Cruisair Pilot-Side Door

N

NC86786

New member
I got some factory drawings from the Smithsonian for making a pilot-side door for the Cruisair. I thought originally that these were required on Canadian export models, but now doubt it after contacting several Canadian Cruisair owners whose airplanes, lacking this door, were imported to Canada very soon after being manufactured.

Does anyone have any information about these doors' history? I would love to buy one or borrow/rent one to use as a pattern.

Thanks.
Mike
 
My 14-13-2 serial #1592 was originally exported to Canada in 1948. The documentation I obtained from Transport Canada includes a letter from Bruno Salvadori, Bellanca Executive Engineer. The letter specifies that a second cabin emergency escape door was factory installed per Bellanca Dwg. 15123. Further, I have a letter dated from 1949 from Transport Canada on the second door installation. The letter confirms that the second door was not a standard installation for Bellanca, but was specially built to comply with Canadian emergency exit requirements. Unfortunately, sometime before I bought this bird in 1998, the second door installation was removed.

As a side note, when I was researching my plane on Transport Canada's microfilm, I found another record for a Cruisair that was exported to Canada shortly before mine. That record also mentioned the installation of the second door, to comply with Canadian regulations. The final records for that plane indicated that it was severly damaged in a crash in the 1960's, was deemed not repairable, and was removed from the registry.

Regards,

Gary Walentoski
 
Thanks for the information, Gary. Armed with this data, I will continue to contact Canadian Cruisair owners to see if I can find someone with a project who isn't interested in retaining the door. I found a man in Illinois who has an airplane with such a door. He flies the airplane and wants to retain the door, so he can't sell it to me, but will send photos, for which I am grateful.

Export models to South America may also have used this 2nd door, so if I could find someone down there who has a project, that may be another source of a door.

For drawings, so that you might fabricate a door (very difficult without a pattern), visit the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's archives division webpage at

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/arch/services.cfm#contact

Mike
 
Come across the threshold at 50 full flaps and a drop of 1200 ft a min. and pull back on the yoke to stop your decent for a 3 point landing and tell me what happens ? When the wings come up and block the air to the tail , you better hold on. Don't tell me you are going to make a wheel landing, because you will not have a enough foward motion for this. You'all have fun, time to go fly. :lol: :lol:
 
You had better add power and lots of it as the bottom will drop out!
 
I posted a replay on the wrong subject . So what. It really kind of gets me going when people make statements about landing so slow and other such things. We all have the same plane and except for a very few minor items they all fly the same. When someone post something very different and others read it that is not flying there bird yet it could very well get them in trouble if they try to use it. I made a trade with my wife, if I can work on the plane every day till I was done we would go where ever she wanted within range. It worked. I am low time in my plane, about 500 hrs in 3 yrs. The plane is made to travel and my wife an I do that about every month. For those of you not flying yet HURRY you are missing out on a REALLY nice plane. Hope I don't make to many mad for posting wrong. :lol: :lol:
 
The thing that gets ME going, Randy, is that you take such vigorous offense to people disagreeing with you. Somebody asked me a question and I answered it. My experience has been different than yours. LIVE WITH IT!!!

As for posting on the wrong board:
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO ME, BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO FIND INFORMATION ON A PILOT SIDE DOOR, NOT DEBATE LANDING SPEEDS WITH YOU AND WHOEVER ELSE CAN'T READ WELL ENOUGH TO JUST POST ON THE RIGHT BOARD!!! NOW, IF I EVEN HOPE TO GET AN ANSWER TO MY DOOR QUESTION, I HAVE TO MAKE UP ANOTHER BOARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! :evil:
 
Dear Mike:

One of the few rules we have on these Forums is civility and respectful treatment of others; erroneously posting on the wrong subject is not a capital crime and can be pointed out gently or by humor, not by shouting (ALL CAPS) or casting curses (evil!)

Randy Smith has been a long-time and avid supporter of the Club as well as a knowledgeable Bellanca mechanic; he deserves better, as we all do.

Please express your concerns more gently in the future.

Thank you,
 
People get upset once in a while no big thing. In the age of computers it is so easy to hit the wrong key and post the wrong message! Big Deal-- I don't think so-- I can't tell you how many times I have screwed up doing this. I agree that if you get behind the power curve you will need more power than you have to get out of trouble in a flair. These Bellancas sink like a rock! LYNN N9818B the crate 8)
 
I probably bought the 14-13-2 with a left door that you inquired about in Illinois. It's now in Canada and I looked in the regs and never found anything about left door requirement for Canada. That being said, I know Brazil was requiring this door. There is probably some overthere. If you need some more detailed pictures, I can e-mail.

Alain.
 
Merci, Alain. Ma femme est Quebecois, ma belle-maman habitant a St. Jean-sur-Richelieu. Nous habitons a New Hampshire. Peut-etre, je peut voir ton avion quelqufois comme visitant Quebec?

Mike
 
Bonjour Mike,
You and your wife are welcome anytime. We are close to Ontario border in St-Lazare near Rigaud. She'll know about Rigaud. Ask her about the song...C'est en revenant de Rigaud :D

Here is my e-mail. Let me know. And I'll give you tel. number. If weather permit when you come, I'll fly down to St-Jean. It's about 15 min. flight from my place. The airplane will be legalised by spring. (Can. C of A) Or you come to St-Lazare. You can have a good look at the door. Measurment and all.

mariejoalain@videotron.ca

Alain.
 
Do you or can you take some pictures of this left hand door so we can publish it in the BC-Contact! There are probably others that are interested in the left door solution.

Cy Galley Editor- BC-Contact!
cygalley@bellanca-championclub.com
 
I'll second the request for info for the B-C contact, I'd love to see an article or at least pictures about this in it!
 
I'LL be happy to do some. Light is good today, I'll do some this afternoon. despite -16c (about 5F)

Note that if you install that door, forget about the opening window if you're already equiped. And this door is really just an emergency door. Not to use routinely like the right one. Mind that very useful opening it during taxi or waiting for take off clearance when very hot. :D

Alain.
 
Some pictures sent. Not all that good. Too cold to pull the airplane out on ice and no volunteers to help. when warmer, I will send some more details with measurments.

Alain.
 
Off Topic Inquiry:

What was the topic that spilled into this discussion by mistake? I can't find it, alas...

Topic Save:

As Dan Torrey told me, Cruisemaster (and I presume this may be true of the Cruisair as well) pilots have incinerated themselves by excessively priming with their throttles - shooting up a fountain of fuel begging to be ignited. A pilot's escape door could have, perhaps, altered the outcome. For the rest of us, go easy on the prime and make sure your fire extinguisher is handy, charged, and held in place by uncorroded straps when awakening the beast.

Jonathan
 
Thanks for your comment on my bird Jonathan.
Just uploaded the pic last night!!!

Well the way you put it about the over priming...I'm happy with that door!!! Whe I will get time, I will fire an e-mail with all the measurments of the door itself.

Alain.
 
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