What to buy...what to buy?

I think the wings from ACA are around $18k. There's another company,
Millman, that makes an aluminum spar. Oddly enough, you can't get the
weight increase with their spar. Many think that the cracked spars only
occur on planes that have been damaged, ie ground loop. That's why
it's key to get a mechanic that can recognize a crack in the wood from
odd brush strokes on the varnish.

Dave
68 7ECA

Carl J. Hixon wrote:
Dave,

Thanks for the reply. A citabria is definitely on my short list. I did 80%
of my training for private pilot in a 7ECA. About 15% of my training was in
a KCAB, and about 5% in a KCAB. The 7ECA had sweet controls and was super
light on the stick. The KCAB didn't feel as balanced but I loved the extra
power. The KCAB was very nice but the rudder on this plane just wasn't
right so I stopped flying it. (others complained as well)

My first flight instructor and now long time friend is a former naval
aviator. He would probably not have an issue IFR training in a Citabria.
Although, as I have gained 35lbs since my PPL training...we would definitely
be over max gross weight. IFR training isn't a real goal right now, but I
should keep it in the back of my mind.


There is a wing spar ad that is a bit of a joke but only experienced

citabria

mechanics can do the inspection properly.


I am guessing that this is the one that had them put holes and inspection
covers all along the underneath of N5025D. I thought that I read somewhere
that the factory would put a metal spar on for a reasonable price. This
would get rid of the AD and add about 100lb useful load? It's been a long
time...


Sunshine and fabric don't get along real well. I was outside
for about 11months. My plane was recovered in 1993 and had a spotty
record as far being hangered prior to my ownership. As a result,
although the fabric is perfect, the red paint on the upper surfaces has
faded.


The citabrias that I rented seemed to fair okay out in the sunshine. These
planes never got washed so I am thinking that I could do better. My real
goal would be to find a shared hangar. I've got a friend with a Long-EZ
alone in a hangar...


Check out the citabria group on yahoo.com


WILCO.

Here is one candidate that I came up with:
"Carl J. Hixon" wrote in message
Luscombe 8

Luscombes are great. We have two. My 8E has a 100 hp and cruises at 110 mph.
We make about 5 camping trips a year in them. According to the seat style,
they can haul two fat or tall boys just fine.


CITABRIA One of our best buddies has two Citabrias. He loves them and
camps from them, too.

Of the two, the Luscombe is more agile, but the Citabria is more roomy.

Have fun,

Deb

--
1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)
Jasper, Ga. (JZP)

" 1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)

Now that is marital bliss! He is one lucky guy.

"Carl J. Hixon" wrote in message
news:vNUid.112907$hj.50407@fed1read07...
" 1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)

Now that is marital bliss! He is one lucky guy.


On some days he's lucky. He seldom gets to work on the C-195 because he's
working on my bird. Plus, he has to work hard to keep me in avgas/mogas.

On the other hand, he's my A&P. I trade home cooked meals and cuddling for
maintenance services. So I guess you can say it works out pretty well! Two
years ago, we had our 20th wedding anniversary and I turned 40. Most women
would get a diamond or two. He bought me a Don's Dream Machine C-85 with the
0-200 STC. I've been speechless ever since.

Deb
--
1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)
Jasper, Ga. (JZP)

Henry and Debbie McFarland wrote:

I've been speechless ever since.

Gotta get one of those for my wife! :-)

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

The more that I ask around and the more that I look into this...the more I
realize that I need to negotiate rides from people at the airport. I don't
want to bother a lot of sellers by kicking tires for a ride. I need to buy
a lot of lunches. I am all over the place with the types of planes I am
considering that one would deduce that I don't know what my mission is. [It
is kind of like my motorcycle theory, you can't have just one...a dirt bike,
a sport bike, a cruiser, etc.] I am stressed about going in the wrong
direction.

Any cyber buddies feel like a free lunch and some gas? I'm looking for
rides in:

Luscombe 8
Grumman Yankee
Grumman AA5
Swift
Pacer
Champ
Navion
Long-Eze
C-170
Etc...

Thanks,
Carl

You've got two from my short list, grumman yankee and aa5. I was very
close to getting an AA5. The seller changed his mind about selling so I
didn't even fly it. Then he called me to tell me he would sell it. I
didn't bother with it. Ultimately the realization that I will almost
never need four seats made me go back to the 7ECA. I've never actually
flown an AA5. I've got quite a few hours in tigers and yankees. The
little yankee is a nice flyer. Much more fun than a 150/152.

One other nice thing about the citabrias is the baggage area. Although
it's difficult to access, there plenty of room for soft luggage. I
haven't made any weekend trips but it can handle my golf clubs or my
folding bike with room to spare. The newer models have a baggage door
that can be added to an older model.

Dave
68 7ECA


Carl J. Hixon wrote:
The more that I ask around and the more that I look into this...the more I
realize that I need to negotiate rides from people at the airport. I don't
want to bother a lot of sellers by kicking tires for a ride. I need to buy
a lot of lunches. I am all over the place with the types of planes I am
considering that one would deduce that I don't know what my mission is. [It
is kind of like my motorcycle theory, you can't have just one...a dirt bike,
a sport bike, a cruiser, etc.] I am stressed about going in the wrong
direction.

Any cyber buddies feel like a free lunch and some gas? I'm looking for
rides in:

Luscombe 8
Grumman Yankee
Grumman AA5
Swift
Pacer
Champ
Navion
Long-Eze
C-170
Etc...

Thanks,
Carl

Dave,

The only reason that the Citabria wasn't listed on my "ride list" is that I
have plenty of time in them to know exactly how great they are. Of course,
if anybody is offering rides....I wouldn't decline.

On Mon, 8 Nov 2004 12:25:30 -0800, "Carl J. Hixon"
wrote:

Where are you at? I own a C-170B, and it's one of the best all-around
airplanes ever built (one could argue the C-172 might fit that bill,
but I have a weakness for taildraggers....). A & B model 170s are all
metal (you can tie them down outside), they're not a lot of $ to buy
(relatively speaking of course), they are dirt cheap to operate &
maintain + there are very few ADs. They have passable performance
(for a stock-engined bird), especially no problem if you're doing
pretty much flat-land flying. I like Luscombes, but the cabin is so
danged small (+ you can't see out of the thing). The Swift is really
cool as well, but won't be as cheap/easy to operate (parts
availability, plus that retractable gear will cost you). The Champ is
also a blast to own/fly as long as you're not in any great hurry to
get anywhere. Aside from the Pacer, the rest of the airplanes on
your list don't "float my boat". 8^)

Bela P. Havasreti

The more that I ask around and the more that I look into this...the more I
realize that I need to negotiate rides from people at the airport. I don't
want to bother a lot of sellers by kicking tires for a ride. I need to buy
a lot of lunches. I am all over the place with the types of planes I am
considering that one would deduce that I don't know what my mission is. [It
is kind of like my motorcycle theory, you can't have just one...a dirt bike,
a sport bike, a cruiser, etc.] I am stressed about going in the wrong
direction.

Any cyber buddies feel like a free lunch and some gas? I'm looking for
rides in:

Luscombe 8
Grumman Yankee
Grumman AA5
Swift
Pacer
Champ
Navion
Long-Eze
C-170
Etc...

Thanks,
Carl

Bela P. Havasreti wrote:
Where are you at? I own a C-170B, and it's one of the best all-around
airplanes ever built (one could argue the C-172 might fit that bill,
but I have a weakness for taildraggers....).

I agree...I've got about 35 hours in a 170 (really the only taildragger
time I have since someone else groundlooped the one I was flying and I
went out and bought the Navion before the thing got back on the line).

Certainly, combines the best of the taildragger and the pseudo-four place
172. It's also old enough to get you preferred parking at flyins but not
so unusual that you'll have trouble finding maintenance.

How much are these going for these days?

As for Navions, I'm sort of partial to them, but you're going to have
a harder time finding one for $30K these days. Mine ran about $35
ten years ago (but it was a fairly nice one when I got it). The maintenance
is a bit more involved than the many of the others.

If you want all out speed, bet either the long-eze or the AA5B (again I don't
know how well you're going to do finding one of those for $30K). I'm partial
to the looks of the Swift as well, but they have problems of their own.