'Hi Jonathan,
I have a Fairchild 22 project, not a 24, but the 24 has better community
support because there are more of them, and thus "better" answers to your
questions.
A restoration project is a lot of fun, but make sure that you're prepared
for it to be a multi-year project. Only in rare circumstances are projects
a quick path to flying. There's a saying in the restoration community: 90%
done, 90% to go.
A 24 is a good airframe for a first project, significant enough to be
interesting but not too complicated that it becomes a nightmare. You can
pretty much make anything you need if you have to, but with the 24 there are
enough airframes around that there are spares from parted out airframes
and/or people with collections of spares. It isn't as easy to calling
Univair like a Stinson 108, though, you'll need to dig deeper and know the
right people. That's where communities are invaluable.
There are a number of covering processes you can use on a certified airframe
with A&P supervision. The two traditional ones in common use are
Ceconite/Dope and Poly-Fiber. They both use the same Dacron fabric and
fabric technique, they different in the type of finish coatings you use.
There are some newer systems such as Stewart Systems which are based on
water-based urethanes advertising less solvents/greener and easier to apply
& work with (fewer coatings required). All of the Dacron systems are 25+
year systems if reasonably cared for, practically infinite if the plane is
stored indoors. I would not recommend the most traditional way which is to
use Grade A cotton & dope. These airframes left with factory with cotton
but it doesn't last nearly as long as Dacron-based systems, shrinks over its
lifespan, and most people consider cotton a liability on a plane that's
going to be flown.
Carbon cubs are still fabric covered, in fact the airframe is still a
traditional steel tube, aluminum built-up wing structure, and covered in
fabric. Carbon fiber parts are used for aileron, seats, cowlings,
floorboards, interior, etc, to simplify construction and reduce weight.
Some people have tried using fiberglass to cover fabric airplanes in place
of Dacron or cotton fabric, a system called Razorback used this approach in
the 1970/80s and it still occasionally seen today. I would not recommend it
for a vintage aircraft as it is heavier and it is unclear whether the
company that supports the product is still in business.
If you're new to restorations I'd suggest trying to connect a local person
near the plane or yourself that could go out and help look over the project
with you before you buy. That way you can get a calibrated eye on the
condition of the project and workmanship of restoration work that's already
been done. You should also figure out if you can get the support of an A&P
to work with during your restoration, since legally they're going to have to
sign off all of the restoration work. Some A&Ps understand what restoration
is and are great to work with, some A&Ps are more about changing oil in
Cessnas & Pipers and don't really understand restoration practices and
probably don't want to. It is worth getting a gauge on your local A&Ps
before you start a project. Again the community can be a big help here.
You'd have to ask a 24 owner about performance and converting engine types,
but as far as converting I'd say buy a project with the engine that you
actually want. There are enough 24 airframes out there that it probably
isn't worth the pain of trying to convert.
-Russell
From:
fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com [mailto:
fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Jonathan J. M. Katz
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2010 2:45 PM
To:
fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [fairchildclub] Projects?
All,
I've been debating a project like the following as a family project:
http://barnstormers.com/classified_348303_1938+Fairchild+24J+project.html
Please bear with me, as I have a lot of "n00b"/FAQ-type questions. If
there is a FAQ somewhere, can you please point me to it?
How difficult are parts to find? I know that with Stinsons Univair has
just about anything you can think of, as they own the type.
I also know we're allowed to recover our own aircraft with the
supervision of an AP. Is there a preferred method for Fairchilds
(ceconite, etc?) Has anyone tried using carbon fiber for this? I know
there are carbon Cubs out there.
What kind of "real" numbers (vs. book numbers) can be expected with
the 175hp ranger (as is included with this project.) How difficult are
aiframes to change between round engines and Rangers?
Thank you!
-Jon
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