which is fine, he says, as this is an airplane you take out on good days for fun. The range of the Champ is about 120 miles. 

Both of these things made the flight home from North Carolina a bit of a challenge.

“I brought it home in August of 2022. I had to make nine fuel stops, and since the airplane is daytime VFR only, I was racing the sun. There is no electrical system in the airplane,” he says.

“I got to Danville, Illinois, at 7:10 p.m. I was 5 minutes from home, but the sun was setting. The next morning when the sun came up, I headed home. Prior to that flight, I had not flown a Champ since 1968.” The airplane is easy to fly, he says. “That airplane flies hands and feet off because it is so stable. The flight home from North Carolina at 80 mph was like a 10-hour reacquaintance flight. I had the window open, and it was like driving a sports car. I was really happy with it.”

The Champ missed EAA AirVenture 2022, but Preston is considering taking his new pride and joy to AirVenture in 2023 to see how it stacks up against the other vintage designs. He’s come home from the big show with honors before, he notes. “In 2016, I had a 1967 Cessna 310L that won best Twin Cessna at AirVenture, and it was on the cover of Twin Cessna Flyer.

“I was drawn to the Cessna 310 because it was one of the airplanes I saw on the cover of FLYING magazine in my youth.”

A First Solo in the Aeronca Champion…

In the April 1973 issue of FLYING, former editor-in- chief Richard L . Collins waxed nostalgic about his first solo flight in the Aeronca Champion.

“My teacher was a man named Rudy Peace: patient, a natural pilot, and a confidence-inspiring individual. All were necessary attributes as he taught me to fly, too, for patience is necessary when teaching a 17-year- old to do anything. Natural flying ability protected him from my many goofs, and his ability to inspire confidence prevented a mutiny when he told me to fly the Aeronca Champion around the airport by myself.

“The old Champion had its own virtues, and combined with my instructor’s skill, they make October 25, 1951, a pleasant day to remember. Some like to refer to a good airplane as being forgiving , and that’s an okay way to say it. The Champion forgave my total lack of attention to the good and holy principles of the three-point landing; in fact, it forgave three times that day. Afterward, one nervous teenager had his shirttail removed, and one relieved flight instructor gratefully accepted the fifth of bourbon that was, by custom, presented to instructors as they survived first solo flights.”

This article was originally published in the March 2023 Issue 935 of  FLYING.

The post Restoration Nation: Aeronca Champ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

At no point could I even begin to justify the Olympic-caliber race setups I then proceeded to build. With a physique and athleticism that bore a stronger resemblance to Bobby Hill than to any notable athlete, the discrepancy between bicycle quality and actual physical capability was both stark and embarrassing. But I was fueled by enthusiasm, and my love for evaluating beautiful engineering more than made up for the humiliation that occurred on every hill climb. 

Thirty years later, the bicycle situation and general fitness level have remained unchanged, and the disease has now spread to aviation. One by one, I’ve been strategically upgrading various parts on my Cessna 170, from the propeller to lighting to wheels and tires. Now, thanks to a social media sponsorship unrelated to my work with FLYING, I’ve finally decided to take a major step and upgrade the instrument panel.

Despite being part of a sponsorship, the upgrade will still involve a substantial price tag to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. The sum is massive in my world, and it took much calculation to determine what benefits would justify such an expenditure. I ultimately identified four that, when combined, do so handily.

1. Vacuum-ectomy

Sometime in the 1960s, a previous owner of my airplane opted to remove the venturi system that originally powered the gyro instruments and replace it with an engine-driven vacuum system. The vacuum system was so massive and cumbersome, a larger engine cowl had to be installed for it to fit.

The resulting setup presents a few frustrations. It adds weight at the far end of the airplane. It positions the pump pulley millimeters away from the back face of the propeller. It provides relatively little benefit for the VFR flying I do. It introduces multiple points of mechanical failure. And although appearance is low on my list of concerns, it’s ugly.

Upgrading to a modern panel enables this entire assembly of the pump, gyros, and hoses to be removed from the airplane like a problematic appendix. New solid-state avionics will save weight and provide far better reliability and functionality. 

2. Safety

It’s been nearly two years since I ruined multiple cylinders in a tragic and stupid cowl plug incident. Since then, my engine-related PTSD seems to have kicked up its feet, settled in, and taken up permanent residence in my head. These days, I watch my cylinder head temperature like a hawk and constantly monitor every engine gauge with trepidation.

As part of the Garmin setup I plan to install, the engine monitor is the element I’m most excited about. With one glance at one instrument, I’ll be able to evaluate the information presently spread across no fewer than eight separate steam gauges. I’ll be able to monitor the CHTs (cylinder heat temperatures) and EGTs (exhaust gas temperatures) of individual cylinders easily, and I’ll feel much better about identifying any abnormal trends quickly and early.

The engine monitor will also display accurate fuel quantity indications. Rather than judging remaining fuel on board by time and refueling every 2.5 to 3 hours of flight in an abundance of caution, I’ll be able to stretch the airplane’s legs with more confidence. This ability to fly with somewhat lower fuel levels can translate into a nice performance boost when desired, enabling shorter takeoff distances at challenging strips.

The ADS-B transponder is another huge benefit. Seamlessly integrating with GPS and depicting traffic on the panel as well as on my iPad, I’ll feel a lot more knowledgeable of the traffic around me. It’s also a more robust and permanent solution than some of the less-expensive alternatives.

3. Room to Grow

One of the reasons I opted to save additional funds and buy a Cessna 170 instead of a smaller 120 or 140 is that I wanted an airplane I’d grow into, ability-wise, rather than out of. The 170’s additional room and payload enable me to go camping with friends, unlock better performance when light, and feel less cramped on longer flights. The 170 is a more permanent solution, and I will enjoy the extra capability long after I forget about the higher price.

To a similar extent, a modern and fully capable panel will enable me to get current and utilize my instrument rating should I wish. Doing so could increase the number of flyable days in the year, and it could make the airplane a more reliable and consistent means of travel. I may want to get current solely to refine another set of skills.  

Regardless, a modernized panel opens up all of these possibilities and unlocks an entirely new world of flying that is inaccessible with the current display.

4. Fun

Back in my bike shop days, I’d regularly advise people on their bike purchases and custom builds. I didn’t work on commission and was therefore motivated not by the money they spent but rather by their enjoyment of riding. One point I’d make in earnest was that it’s OK to upgrade to a newer bike or component, even if all it does is make them happier and more enthusiastic about their favorite hobby. 

Ultimately, this made me feel better about spending new car money on a new panel. Rather than splurging on a bass boat, paying for years upon years of green fees, or simply buying drinks at the bar every weekend, I decided to design and build a panel that enhances my enjoyment of my favorite pastime and hobby.

Can I justify the upgrade with financial benefits and a return on investment that can be illustrated on a spreadsheet? No. Does the flying I do demand the functionality offered by such a panel? Also no. Are my flying skills such that I am significantly limited by my current panel? Definitely not.

But just as I worked massive amounts of overtime to afford my Litespeed Obed titanium mountain bike with a Chris King wheelset, Marinovative brakes, and mystical Magic Motorcycle crankset, I’ve been socking away money every month to afford the ultimate panel. And just as that cool gear introduced an element of fun that easily made up for my utter lack of fitness and riding ability, I anticipate the panel upgrade to similarly enhance my day-to-day enjoyment of my airplane. 

These benefits may not show up on a spreadsheet, but they sure leave a smile on your face. And I’m looking forward to it.

The post The Calculus Behind the Ultimate Panel Modernization appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Once it is airworthy—volunteers project a first flight by July 2023, in time for EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh—the classic business air transport will be used to promote the history of women in aviation as a flying exhibit for the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

According to Bill Goebel, the museum’s volunteer crew chief for the restoration project, the Beech Super 18, N13JC, was the last airplane Cochran flew. “She was in her mid-60s at the time when she owned the airplane [1969-1971], and stopped flying it because she was unable to renew her FAA medical certificate due to illness. Aircraft logbooks indicate her last flight was on April 4, 1971,” he says.  

However, Cochran’s ownership of the radial-powered twin is only part of its storied past. 

After losing her certificate, Cochran sold the 1954 E18S-9700 model to Anthony Productions—the copyright holder for The Merv Griffin Show and Dance Fever.

“Merv actually flew the hell out of it,” Goebel says. “He basically used it instead of driving the [Hwy.] 405.” 

Thanks to the detailed logbooks of Griffin’s corporate pilot, the names of the rich and famous, who traveled with him around the Los Angeles area and on junkets to Las Vegas and Palm Springs, were fastidiously documented. According to the flight logs, the list of celebrity passengers included: Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Leslie Uggams, Gene Hackman, Wayne Rogers, Dinah Shore, Arthur Murray, Dick Carson, Jan Michael Vincent, Marty Allen, Pamela Mason, Doug McClure, and others.

“[And] Dar Robinson, a big stuntman from the era, jumped out of it over Caesars Palace in Vegas,” Goebel says.

It is this history of transporting Hollywood actors and actresses that inspired the twin Beech’s new moniker: the Hollywood Bomber.

“While Jackie is part of the story, she is not the whole story,” says Goebel, an FAA-certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic with inspection authorization (IA), and an FAA-designated engineering representative—vintage (VDER).

“[The Beech Super 18] is an absolute reflection of corporate aviation in the ’60s and ’70s. It’s really neat, the connection with Hollywood….A lot of famous people flew in this thing—and that’s what you did in the ’60s and ’70s and these were the kinds of corporate aircraft [used], and that’s the story and it’s a great story to tell.”

To note: Goebel acknowledges the Beech Super 18 is not and was never a “bomber,” but he thought it was a catchy misnomer for the project, and the Vintage Flying Museum (VFM) agreed.

Bringing the Aircraft Back to Life

The Beech Super 18 came to the museum in 2019 after serving as a maintenance trainer for Tarrant County College. The aircraft sat outside for most of its 30-year lifetime at the college, exposed to often-harsh North Texas weather conditions.

After learning that Cochran owned and flew it, the college then started “restoring” it, says Goebel, who served on and chaired the aviation advisory committee at the college for several years. “They started basically disassembling it; unfortunately, they didn’t get a lot put back together.”  

“It’s one of the larger projects we’ve taken on,” admits Bill Gorin, A&P, IA, and the volunteer director of operations at VFM. “You’re taking an airplane that’s been asleep for 40 years, basically, and trying to wake it up and get it flying again.”

Because of its extended time outside in the elements, every steel screw was rusted and is being replaced, he says. “We’re having to change a lot of nuts and a lot of screws.” The airplane’s belly skin was also replaced, owing to corrosion that was likely caused by an onboard potty.

While the Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines are mid time, they remain a question mark for the project. “We’ve inspected the engines, but there’s still a lot of unknowns with them,” Gorin says. 

According to Goebel, the plan is to track the engines’ performance with oil analysis and monitoring, eventually overhauling both engines using a rotable in order to keep the aircraft available.

Of course, if a large-enough donation comes in, Gorin says they will overhaul the engines much sooner. “It’s about $50K per engine, plus the cost of the accessory overhauls. We would love to find someone to donate that, as well as upgrading the old generators to modern Jasco alternators.”

The museum has established a GoFundMe account for monetary donations. The current fundraising goal is listed at $103,000.

Before it goes airborne, the Hollywood Bomber will have new, updated avionics and be completely rewired. Some upgrades are also planned, including adding external oil filters on the engines. “There’s a pre-oil system out there that’s available for it, to pre-oil the engines before you start them, so that way you’re not starting the engines on dry bearings,” Gorin says.

A new paint job and restoring the interior, including new upholstery, will likely be the final touches for the project—most likely after it’s airworthy.

“The biggest challenge is just trying to get all the parts,” Gorin says. “If people want to donate money, or parts, or services, we’re a nonprofit, it’s all a tax write-off for anybody who’s interested.”

The project has already received several donations. These include: an S-Tec autopilot from Genesys; fabrics for the interior from Duncan Aviation; clocks from Davtron; fuel cells and installation from Southwest Airframe and Tank Services; and a spar X-ray from Apex Inspections.

Volunteer Labor Fuels the Project

Goebel, who is documenting the restoration project on his YouTube channel, HangaRatz, says without the support of volunteers, the restoration project would be at a standstill. “Everything is pro bono as far as labor goes. It’s all just community helping this aircraft get back [in the air],” he says.

Some of the volunteers have never worked on an airplane before, and Goebel says that’s OK. As the A&P of record, he is teaching and coaching the volunteers through the entire process.

For example, “The instrument panel was hand-crafted by volunteers who have never built one. No computers. No CAD. No high-speed routers. Drills, punches, and files. And it’s a gold-plated example of their capabilities and efforts,” Goebel says.

One of those volunteers is Abigail Kennedy-Dominguez. The high school senior started helping with the project before the COVID-19 pandemic slowed its progress. Early-on, she says she learned some of the basic skills and techniques to help maintain the airplane. Now that she’s older, she’s been able to participate in more hands-on activities, including helping to cut and file the new instrument panel, sealing and patching holes in the fuel bay, fitting patches for antenna holes in the belly, and taking apart old seats so they can be reupholstered.

“I believe that it’s important to maintain a woman’s touch on this plane,” Kennedy-Dominguez says. “Jackie Cochran created a legacy for all women in aviation by introducing the idea that women were just as capable as men when it comes to flying (and all things). I think it would be disrespectful for us to ignore that legacy by restoring the plane with a group solely made of men. A woman made that plane glorious, and women should be involved in returning it to glory again.”

Katrina Lorenzen and her husband, Joey, are also helping with the project. When they’re not working on the Hollywood Bomber, they’re building a Van’s Aircraft RV-7A at their home. From transcribing the Beech Super 18’s logbooks to drilling out old rivets, removing the mounting stations and helping final fit and rivet filler plates to patch the old holes, she’s integrally involved with the project.

“This plane has a rich history and the more stories we uncover, the more driven and connected we feel to the project. We are all committed to getting her in the air and off to share with everyone we can,” Lorenzen says.

A Female-Centric Vision

Lorenzen and Kennedy Dominguez’s contributions to the Hollywood Bomber project align well with the museum’s vision of using the flying exhibit to celebrate women in aviation, past, present, and future.

“It’s all about showcasing aviation opportunities for women,” Goebel says.

Gorin agrees. “Ideally, what we’d love to see is that airplane flown and maintained by women. I would love to see it go to shows with a couple of women flying it and women maintaining it. That would be better for the next generation than the current generation.”

Believed to be one of only a few women in the U.S. to found and direct a flying museum, Charlyn “Chuckie” Hospers, couldn’t agree more with the vision for the Beech Super 18, and she’s already creating educational curricula and displays to accompany it. For example, a traveling exhibit of display boards the museum designed and built—available through the Texas Trail Lakes Region—salutes women’s contributions to aviation and World War II. “Two of the panels are on Jackie Cochran, and we have panels with Rosie the Riveter…and we have Wally Funk [and others],” she says.

Forming a Flying Museum

Hospers and her husband, William “Doc” Hospers, purchased the museum’s 9-acre site and two hangars—one a B-29 World War II-era hangar—located at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (KFTW) in Texas in 1988. “We actually started with a B-17 Flying Fortress that we had for 31 years,” she says. The couple were co-founders of the B-17 Co-op, which to this day supports owners of the famed World War II bombers.

Hospers recalls her first introduction to the B-17 that would ultimately become the museum’s first aircraft. “It turned out when my husband came home with the B-17 Flying Fortress, he didn’t tell me at first,” she says. “He flew it in and had me meet everybody out at the airport. And he took me by my hand and led me underneath the wing of the aircraft, and he said, ‘What do you think of this?’ And I said, ‘What is it?’ And he said, ‘It’s ours.’ That’s how it started. He had taken a big stick and painted my name on the side of the nose of the B-17. He knew what he was doing.”

Hospers says she got on the “bandwagon,” learned to fly, got her taildragger endorsement and her multiengine rating. “We had it [the B-17] for 31 years, and we flew it to airshows and it was all volunteers that maintained it and kept it flying,” she says. Following Doc’s death in 2010, she sold the B-17 named Chuckie. Today, the vintage bomber is owned and operated by the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.

A former FAA runway safety expert, Hospers says “it’s amazing” how far the museum has come since it was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1990. Today, several other aviation-related nonprofits call the museum home, including the CAF Invader Squadron, PGM Aviation, Greatest Generation Aircraft, and the Fort Worth chapter of the American Rosie The Riveter Association.

“We have almost 30 aircraft on display now [about 50 percent airworthy], and some very rare and valuable,” Hospers says.

The famed flying B-29 Superfortress FIFI and B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil called VFM home for seven years before moving in 2021 to the Commemorative Air Force’s new headquarters at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD). And, the space they left has already been filled. “We actually have a waiting list for aircraft,” Hospers says.

Hospers, Gorin, and Goebel and their team of volunteers are working diligently to get the Hollywood Bomber back in the air. Gorin, who is a pilot, says one day he’d like to fly right seat in the aircraft—after he gets a couple more ratings. “[But] I’d rather stand back and watch the ladies fly it, that would be more rewarding to me.”

Specifications: Beechcraft Super 18 E18S-9700

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Pilots who live in northwest Washington state know the airplanes that fly for Kenmore Air on sight—with their distinctive liveries, and the fact that a lot of them use the copious waterways and lakes in the region for takeoff and landing. Right now under the current restrictions, the company operates domestic flights only, with that hopefully opening up on June 15.

What folks may not know, however, is that Kenmore has used its expertise with keeping legendary airplanes such as the DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver flying to craft extensive restorations of these models for clients. “We generally look for ex-military Beavers as they were built to a higher standard than the civilian version,” said Rob Richey, vice president of sales and consulting for Kenmore Air. “Even though Beavers do not have life-limited airframes, we do look for low-total-time planes. We are just finishing up one of Kenmore’s original line planes that has more than 40,000 hours on it but a customer generally wants a low-time airframe.”

The DHC-2, N22KK, that Kenmore restored for owner and EAA board member Keith Kocourek is a little unusual, however. “Keith’s plane is a little different, because it is such a high serial number—it was past the time when the US military was buying planes. Thus, his was built originally to the military specs.” Kenmore restored the airplane in 2019 with the hope of bringing it to EAA AirVenture this summer. Instead, the company is looking forward to next year—and searching for more candidate airplanes to restore in the interim.

Richey notes that they have two candidate airplanes in work already. The first, N5344G, had been essentially abandoned on Vancouver Island for many years, and Kenmore snapped it up when it came up for sale. The second, N95RC, had a “tussle with a shoreline in Alaska,” said Richey, and they bought it from the insurance company. “What is different about the Beaver market is we don’t care about damage history—it doesn’t affect the value in other words. It’s more about the shop that does the rebuild. We have done more than 150 rebuilds which is why they are known as ‘Kenmore Beavers’ in the industry.”

While the shop is full for the next couple of months, Richey understands the lead time involved in finding, purchasing, and relocating a candidate airplane can take several months, while the work in process can take 12 to 18 months. If you know of any DHC-2s that could use this kind of royal treatment, contact Richey at robr@kenmoreair.com.

The post Kenmore Air Seeks Candidate DHC-2 For Project appeared first on FLYING Magazine.