Crazy Eight

Engine at Anderson's ready to rebuild

This fall I removed the engine from the can bottom mount, built a wood cradle, rented a forklift, a large pickup and took the corn cob engine core up to Anderson Aeromotive in Grangeville, Idaho.  Talked with Ray and he agreed to let me help in the rebuild of my engine.  I brought home a bunch of engine parts that I had in a crate there, just to organize them in case I needed one. 

Here I have just finished washing all my parts, many of the parts are new or very low time.  I found a great core to rebuild.

 

Removing Engine Cylinders

Using a common grease gun I can carefully remove or pressurize the cylinders off the engine.  The grease isn't compressible and uncontrollable like air, it won't leak through the piston rings and valve seats like oil.  I just unload the valves and turn the stems to rub the leaks out.  I use a rod to support the heavy cylinders, keep the side load off the connection rods.  9000 psi will break the rusty rings and corroded aluminum pistons out of the steel barrels of the cylinder.  It takes about 8 hours to get one off, its a lot of grease!

Number 26 evidence

Fun to find some pencil marking on a part from Fennec Number 26. This was the 26th A model fuselage modified for the larger engine by SUD Aviation(builder of the Caravelle that became the Concorde) in southern France. This airplane served in the French Air force over Algeria in the early 60's.

Alodine finishing wing parts

Sent from my iPhone

New

Ahhhh, something new is IN! Seems like all I have been doing on this project is removing so it's great when I get to put a piece back in.

I am rebuilding the left front quarter, changing out the large engine systems including the oil cooler sheet metal for the original small engine setup.

Sent from my iPhone

NAA parts

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> I love taking these time capsules apart, thinking someone made this little factory part, 65 years ago. Started it's life in LA, flew to Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, France, Algeria NA, Argentina SA, Colorado, New Jersey then here to Oregon.
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> Sent from my iPhone

Love Ebay!

I have to say, I have found some incredible parts for this airplane on Ebay, hydraulic pump, landing gear cylinders, switches, all new in the original 1950's to 60's packaging. Just amazing. People find pieces at estate sales, they put them on Ebay, don't know what they are and I pick them up for very little. This switch, new, $10 HAAAA! Same price as a piece for a model airplane!

This is the flap cylinder switch.

Pictures of 2011 V

Ok, last page I hope.

I like this picture of a preserved Laos T-28 D-10 tail, depending on the area they were flying over, a card would slip into the picture frame.
Thankfully Charlie Goldbach of Spokane WA purchased this and all the spares.

Headed home.

Daphne and I are headed east now to Montana to visit T-28A owner Phil Petrick. He has a mid time prop for our project and some other spare parts.

Two days of driving and very hot for October, you can see the forest fire haze from Canada.

It was a quick visit, here we are stopping because my partner got sick from drinking river water, poor girl.

Here is an early morning run down the snake river just coming into Lewiston ID to stop for a little business, still smokey.

Here I am finish painting the aluminum on the fire wall with some disappointing primer paint made for aluminum. Oh well, it's so greasy up there it won't matter anyway. You can see all the spots where the screws were to hold the armor plating on, that went to the recycler.

Pictures of 2011 IV

This is taking more pages than I thought.

Here is Chris's broken forward gear trunnion box, it was patched together when he bought it so while he pulled the engine to repair a supercharger seal he decided to rebuild the broken box.

Daphne and I are on the ferry headed to the BC Island of Victoria to see the inventory of parts at Vic Air that are for sale. It was cold!

Here is a nicely restored T-28 A/S Argentine Fennec.

And the huge inventory of parts.

More parts

And parts

Pictures of 2011 III

Summer time, the BEST time of the year in the Northwest, dry and blue.

Here the team went on a road trip to Tucson, AZ. I spent most of the time surviving the heat at the bone yard, here is Nick my trusty nephew, we moved from shade to shade spot to survive the 100F jet blasted desert in June! This huge airplane was similar to the original Flight of the Phenix movie, they flew out on one of the booms! I think PanAm pilot Paul Mantz died making that movie.

This is our Customer Julie of McCune Aviation LLC leading a tour group through the BIOSPHERE just north of Tucson, I went kicking and screaming from the airplanes but definitely the best part of our trip.

Jack showing his stabilizer.

Our tiger Max guarding the shop.

Danny helping me rebuild the aft wall of the front cockpit. Putting shoulder belt recoil mounts in. He is a wizard when it comes to fabrication.

This is 49-1495, the oldest T-28, located at the Boeing Museum restoration shop in Everett, WA.

Chris Zimmer, lives next door to the Boeing restoration shop, with his 1300 pound A model QEC package on the dining room table.