More (very) miscellaneous stuff
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 5:56 pm
'Some more drivel from my findings today on my new purchase.
A nice letter from Theron Rinehart of the Fairchild Republic Company of Hagerstown
dated Feb 16, 1983 confirmed that DAE was indeed one of a batch of 509 UC-61A
aircraft built for the US AAC under contract W-535-ac-28355. Ser no. 43-14413.
Possibly a world record, I apparently am owner number 24 since this plane was built.
TTAF is only 2061hrs. In fact, the Midland Financial Corp repossessed the plane twice,
once in 1948 and again in 1949. Howard Shelton brought the plane to Canada in 1973
where it became C-FDAE.
A Transport Canada report from 1980 indicated a ground loop accident in Vancouver
and a broken right landing gear strut. They could not determine if the ground loop broke
the strut or the broken strut induced the ground loop. That's what did the right wing in
anyway and carried the right step along with it and the stab. That's why a stab spar
and covering ply came with the package. I did get new spars, leading edge ply and ribs for
the right wing with the deal. The lift struts are near perfect and the wheel pants are like new.
Not likely 'd fit those as I'll probably keep up my tradition of a Military Paint scheme and it'll
probably come out looking like one of the Argus' that went to Britain with the lend lease
program. Multi cammo on top and trainer yellow on the bottom. Cammo can be neat but the
lads at our local field moaned that they could not see my Christavia from above so I resorted
to invasion stripes on the wing tops.
I still haven't found any 337's or whatever on the install of round al. fuselage stringers.
One thing I find interesting is that a weight and balance report from the late '60's showed
an empty weight of 1,821 lbs. What empty weights are you lads seeing, please?
David Stroud, Ottawa, Canada
Christavia C-FDWS
F24 C-FDAE in restoration'
A nice letter from Theron Rinehart of the Fairchild Republic Company of Hagerstown
dated Feb 16, 1983 confirmed that DAE was indeed one of a batch of 509 UC-61A
aircraft built for the US AAC under contract W-535-ac-28355. Ser no. 43-14413.
Possibly a world record, I apparently am owner number 24 since this plane was built.
TTAF is only 2061hrs. In fact, the Midland Financial Corp repossessed the plane twice,
once in 1948 and again in 1949. Howard Shelton brought the plane to Canada in 1973
where it became C-FDAE.
A Transport Canada report from 1980 indicated a ground loop accident in Vancouver
and a broken right landing gear strut. They could not determine if the ground loop broke
the strut or the broken strut induced the ground loop. That's what did the right wing in
anyway and carried the right step along with it and the stab. That's why a stab spar
and covering ply came with the package. I did get new spars, leading edge ply and ribs for
the right wing with the deal. The lift struts are near perfect and the wheel pants are like new.
Not likely 'd fit those as I'll probably keep up my tradition of a Military Paint scheme and it'll
probably come out looking like one of the Argus' that went to Britain with the lend lease
program. Multi cammo on top and trainer yellow on the bottom. Cammo can be neat but the
lads at our local field moaned that they could not see my Christavia from above so I resorted
to invasion stripes on the wing tops.
I still haven't found any 337's or whatever on the install of round al. fuselage stringers.
One thing I find interesting is that a weight and balance report from the late '60's showed
an empty weight of 1,821 lbs. What empty weights are you lads seeing, please?
David Stroud, Ottawa, Canada
Christavia C-FDWS
F24 C-FDAE in restoration'