The engine on my Super D is coming off this week for overhaul. The shop says 3 months, but I hear horror stories about shops taking 6-8 months or longer due to parts shortages.
My fuselage really needs a restoration. I really ought to cut the fabric off, disassemble everything down to the bare frame, bead blast, reprime, replace all the wood, cables, pulleys, and hardware, and recover it. But that is probably at least a one year project at my current degree of personal free time.
After pulling the engine, I realize that is not a gigantic effort. So I could wait a few years til the timing is right, then pull and pickle the engine and do the restoration. Or sell it to someone else with the time, if I choose to graduate to a Pitts.
Alternatively, I could try to accomplish something short of a full restoration now, but which addresses the main needs of the aircraft. The glass is fine, and the frame does not appear to have any structural issues. The main wood problem is with the formers. I could strip the fabric, inspect closely, spot paint the frame as needed, replace the wood, cables, and pulleys, and then recover and paint.
So, ballpark, how many man-hours would I be getting myself into?
What components could I leave in place to expedite the process? I'm thinking the instrument panel, flight controls, and interior can all be accessed and addressed at any time, irrespective of engine status. What about the greenhouse roof? Could I leave that in place?
The headliner looks ok except for a stain in the back. Ideally I would replace it. But I get the impression that is difficult an adds quite a bit of labor to the overall effort.
My fuselage really needs a restoration. I really ought to cut the fabric off, disassemble everything down to the bare frame, bead blast, reprime, replace all the wood, cables, pulleys, and hardware, and recover it. But that is probably at least a one year project at my current degree of personal free time.
After pulling the engine, I realize that is not a gigantic effort. So I could wait a few years til the timing is right, then pull and pickle the engine and do the restoration. Or sell it to someone else with the time, if I choose to graduate to a Pitts.
Alternatively, I could try to accomplish something short of a full restoration now, but which addresses the main needs of the aircraft. The glass is fine, and the frame does not appear to have any structural issues. The main wood problem is with the formers. I could strip the fabric, inspect closely, spot paint the frame as needed, replace the wood, cables, and pulleys, and then recover and paint.
So, ballpark, how many man-hours would I be getting myself into?
What components could I leave in place to expedite the process? I'm thinking the instrument panel, flight controls, and interior can all be accessed and addressed at any time, irrespective of engine status. What about the greenhouse roof? Could I leave that in place?
The headliner looks ok except for a stain in the back. Ideally I would replace it. But I get the impression that is difficult an adds quite a bit of labor to the overall effort.
