PA-14 Restoration Complete

N1423P is back in the air! Even if the pictures are from in the hanger.




This turned out to be a much larger and longer project than I had originally thought but I am very happy with the result. I learned a great deal and got help from many friends.

The "short" list of the work includes:

Dakota Airframes built up a all 4130 replacement fuselage in their PA-12 jigs. Removed the bungee support system (had PA-18 gear), added the cabin X brace, full observer windows, weld-on float fittings, welded seat belt tabs for all seating positions, extended baggage and reinforced tail. The airplane already had cub style doors on both sides.

New stainless firewall, and a new boot cowl. All new metal interior. New seat cushions and reupholstered seats. Insulated with Reflectix bubble foil. All new "glass". Pilot seat slides on base with one-time approval of Volvo seat rails (preexisting approval). Replaced passenger side Piper seat rails.

The wings got one new rear spar, Dakota ribs, new leading edges, false spares, and aileron and flap hangers. Reinstalled Boundary Layer VG's. Squared ailerons to match preexisting Crosswinds wing tips. Installed pulselight system and split landing light and taxi light placing them out at wing tips.

New Rudder and vertical stabilizer.

3" extended gear, new brakes and wheels, new master cylinders and brake lines, and 29" Bushwheels. Bushweel tailwheel on 3 leaf Pawnee style tailspring.


Reinstalled Atlee Dodge Tanks with front and rear fuel lines from both sides. New Steve's gascolator.

Installed PA-18 style preheat shroud in line with PA-14 muffler for extra heat and Atlee Dodge Defroster Kit.

Lightweight Hawker battery mounted under the seat with dual solenoid system. Installed a lightweight Skytec Starter.

Serviced and yellow tagged Borer 82-44 prop.

New instrument panel using mostly existing instruments. Removed old Radio, Loran and ADF. Installed new Icom radio and Garmin transponder. Designed panel to permit upgrade to Garmin 496 in future. Installed Fuel Scan 450.

All new wiring, circuit breakers, engine and flight control cables, fuel lines, oil lines, static system lines, etc.

Cover in Polyfiber with Polytone on fabric and Aerothane on aluminum. Fuselage and steel parts powdercoated, metal interior powdercoated.

CAP 2000 floats sodablasted and new float silver lacquer paint. Struts and other small parts powdercoated.

Got lucky, took it up the first time and it flew hands off. It's good to be flying again!

Wish it was mine.

Really nice looking plane and cool mods.

Bill

Just curious...what was the empty weight when you finished?

Crash

Great looking airplane! How long did it take? And I second Crash's question: what is does it weigh?

It looks GREAT!

sj

Looks lots better than our old 180HP Stinson, and I always thought that aircraft was the best looking this side of the UPF-7. How does it fly?

Looks awesome. Congratulations.

Wow....

Absolutely Beautiful, excellent job.

Mike

weight

I have the same question, I knew that it would be one of the first questions I was asked. The scales should be arriving here in Homer any day to weight it. I wished I had weighed it before the rebuild. The old weight was 1,155lbs with the 26" Bushwheels, but I think it was heavier.

I took weight out; KX-175B, ADF, Loran, shock cord cluster, stock battery and battery box, stock starter.

I also put new weight in, Dakota ribs, cabin X-brace, HD 3" extended gear, 29" Bushwheels, Bushwheel tailwheel and 3 leaf 1-1/2" tailspring, reinforced tail, extended baggage, and observer windows.

I sure I didn't add 100lbs, but since I do not believe the old weight, I would be happy if it comes in at 1,250lbs but it may well be higher. I know the tail is heavier. But that was expected and helpful on braking.

It performs well. Take-off seems about the same as before. Climbs 1,100fpm with the 150hp O-320 with the 82-44 prop. I am considering going to 160hp at overhaul time. Lycon thought they could get about 170hp. But then I lose the option of using car gas.

Anyway, I'll pass on the new weight when I have it.

Looks lots different from when I saw it at your house, nice job. Dave

Wow! Sure looks great! I am building an Exp. 14 and I am at a stage where I need to figure out how I want to do my seat rails. Can you give me any more info on the Volvo seat rails? Very interested to know Volvo part numbers or see some pictures if possible.

Thanks,
Marty57

Very, very nice. I would like to see the mistress (as my wife refers to my 14) in person. I might be down in Homer this Thursday if the turbulence forecast doesn't pan out.

Very nice looking job on that thing.

Keep us posted on the empty weight. I'm really curious.

Wow, what a sanitary looking -14!! DAVE

PA14

Great looking job Dave. A minor point - how is your 'Hamilton' (style)
compass working between the V-bars? I mounted one in this location on my Cub. Didn't work worth a damn. Tried the compensating balls. Better, but still 'hung up' and finally I moved the thing to the far left hand corner, but still on top of the panel. Works good and I didn't need the balls.

Very, very nice! Congratulations on a job well done.

Bob

Very meticulously done. The 14 airframe has such great lines. I bet it's a joy to fly.

Nice job Bob. Too bad you didn't get it to the Airmen's show for an "in person" look.

Pa-14 seats

Any information you could share on replacing PA-14 seats would help.
I'm looking at an aircraft that has had the passenger seat cut out of is.
I'd like to replace the seating with modern seats on rails.
Thanks
Tyler

How nice! I've always loved the 14 too.

Beautiful! My new favorite airplane on SC.org.

Passenger Seat

Tyler,
I am not sure what they did when they "cut the passenger seat out". The early PA-14's had a fixed passenger seat and then the factory began installing seat rails for the passenger side. You can retrofit seat rails into the early ones without a lot of paperwork since the adjustable seat is a stock item. The Piper seat rail stock is still available and a set of rails can be made up at home. Some PA-14's were modified with Cessna seat rails under field approvals years ago but I would go with the Piper rail because it would not require a field approval. If you can locate another PA-14 with seat rails you could get all the measurements to build up a replacement seat or modify the existing seat if you can get it. The easiest (maybe hardest) would be to locate a adjustable seat out of a wrecked PA-14. Someone on this site might know where there might be one. Give me a call at 907-299-1268 and maybe I can give you some more information.
Robert

Well we finally weighed the plane and it is 1333 lbs. Right 629 lbs, Left 629 lbs, Tail 75Lbs. I wish I had weighed it before the restoration to have a real number for comparison. On paper the old W&B said it was about 1140 lbs.

Reductions included:
Replacing old ADF, Loran and Nav/Comm with Icom Transceiver and Garmin Transponder
Lightweight Battery & Mount
Lightweight Starter
Removed Shock Cord Cluster

Additions included:
Fuel Scan Gauge
Reinforced Tail
Observer Style Glass
Upper and Lower Extended Baggage
Steel Tubing as Stringers on turtle deck. (Done without consulting me.)
X-Braced Topdeck
3" HD extended Gear
29" Bushwheels replaced 26" Bushwheels
Baby Bushwheel Tailwheel and 3 Leaf Pawnee Tailspring.
Heavier fabric job. I could have applied less polybrush.
Replaced Magnesium Wheels that were corroded with Aluminum Wheels.
AD Lift Strut Reinforcement
AD Weld-on Float Fittings

It already included:
PA-18 style doors both sides
Fuel panel of instruments
PA-18 Gear - Stock Size
Crosswinds STOL Wing Tips
Atlee Dodge Tanks
Aluminum Interior Panels