Combining two hobbies

As some of you may know, I'm in the process of restoring a '58 Champ after a major groundloop (I didn't do it!).

Older (Aeronca, mine's a Champion 7EC) Champs have, instead of a handgrip, on the stick, a wooden ball at the end. I decided to use the old-style ball, but install a foam bicycle grip below it, for additional control and comfort.

Anyway, my Champ has front and reat PTT push-button switched for the radio, and I needed a decent way to mount the switches. They sit on the end of each stick, so they need to be in the ball. I studied a bit and came up with what I think is a clever mount.

I took two .44 Magnum cases, removed the primers, and drilled the primer pocket and flash hole out to 1/4 inch. I then used a 3/8 inch drill to counter-bore the inside (.44 maggie brass has a *really* thick case head!) so that the threaded portion of the switch would protrude far enough to get the nut on. I also used a file to rough up the outside surface of the cases so that I could more easily glue them into the ball.

My father-in-law is going to turn the balls out of white oak, and bore them to accept the cases. I'll then poke them into the stick, secure them with a #6 screw, and have the coolest Champ in Minnesota. Really. It's true. If you don't believe me, just ask me. I'd never lie about something like this.

I also have to test my new avatar. The Champ shown isn't mine, but I like it one the less. Our very own Cubus Maximus shot the photo, and I got it by way of my older brother - the one with the Husky (sssshhhhhh).

Rats! I'm posting from home, and the photo for the avatar isn't on this machine. Aarrrggghhhh!

Jon B.
Champ 9857B - under construction

Champs? Huskys? Are you sure you aren't just baiting folks on this website??

Be sure that you can disassemble your PTT. Inevitably, the failure will be in the place you you can't access!

There are Avatars of dogs, kids and boats on here; might as well be a Champ too.

John Scott

Baiting people here? Nah. That's too easy. Some of the die-hard Cubophiles here are so eager to bash anything that has a tailwheel and tandem seating that actual baiting should be illegal here. I feel qualified to 'live' here , as I owned an actual Cub - a '41 J5-A project that I was rebuilding as an experimental PA-12 (except she had wood spars). And, I have a bit - a very little bit - of stick time in a 150hp PA-18.

I like all tailwheel airplanes, but am partial to tandem-seat, stick-controlled models. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't donate my left testicle for a C-180, though. I'd even donate 80 or so thousande dollars, but that's something I simply don't have. Not that I could afford to properly feed and care for one if it was given to me...

I like the performance of Super Cubs, but also am fond of the room and comfort of the Champs and Citabrias. Getting into brother Dan's Husky is a challenge. Fat people need not apply. Nor those long of limb.

As for the PTT switches - they work OK now, but, of course, they're simply hanging out in the air. As soon as I button things up, something will fail. I bough 57B as a basket-case, and didn't like the looks of the radio trays. They were sent to St. Cloud Aviation (in Minnesota) for new antenna sockets, and the techs also rewired the Ptt setup. It worked, but they weren't 'right'.

One thing about rebuilding is the difficulty of truly testing things before all the interior panels are in place, and the fabric goes on.

Jon B.

and after all this I-need-room-to-move tirade brother Dan traded in his Scout for the Husky!

Brad

Hey, Stearman's are roomy taildraggers. You'll have to hurry him along on the project.

Brad:

I have the idea that Dan sometimes regrets trading the Scout for the Husky. *I* thought the Scout kicked ass. Roomy, high performance, half-decent payload, nice looking; what's not to like? Oh, yeah, those dinky little fuel tanks... 36 gallons isn't enough to feed an O-360 for very long.

The payload of the Husky on Wips is pretty decent. I think that's the primary reason he traded. And, yeah, I know; neither of them is a Cub. Well, if everybody flew Cubs, how could arguments be carried on?

And yes, I am looking forward to having a few rides in the Stearman!

Jon B.

Two hobbies

Speaking of Stearman, this past winter I took three hours with Tim Preston at Mid Central airport in FL.

Some photos are at:
http://homepage.mac.com/howieburch/PhotoAlbum4.html

It was a great experience, but I still like the SC and SD more.