Sorry for posting from another thread, but this looked like it was getting buried in that other thread (sorry if this is a breach of ettiquette). I think it is worthy of a separate discussion.joea wrote:Well everyone, Nathan made it up here fine.
Right now we have almost 100 planes in the parking area for Aeronca's and are expecting lots more tomorrow. We sold the Friday night dinner out, something that has not happened in a long time.
Wag-Aero is here, showing and selling parts. We have entered into an agreement where I am going to loan them a Chief McDowell style nosebowl and they are going to duplicate it. Now all the Chief owners who want to return to the stock style nosebowl and spinner will be able to do so. Bob Carr is here selling his beautiful spinners and said that the minute the new nosebowls are available that he will have spinners for them.
As well Wag-Aero wanted us to get an announcement out to everyone. They want the members of the NAA and other forums/email lists to get together and make a "top ten" list. They want to know what we feel is the top ten list of parts that are not available now and they will look into making them for us! This is for the Chief and Champ.
Also they told us that one reason why they do not have a large number of newer parts for the Chief and Sedan airplanes is that they do not have an airplane to use to for fitting and approval. The NAA is now working with them to assist in this and make new parts available for everyone.
Its been a very very good fly-in so far and we have another 36 hours to go!
Out of production parts needed?
* How about a new altimeter with a 6 o'clock adjustment knob so we don't have to butcher up a panel to install a new one?
* New instrument panels so you can undo all the butchering that was previously done to your panel? Would also allow use of new altmeters with adjustments at 7 o'clock position making the first suggestion moot.
* For Chiefs (since I'm a Chief Pilot) I would like to see an approved replacement fuel transfer shut-off valve.
* For the Aeroncas, a hydraulic toe-brake conversion (mine has hydraulic toe brakes, but I don't like the pedal set-up - would not recommend it.)
* New source of old-style A-7 mag switches - they show up regularly on eBay, but you're buying potentially old, worn out parts. And they get bid up to ungodly astronomical prices. O/H on one of these switches at Keystone is north of $150. Of all the suggestions, I think that this would me the most marketable/profitable.
There's my $.02 - and probably aobut what it's worth, too.
OMM