7EC

[Kif]

These are before and after pictures of N81910 that my Dad and I restored back in 1977. I just scanned them to see how they look. I have more of the restoration and will post some later.

[Kif]

Here's some of the restoration.

[joea]

Nice photos and glad you saved the bird!

[Kif]

[Kif]

Heading home from Oshkosh. I was 16 and going home solo. What a trip!

[CptKelly]

Wow! Great photos of your restoration. I am curious, what caused the struts to buckle way back when? Snow load?

Mike

[Kif]

Mike, I think that the owner was going to take the wings off to recover them. He took the jury struts off, left it tied down outside and then a storm or high winds caused the wings to fly and bend the struts. The plane was a primary instrument trainer for the University of Illinois. They did all the upgrades to change it to an EC. It was a great plane and the restoration was pretty straight forward. Wish I still had it.

[GWestphal]

Keith, when I started looking at your pictures I thought that red paint was something U of Illini had on their old champs. Back in the very late 50's or early 60's a friend and I stopped in Lac Crosse Wi one noon hour on a saturday for lunch and a stream of 10 to 15 champs came in on there way north to Osceola Wi for gas and lunch. They were on they way up to trade in the champ for new (I presume 7FC's) models. They were all red and had similar paint jobs. Gopher Aviation in Rochester was also trading up their fleet of champs for the tri gears but it seems students were always putting them up on their nose when taxing down or crosswind. Good old memories.........Thanks for the photos.........Gordy in Mn.

[Kif]

Gordy, Thanks. The airplane is in your neck of woods. I had all the original logs and paperwork from day one and sent them to the gentleman that has the airplane now.