On Sat, 8 Aug 2009 13:45:37 -0700 (PDT), canuck_bob
wrote:


I purchased the plane and found some questionable airframe problems
under close inspection. Then we adopted 2 girls from China and all
airplane activity ceased for a few years ( we got little Anna when I
turned 50 and actually thought I could adopt a second girl, raise two
infants, work and put hundreds of hours into a plane project, isn't
denial a wonderful thing).

With the problems I found on the fuselage and my new family to
consider I've decided to completely refurbish the plane and bring it
up to proper standards before flying it now. I'm glad I decided this
after pulling the fuselage fabric. My plane was built in the 60's and
I want to refurbish it and keep it flying for another 50 years. Also
it was very overbuilt so I can reduce weight dramatically and am
trying to get its empty weight down to 600#s like Pete Bowers
prototype.

To me the plane is a valued antique that represents all that I admire
from the early days of amateur built airplanes movement. Nothing
represents those days better than a Fly Baby or a Tailwind.

As the mechanic in charge I had to ground the airplane, tough
decision. I believe more of us need to be prepared to ground our
planes when they need it. I once read a discussion with a NASA safety
expert. He said they found out through research that the second a
pilot gets that little gut feeling that someting might happen the
proper evasive procedure should be instituted immediately.


with a 25 year old W8 Tailwind I face a similar choice in the
forseeable future. Luckily for me tube structures in fuselages last
longer than wood ones.
like you I think that they are worth restoring.
Stealth Pilot