PA-11 project complete

Now that this project is finished except for a few paperwork issues, I thought I would post a few pictures. I mostly lurk, so I haven’t kept a running progress report. I bought the project four years ago and worked on it when I could, then after retirement a year ago, it became a 5-6 day a week pursuit. I headed to Texas and attended several of Pierce’s seminars to learn to cover and eat barbeque. I chose the Stewart System process because there was less chance I would blow myself up, and it is user friendly. Craig Frisby, Rexburg Air Service, Rexburg, Idaho rebuilt the C-90 as well as helping me with the more technical issues I didn’t have the expertise to accomplish. I couldn’t have accomplished this without him and his engineer’s eye. I spent a month in his hangar with my hands in my pockets watching him use his skills to install the engine components, engine controls as well as rig the flight controls. Great guy. I am excited to be at this point.
I had saved before retirement as a teacher to complete this project, it did cost but it was fun and rewarding. I did learn one painful truth in the process. If you are using paint stripper, take off your gloves before you step outside the hangar to pee.

Project pickup in Missouri:


C-90


I added the Bi Plane investments 12-gallon tank in the right wing so I don’t have to carry fuel bags in the back seat when I head to the backcountry.



I made new interior panels, seats covered locally with leather, and I used Jim Fix’s fancy three-layer foam in the seats. They are very comfortable. I installed a battery powered Trig comm and transponder. I had Aerotronics in Billings, Montana custom cut the Clyde Smith blank panel for me, a AV tech at a local university built my wiring harnesses and then Craig Frisby did the final wiring installation. Keystone overhauled the instruments. We mounted a modern SIRS compass on top of the panel because there obviously wasn’t room in the panel because of the radios.


I used Aerographics for the wing paint masks and other lettering, they were great to work with and have tremendous costumer service.


Grove brakes, Steve’s master cylinders, and Steve’s gascolater were also added.
It was so rewarding that I have started another project for someone else. I thought I retired.
The Supercub.org site as well as the J-3 site provided me a lot of help with the knowledge, tips and techniques available. Thanks.

Very nice, With that -8 C90 you have one of the sweetest airplanes ever built. Your going to have a blast.

Glenn

Wow! Great job, Robert! That looks like a nice, functional, and pretty bird. I look forward to inspecting it in person in the Idaho backcountry next summer.

MTV

Nice job. Looks great. Another 11 back flying.

"take off your gloves before you step outside the hangar to pee.":lol:
Thanks
Doug

Rober,

That plane is beautiful. Looks like a great restoration.

I am interested to find out more about your battery powered Trig comm and transponder.

Dennis

Looks great! Your going to have to fly it down for us to check it out.

Nothing purtier than a PA-11 in the clothes she was meant to wear! Beautiful job!

Congratulations what a careful and well executed restoration. My barn find has been more piecemeal, so not strictly a restoration.

I wonder how many projects/barn find Cubs/Super Cubs are resurrected every year? Fifty or more? Nearly as many as the annual production of some of the new Cub derivative manufacturers?

Simply wonderful!

Great Job Robert! I met you at Steve's event in February and had no idea you were this close to finishing the project. Way to go; looks beautiful and should be a very nice flying bird!

Aaron

Dbow said:

Rober,

That plane is beautiful. Looks like a great restoration.

I am interested to find out more about your battery powered Trig comm and transponder.

Dennis

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Dennis,
Steve Vold from Aerotronics in Billings, suggested I take a look at the Trig equipment when I was researching what to install that could be battery powered. The comm and transponder each weigh less than one pound, and they are remotely mounted with only the head in the panel. The transponder has a built in encoder and the comm has a built in intercom that is voice actuated, and they both have a low power draw. They are apparently used often in gliders. I am using an (expensive) lithium iron ion battery with 14 amp hours that weighs less than one pound. My understanding is that the lithium batteries probably won't have a true draw of the full 14 amp hours as a more conventional battery, but I wanted light weight. This battery has a dedicated charger that is also light weight, but I don't anticipate hauling it around much. I have a solar charger that I can lay out on the ground to recharge while away from the grid for extended periods. We just completed the "smoke" test a few days ago, everything worked, but I don't have any real world experience yet. It will be a while before we fly it, I have some paperwork to complete with the FAA.

Remote boxes, upper right:

Battery box on floor with USB charge ports and fuse protected. The box is to the left of the torque tube.

Beautiful!

RaisedByWolves said:

Looks great! Your going to have to fly it down for us to check it out.

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I have a feeling Bob won't need to head east for you to see it Tom.

Bob, Congratulations. Looks amazing, can't wait to see it.

I did a lot of research on the Trig radio and transponder before installing them in Kirby's rebuild. Light weight, reliable and excellent service. I even became a dealer for them.

Bob,

Fantastic restoration! Even looks better than you represented it at Steve's seminar last February.

Nice work, Bob!

Beautiful!!!

Looks great, Bob! Having seen this in person, I can say these pictures don't do it justice. The attention to detail is amazing. It's been fun to see this go from a bent up basket case to what it is now. I wish I had the patience and talent that Bob has.

The new only thing it needs now is a set of big tires...

AJ

Wannabe said:

The new only thing it needs now is a set of big tires...

AJ

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Hey-No compensation needed here.

Looks great Robert. I believe you were parked next to me in the Tri-Pacer at JC this year. Maybe this year I'll see you in the 11.

Good Gracious, Man! That thing is gorgeous. Another master aircraft builder has surfaced.

Hey Bob, I can't wait to see you and the PA11 at the next fly-in. This looks fantastic!

You gonna sell your tri-pacer?

Also, did you hook up a GPS source to your Trig xponder? What ELT did you go with? Is that hooked up to the GPS too? Did you look at the EarthX Lithium Iron batteries?

Fantastic!!

Nice job.

PA11 Pilot said:

Looks great Robert. I believe you were parked next to me in the Tri-Pacer at JC this year. Maybe this year I'll see you in the 11.

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That was me. I'll bring the Cub if I can figure how to bring all my creature comforts that I brought in the Tripacer.

soyAnarchisto said:

Hey Bob, I can't wait to see you and the PA11 at the next fly-in. This looks fantastic!

You gonna sell your tri-pacer?

Also, did you hook up a GPS source to your Trig xponder? What ELT did you go with? Is that hooked up to the GPS too? Did you look at the EarthX Lithium Iron batteries?

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I'm keeping the Tripacer, everybody should have two planes plus I have to have one "modern" one. I haven't hooked any thing up to GPS because I'm not smart enough to deal with wires and electrons. Next time we get together I'll quiz you about this.

Beautiful bird you and your team are truly master craftsmen, my husband would have drooled over that instrument panel. Thanks for sharing your pictures and information on your choices I will do some research. I am hoping 2015 will be the year the mechanic will fix the hot mag on my PA 11 so I can fly again I miss it so much. Good luck with your paperwork with the FAA that issue cost me two years and still is up in the twilight zone. Blue skies and tailwinds, susie

Very nicely done!

Really nicely done ! Congrats on a beautiful little "Special Cub" ......................... you will have lots of fun with that one. We had one in our family for 35 years , N5575H it was absolutely lovely to fly and had a set of Edo 1320 floats and flat prop [75/38 Sens] from memory , and it took of in 7 secs on floats all day long, wouldn't even run on the step into a 15mph headwind just fly right out of the hole. Our was perfectly straight had never even been ground looped before since new! We took it up to Alaska and fly it there for a while and I sold it to a young fella out in Bethel that proceded to take off on the aux tank in the right wing with very little fuel in it and of course you know the rest........................ it has since been brought back to life and is in Birchwood Ak the last I knew of it.
Have fun as they are about the best there is for pure fun.
Atlee used to always tell folks up at the shop to get their goat, well a 150 /18 is great but if you really want to get off short get a 90hp J3 !!! lol....................