Recovering a cruisair
- Thread starter Bernie Ferrie
- Start date
NC74392
New member
Bernie IMHO you should use Poly Fiber epoxy primer. It sticks amazingly well and wont pull up if you need to re-do some screwed up section (my experience). I used white and it looks VERY nice on the exposed tubing inside the fuselage. I also used black wrinkle paint over the white on the braces visible in the windscreen. I didn't want the glare of white on the inside of my glass while flying :? That would be annoying.
This being said, I'm sure Bellanca didn't use Poly Fiber primer.
This being said, I'm sure Bellanca didn't use Poly Fiber primer.
Dan Cullman
New member
You must have a couple Polyfiber dealers 'downunder.' The epoxy primer called for in this process is two part and very tough. Yes, spruce is used throughout and if you can't get it locally, I can get you what you need. If your wings are good, you shouldn't need much. The lower longerons on the Bellanca are prone to rust. Check this area----especially three feet forward of the tailpost.
mhackens
New member
Bernie:
You have the right attitude, a good-looking shop (shed), and a real good-looking project to start with. So ¾ of the fight is done, now down to work.
I bought a damaged 14-19-2 last May, thinking I would take it home and be flying in a couple of months. Not so, been having too much fun. Have worked on airplanes most of my life, but it has always been to keep them running to make a living or for some ungrateful customer. I’m taking it slow and having a great time just for ME.
These guys are great for help, when I first subscribed to the forum, read ever post back as far as it goes. Stole a large file of ideas just from the various posts. Example; Lynn Ford can tell you how to mount shoulder harness. I did it with both the fabric and headliner on. (Paper work who needs freaking paper work)
Will sent a couple of photos;
Half is home:
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk317/mhackens/100_0076_00.jpg
In the hangar with brothers C140, his hangar, guess who is going together first:
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk317/mhackens/airplain_004.jpg
You guessed right, both 140’s done, you can see the Bellanca behind the winter
wall all the repairs are done going back together.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk317/mhackens/airplain_007.jpg
Take care and keep us informed, its a great motivator to see someone else having a ball with a pile of old Bellanca parts.
You have the right attitude, a good-looking shop (shed), and a real good-looking project to start with. So ¾ of the fight is done, now down to work.
I bought a damaged 14-19-2 last May, thinking I would take it home and be flying in a couple of months. Not so, been having too much fun. Have worked on airplanes most of my life, but it has always been to keep them running to make a living or for some ungrateful customer. I’m taking it slow and having a great time just for ME.
These guys are great for help, when I first subscribed to the forum, read ever post back as far as it goes. Stole a large file of ideas just from the various posts. Example; Lynn Ford can tell you how to mount shoulder harness. I did it with both the fabric and headliner on. (Paper work who needs freaking paper work)
Will sent a couple of photos;
Half is home:
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk317/mhackens/100_0076_00.jpg
In the hangar with brothers C140, his hangar, guess who is going together first:
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk317/mhackens/airplain_004.jpg
You guessed right, both 140’s done, you can see the Bellanca behind the winter
wall all the repairs are done going back together.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk317/mhackens/airplain_007.jpg
Take care and keep us informed, its a great motivator to see someone else having a ball with a pile of old Bellanca parts.
Bernie Ferrie
New member
Thanks Guys,
Hope I fixed the photos, I checked and I can bring them up OK hopefully they work for everyone else. Thanks for the photos of the cruisemaster project, it's a good looking aircraft and the C140's look great as well, in fact they look brand new. Your brother has a nice hanger set up.
The paperwork can be difficult, I guess one thing going for me, I have the only cruisair in Australia and no one knows what it is, never mind how it's put together, So I may have an oil filter and air filter which may not have been there when it rolled out of the factory 62 years ago. They work very well and will make the engine last alot longer and add to my saftey. I am not a cowboy about the paperwork but if I can make real improvements I will always do it. Not sure what the FAA are like but CASA in Australia are much more interested in the big guys flying the public than one little Cruisair. I mainly get asked to show my weight and balance!
I will stick with the polyfibre products, yes we will have a seller down here and I bet they charges twice what is costs in the US we always get ripped off! Last time I was in the US 1996 my bags weighted a ton from all the tools and aircaft parts - they were so cheap I couldn't resist.
I have found working at home on the project is wonderfull, I don't have to drive to the airport 45 minutes away, I have it set up how I want. The kids are even frighten to come in, in case I ask them to help - so its just me and the dogs!! I go down after dinner for a hour or two so much more enjoyable than TV.
As I'm a shift worker doing 4 on 6 off, I get lots of time to potter so this project is great. Just got to pay for it all.
regards
Bernie
Hope I fixed the photos, I checked and I can bring them up OK hopefully they work for everyone else. Thanks for the photos of the cruisemaster project, it's a good looking aircraft and the C140's look great as well, in fact they look brand new. Your brother has a nice hanger set up.
The paperwork can be difficult, I guess one thing going for me, I have the only cruisair in Australia and no one knows what it is, never mind how it's put together, So I may have an oil filter and air filter which may not have been there when it rolled out of the factory 62 years ago. They work very well and will make the engine last alot longer and add to my saftey. I am not a cowboy about the paperwork but if I can make real improvements I will always do it. Not sure what the FAA are like but CASA in Australia are much more interested in the big guys flying the public than one little Cruisair. I mainly get asked to show my weight and balance!
I will stick with the polyfibre products, yes we will have a seller down here and I bet they charges twice what is costs in the US we always get ripped off! Last time I was in the US 1996 my bags weighted a ton from all the tools and aircaft parts - they were so cheap I couldn't resist.
I have found working at home on the project is wonderfull, I don't have to drive to the airport 45 minutes away, I have it set up how I want. The kids are even frighten to come in, in case I ask them to help - so its just me and the dogs!! I go down after dinner for a hour or two so much more enjoyable than TV.
As I'm a shift worker doing 4 on 6 off, I get lots of time to potter so this project is great. Just got to pay for it all.
regards
Bernie
lwford
New member
Five months into this and the fuselage is now covered except for the top.All covering has been installed stitched and Poly Brush except for the top.This is very intense and takes forever waiting for crap to dry! When I write my book on this let me tell the truth, it is no fun and very hard work. You will ruin your clothes, you will wear a fresh air mask cause this crap stinks and is dangerous. On a Bellanca you will use every trick in the Poly Manual. The transition from the slab side fuselage to the vertical fin, requires tempory rib stitch so you can shrink to 250 degrees then stitch and bring it to 350. I found that the longeron is very susceptable to over tangent gluing. There is nothing here MEK can't fix, you will use gallons of it.. Once you spray your first coat of Poly forget the MEK. I feel like I'm months behind but people tell me they have never seen such progress- Bullshit I know why there are so many covering projects out there idle as I stated it is hard work and intense. I got a couple quotes before I started the cheapest was 25k! I thought you got to be kidding, no I wouldn't do another unless you paid me 30K. I might make OSH. LYNN :twisted:
Bernie Ferrie
New member
Hi Lynn,
Hope you have taken lots of photos, I would love to see them!!! Good luck making OSH but remember their is always next year. I have all this fun ahead of me.
I am still stripping all the hardware off the airframe, found a big old mice nest between the headliner and outside fabric, right above the pilot seat. What a mess, lots of corrosion from the mice piss I think. I can still smell it on my hands after washing them 3times. " Not happy Jan" These little pests can sure do damage, not sure if they were American or Australian, they are long gone. I think the tubes will be OK but I will check them out very carefully. The rest of the airframe is corrosion free.
I noticed the fabric was not rib stiched anywhere on the fuse except the vertical stabilizer ribs is this correct? The A grade cotton was in very good condition considering it is 42 years old.
Pulling it apart is easy ...... it's getting it back together that takes the time!!
regards
Bernie
Hope you have taken lots of photos, I would love to see them!!! Good luck making OSH but remember their is always next year. I have all this fun ahead of me.
I am still stripping all the hardware off the airframe, found a big old mice nest between the headliner and outside fabric, right above the pilot seat. What a mess, lots of corrosion from the mice piss I think. I can still smell it on my hands after washing them 3times. " Not happy Jan" These little pests can sure do damage, not sure if they were American or Australian, they are long gone. I think the tubes will be OK but I will check them out very carefully. The rest of the airframe is corrosion free.
I noticed the fabric was not rib stiched anywhere on the fuse except the vertical stabilizer ribs is this correct? The A grade cotton was in very good condition considering it is 42 years old.
Pulling it apart is easy ...... it's getting it back together that takes the time!!
regards
Bernie
lwford
New member
Bern, I had a mice nest in my headliner also but lucky me no damage. My fuselage was rib stitched on the upper stringer and screwed on the bottom stringer. It took sometime to reinstall the screws in the same holes on the bottom but was accomplished. I have the fuselage covered except for the top. I'm making the cutouts now ,windows, flap ,aileron, controls etc. I figure once it is all cut I will cover the top and stitch. My fin also was rib stitched at 1 inch intervals. I'm falling behind in my work as I have A&P jobs to make some money. I'm glad I started this as the inside was showing lots of light. I found 9 layers of paint and on the bottom 3 layers of fabric! I press on Lynn :|
Jonathan Baron
New member
That's one major benefit we have over our aluminum cousins...mouse pee is not a Red Alert for us. I've seen wee rodent countermeasures for aluminum aircraft that go from the semi practical to a guy I knew in Texas who had a motor oil moat around any conceivable assault point.
Bernie Ferrie
New member
Guys,
Is the Cruisair airframe fabric rib stiched or only the cruisemaster? My fabric as I said was only rib sticked on the vertical stab. Thought maybe, only the faster Cruisemaster would need that extra grip on the airframe. I can't see any signs of the cruisair previously being rib stiched .
Got a 5 gallon drum of MEK today to start stripping the wings, last time a bought it cost $35, one place tried to charge me $160, finally got it for $90 it pays to ring around. I remember when I was an apprentice Aircraft mechanic we would splash around in this stuff all the time. Now it's a mask and gloves - how time changes things. We would quickly jump into fuel tanks with 2inches of kero in the bottom to change fuel valves and just take a shower after, I think back now and can't believe we did it. Working in an oil refinery I realize just how many risks we used to take!!
Better stop I'm starting to ramble - I'm on nightshift and the plant is running sweet.
regards
Bernie
Is the Cruisair airframe fabric rib stiched or only the cruisemaster? My fabric as I said was only rib sticked on the vertical stab. Thought maybe, only the faster Cruisemaster would need that extra grip on the airframe. I can't see any signs of the cruisair previously being rib stiched .
Got a 5 gallon drum of MEK today to start stripping the wings, last time a bought it cost $35, one place tried to charge me $160, finally got it for $90 it pays to ring around. I remember when I was an apprentice Aircraft mechanic we would splash around in this stuff all the time. Now it's a mask and gloves - how time changes things. We would quickly jump into fuel tanks with 2inches of kero in the bottom to change fuel valves and just take a shower after, I think back now and can't believe we did it. Working in an oil refinery I realize just how many risks we used to take!!
Better stop I'm starting to ramble - I'm on nightshift and the plant is running sweet.
regards
Bernie
Jonathan Baron
New member
Being, unofficially, the Commander in Chief of dilatory rambling, Bernie, we have a television program here on the Discovery Channel called Dirty Jobs. Though the point is supposed to be to highlight jobs where people get covered in goo and poo, what struck me most is the sheer danger many of these jobs entail. Ah, but if you have a Cruisair, you no doubt have that special situational awareness of danger that comes when you truly have something to live for <---pathetic attempt at a topic save :roll:
NC74392
New member
Bernie-
Top and bottom stringers on my Cruisair were stitched. It's not that hard- you'll have to use the "blind hole" method of rib stitching (outlined in our FAA's 43-13 publication) on the top.
Cover the bottom first, glue down and shrink, and stitch it with the top and sides uncovered. I used 1" spacing on mine, but I believe you can get away with 1 1/2 inch between stitches.
Top and bottom stringers on my Cruisair were stitched. It's not that hard- you'll have to use the "blind hole" method of rib stitching (outlined in our FAA's 43-13 publication) on the top.
Cover the bottom first, glue down and shrink, and stitch it with the top and sides uncovered. I used 1" spacing on mine, but I believe you can get away with 1 1/2 inch between stitches.
Bernie Ferrie
New member
Thanks Guys,
This is where this forum really pays off !!Especially when your on the other side of a BIG ocean and no other beasts to look at. I will stich top and bottom ... when I get that far. Just because its not done on your aircraft doesn't mean it's right. Got my Polyfiber manual today so my pretty excited, it all looks so easy???? I can see some new spray equipment coming, quitely of course and straight into the shed. The warning "only authorize people may enter" applies to the fairer sex which don't seem to understand the investment in such necessary equipment................ don't get me started.
This is where this forum really pays off !!Especially when your on the other side of a BIG ocean and no other beasts to look at. I will stich top and bottom ... when I get that far. Just because its not done on your aircraft doesn't mean it's right. Got my Polyfiber manual today so my pretty excited, it all looks so easy???? I can see some new spray equipment coming, quitely of course and straight into the shed. The warning "only authorize people may enter" applies to the fairer sex which don't seem to understand the investment in such necessary equipment................ don't get me started.
Jonathan Baron
New member
What does the "I" stand for in that acronym, DD? Incessantly, perhaps? :wink:
Dan Cullman
New member
Bernie, Be careful removing the fabric from the wings. A lot of damage has been done to wood wings by people in a hurry. Maybe start at the butt of the wing and see how easily the fabric pulls free. I suggest using a plastic scraper to work between the fabric and the plywood skin. You don't want to pull up any wood. If you get into a tough spot, then you can use a little of that MEK to soften the bond. After you have removed the old fabric, you can fill minor imperfections in the skin with a lightweight filler and block sand. Clean the inside of the wing with a shopvac. Now, the wing is ready for sealing as per the Polyfiber manual. Keep us posted.
Bernie Ferrie
New member
Thanks Dan,
I have already had a go at the fabric on the wing and its stuck on very firmly, I am slowly wetting it with MEK to losen it before removal. Slow, but the wood underneath is in good condition and I would like to keep it that way.
I still have a lot of work on the fuse, lots to be removed cleaned and restored, I will need lots of new hardware. Once I removed the windshield and unscrewed the metal cowl behind the engine the instrument panel is so much easier to get at.
Who is the best company to get a new windshield and side windows from? My windshield is about 1/4 of an inch thick is this a standard windshield, I just noticed it's alot thicker than most other light aircraft?
I have already had a go at the fabric on the wing and its stuck on very firmly, I am slowly wetting it with MEK to losen it before removal. Slow, but the wood underneath is in good condition and I would like to keep it that way.
I still have a lot of work on the fuse, lots to be removed cleaned and restored, I will need lots of new hardware. Once I removed the windshield and unscrewed the metal cowl behind the engine the instrument panel is so much easier to get at.
Who is the best company to get a new windshield and side windows from? My windshield is about 1/4 of an inch thick is this a standard windshield, I just noticed it's alot thicker than most other light aircraft?
NC74392
New member
I can almost guarantee that windshield was meant for a 14-19 Cruisemaster. It's a great way to reduce noise in the cockpit, but I have never heard of a legal installation on a 14-13 Cruisair. That being said, it's almost impossible to detect you have a thick windshield once installed :wink:
This is a good place to get windows:
http://www.lpaero.com/
I've always liked Aircraft Spruce and Specialty for general hardware and covering supplies.
Others may know more however!
This is a good place to get windows:
http://www.lpaero.com/
I've always liked Aircraft Spruce and Specialty for general hardware and covering supplies.
Others may know more however!
Bernie Ferrie
New member
Thanks DD,
Your right my windshield is from a cruisemaster, I checked the thickness on the web site - lpaero, you sent me ( thanks again). I guess that is the reason it sat fairly pround of the airframe, don't tell me its going to be louder if I fit the correct one! Boy, his beast already makes enough noise. I thought the cruisemaster was wider than a cruisair?
My windshield was not well fitted and always looked NQR ( not quite right). Now I know why it wearing its big brothers clothes!! I know the feeling coming from a family of 10 kids.
I will use aircraft spruce for hardware, I have dealt with them in the past and they get stuff to Australia super quick.
regards
Bernie
Your right my windshield is from a cruisemaster, I checked the thickness on the web site - lpaero, you sent me ( thanks again). I guess that is the reason it sat fairly pround of the airframe, don't tell me its going to be louder if I fit the correct one! Boy, his beast already makes enough noise. I thought the cruisemaster was wider than a cruisair?
My windshield was not well fitted and always looked NQR ( not quite right). Now I know why it wearing its big brothers clothes!! I know the feeling coming from a family of 10 kids.
I will use aircraft spruce for hardware, I have dealt with them in the past and they get stuff to Australia super quick.
regards
Bernie