bob turner

Just like that. We have done local sales with checks. But cash is king. Don't kill a good deal with legal mumbo jumbo - it doesn't add anything...

Me neither. I am selling a Decathlon right now and the only paperwork will be a bill of sale.

My last three lightplane transcontinentals I learned about courtesy cars. Call ahead on that last leg of each day - they will usually put your name...

Me too on the needles - mine are coathangers. I do the wing horizontal, and can still look through an adjacent hole to see where to put the needle,...

I know that is 43-13 spacing. Is it also Piper standard?

The real problem is insurance. Losing all your certificates is painful, having your insurer say "we're outta here - you were intentionally flying in...

Yes, that's the one. I have been rib stitching for a half-century, and that was "life-changing!" Assuming the OP is doing a Super Cub, surely...

You don't. But you do not need eight columns, and the answer is only two numbers. If you have to print out things like flight number and number of...

You can use Piper spacing if you can find out what it is. Whatever you do, check out the Stits lady, and her "palm tree and rabbit" technique - way...

Makes sense. In the olden days it was an estimate, based on random loading and 170 lbs average. But note - the most sphisticated system does not...

As a BAC 111 first officer, I was responsible for a horrible run-around chart for wt/bal before each departure. So I wrote a computer program (in...

Both of the above posts are on point. Avoid like the plague complicated spread sheets. They obscure what is going on. You may choose any datum...

You need to check with a specialist. It is possible to avoid the use tax, but it may take longer than six months. And it may involve the aircraft...

Sea level guy here - I just use a wood 72/42, and get delightful performance. When I want to see 1300 fpm, I get the Super Decathlon out for a spin.

Mine rolled out with metal spar wings at 718 lbs. in June 1946. We pretty much determined that wood spar wings are lighter - we decided on 8 lbs...

Doesn't the gross weight go up a bit on floats? And I bet Jack won't let those Cubs get anywhere near a scale. 1160 lb. with McKinley...

When they weigh 835# empty, they become officially one place aircraft. You have a useful load of 385 lbs - enough for two 170 lb adults and 45 lbs...

I have put 5000 hours on a Cub with only a shot of SAE 30 or 50 every 25 hours. Dirty, but nothing has worn out so far.

I have a field approval for those on a J3. I simply machined a big fat long washer and got a longer bolt, moving the brace forward a bit. That...

My J3 had pretty good rust on those "handhold" tubes in 1962. Cleaned it up, painted the whole frame in epoxy (cheap back then) and pressed on. No...

Never forget that the PMIs are people just like us, and often do not have any more knowledge than we do.

You guys are bringing up good points. I have seen a number of early PA-18-95s with flaps and 150/160 hp, and am aware of one with Wip 2000# kit and...

All of them are beautiful. Nice thread.

Maybe. If experimental, are they modifications, or simply part of the certification?

It is beautiful, but with full fuel can you find a 25 lb pilot who can reach the controls?

They are sufficiently different that you need to go to a school or do some serious study. Even changing the oil is “different.”

I am using the API on two J3s with excellent results. I make a little bakelite washer to go on the bottom of the kingpin, allowing me to set...

When I do a J3 wing, I attach a small vertical piece of wood or plywood in front of and behind each spar, just so the fabric shrinks up in a bit...

Oh, and hopefully without over-generalizing, I would guess that if your politics and general outlook tend rightward, Bend would be a better fit. A...

Well, there is no comparison between Cardiff and Bend. Taxes may be the only similarity. The Southern California coast has probably the best...