Scudrunners

https://www.controller.com/listings/air ... 7-ac-champ

Tell me why it's a terrible idea in addition to the fixed costs.

Yes, yes you should buy it.


Without a txpndr, you are going to be a bit limited on your choice of home bases.

I think it would like to live at Kirkby field with some other Nordo planes. I can't find any rental hangar rates there online but I might phone.

I bought an IC-A6 though because I like to listen to ATC, so I could chat with people while I fly.

I like Class-c and would definately talk with a nice avionics sales guy about a transponder and simple com/intercom. I have seen one running off a motorcycle battery with a solar panel to keep the weight down to leave some useful load for pizza/sandwiches.

Hell yes, and as a bonus it has lots of room compared to a Cub.

You’d be crazy not to.  See if you can try it out with the guy selling it.

I'm pretty sure I'll still be crazy if I buy it. It sure is less expensive than a Chipmonk.

Did you buy it yet?

You buy it, I'll order you a new set of spark plugs from Spruce in Brantford.

Seriously.  I had an unbelievably good last week.

If you call in the next 20 minutes (because me and the Sham-Wow guy
can't do this all day) I'll toss in a spark plug tray.

You can learn a lot about an engine, just by looking at the spark plugs.

The right way to do it, after pulling the cowls, is to undo all the high
tension leads, then remove just the top plugs.

That gives you a chance to do a cold leakdown test, which theoretically
isn't as good as a hot leakdown test, but if you have good cold numbers,
you will have great hot numbers.

Pull the prop through, with your thumb over the empty top spark plug
hole of the cylinder you want to test, and when the compression blows
your thumb off, you will hear a click from the impluse coupling magneto
just after top dead center.

Take a small, powerful flashlight and use it to look through the top spark
plug hold, at the top of the piston.  Wiggle the prop until the piston is
right at the top.  The prop will probably be perfectly horizontal, if it's a
little four-banger, unless the last AME that put it on was back on crack.

Screw in the leakdown adapter, grab the prop, and slowly put the air
pressure on, and adjust until you've got 80 psi on the input.  If the
cylinder is at TDC, the prop will actually stay put without you grabbing
it.  The farther it is off TDC, the more force the prop will need.

Wiggle the prop as required for max psi on the downstream gauge.  If
it's over 70 cold, you're golden, pressure off and write it down.  If it's
below 70, with someone holding the prop, put your finger over the
breather tube and your ear to the exhaust, and try to figure out which
is leaking the air.  Breather tube is rings and is perfectly normal.  An
engine can run just fine with worn and even broken piston rings, it will
just burn more oil.  Pro-tip:  bottom plug oily means that your rings
are worn - expect to buy more oil.  Top plug oily means that your
rings are badly worn, maybe broken.  You can fly today, but the jug
comes off tomorrow.  No big deal.

Exhaust blowby is a bit more scary, because you have to figure out if
it's in the process of coming to pieces, because when it does, you will
not be happy.  The power loss and roughness has to be experienced
to be believed.  An eyeball on the valve face and neck is helpful.  Often
exhaust valves just stick in the guides, and mechanics like to pull the
rocker covers and pound on the valves with a hammer.  I am not
making this up.

Anyways, buy a good airplane, and take good care of it.  When you sell
it, years down the road, it should be in better shape than when you
bought it.  That means you are a good caretaker of hardware, which is
really all we can hope to be.

Well said Andy. 


Be an ambassador for aviation. 


Treat her well, and she’ll treat you well.

Slick Goodlin wrote: Did you buy it yet?

No. I am definately waiting until I get my Cat 3 back. It would be bonus if I found an inexpensive place to park it indoors too.

I should probably go hang out with the local RAA guys and see if any of them are keeping a plane at Kirkby Field.