1947 7BCM 71119

[Doc]

Mark Julicher and I are partnering up with a retired USMC pilot (Bob Sabia) to restore his 1947 L-16A. He wants to paint this aircraft in a camouflage pattern (leopard pattern on silver) that he believes is circa 1951. Anyone out there have any documentation of this as a true military paint scheme? Our plan is to have this as authentic as we can make it. Bob states he saw this pattern in a 1950/1951 aviation magazine (? Flying) when he was a kid. Any help will be appreciated. Doc

[Paul Agaliotis]

Doc,
I went to great lengths researching the paint jobs for my L16, 47-1108. All of the planes were delivered from Aeronca with the silver paint jobs. There are some photographs that depict other color schemes but I was unable to get any confirmation whether this was an authorized paint job or something that was cooked up in the field. The depot level maintenance uses the T.O. for the paint job.
Paul

[Doc]

Thanks Paul: Do you have any photos of the factory paint job? Our ship is 11 after yours. Doc

[Paul Agaliotis]

Doc,
I finished mine in the "as delivered" from Aeronca. I used the Aeronca print but omitted the TO block for use of aromatic fuels and such. I don't like the huge LH-XXX buzz numbers so I left them off.
I was lucky enough to have most of the original fairing strips. The formers for the fuselage and cabin areas are aluminum stampings. The only wood in the L16 is in the spars and the floorboards.
Paul

[Mark Julicher]

Paul,
Doc, Bob and I hope to have a stock looking L-16A when we get finished. We don't have the stamped formers - that is an interesting wrinkle.

Here is a question though... the plane as it sits now has a large tail. The L-16 flight handbook shows both large and small tails on L-16s. Is the L-16A to be equipped with a small tail even though the "high horsepower" Champs had a large tail?? We plan to install a C-85-12F with Charles Lasher's STC.

Thanks,

[Paul Agaliotis]

Mark,
The L16A had the carburetor on the 85. Also had mechanical brakes and the small tail. The L16B had the big tail and hydraulic brakes with a fuel injected 90.
The oleos are kind of unique to the L16. They share a common bolt size with the 7AC. The later no bounce from the 7ECA's use a sleeve in the bottom end and a slightly larger bolt. This makes the axles a little different.
Paul

[Mark Julicher]

Thanks for the heads up on the oleo bolt-up and the details on L-16A.
I have a letter out to see about getting the STC for the C-85-12F . It will just be ever so nice to have a starter. Otherwise we hope to stay as stock L-16A as we can.
I got some new Essco manuals in, so this should go reasonably fast - as restorations go... always some sang here or there.

[Paul Agaliotis]

Mark,
The big rub on the electrical system is the transponder, there is not much room in the plane for them. You might look into installing the system from a later ship, there may even be a service letter to do so.
Most of the planes have the -12 engines installed. Continental doesn't see ant difference in the engines, they consider them all C85's. The dash numbers indicate modification level of the basic engine.
Paul