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"Help save this historic little Cessna"
Had our annual Jag Concours at the estate of Dave Holzerland, who has a lot of "stuff".
I have this tendency towards dreams, and the night before, I dreamed there was a Helio Courier there, in his aircraft restoration facility.
So, we start looking at all the Grumman Albatross, one out front "as delivered" from the PO, with radials, but inside were a few with radials, the rest (4 or 5) with in-line, upside-down six cylinder engines, with what appeared to be cast aluminium noses to the cowl, AND at least one had two-blade wood props, all undergoing restoration....and in the middle, was this high-wing taildragger, no wings (unbolted at the carry-through), no engine, or doors, in prime, landing gear but no wrappers, I looked at the main gear poking out the front, turned to the kid and said: "Helio Courier".
Went around the copilot's side, sure enough, early one with a porthole.
So, since no engine or prop, I looked up the owner and asked which version Helio it was.
"Courier".
Yeah, I know that, but there were at least two models, one, lighter duty and less lift, smaller engine and two bladed prop, other bigger engine, three bladed prop, and more lift.
He had no idea.
The other main difference is the tailfeathers...you cannot upgrade an older one to a bigger motor and prop without the heavier duty tailfeathers....I know, as I was accident investigation lead/parts recovery on HK-612P outside of Mitu, and we had to bring back the tailfeathers (light duty version, but last O/H had H/D tailfeathers installed).
Here I am, a lowly mechanic, right?
They had decided exactly what happened (density altitude, overloaded, tried to make a turn onto base course to clear the tower, lost lift, hit the trees at 150', rotated vertical and hit the ground, end of story).
There were 6 souls on board, NO fatalities, although several had to be stretched out of the jungle, two US citizens, piloto and co, so, we needed the carb under the engine) and plugs.
Aircraft had broken on impact, shoved the instrument panel into the two front seat occupants, almost, they pulled the tail down to get them out (opened the craft).
Using a cable ratchet, to a stump, tried to rack the back of the engine up (prop buried) to get to the carb,,,,,,and the SOB tried to start.
There was enough power in the broken battery, and the wires were cut to heck, the engine tried to rotate around the prop. That's when we found the bent prop tips sticking out of the undergrowth...
I cut the battery cables, and the straps, pitched the battery into the jungle, where is sputtered for a LONG time....
So, we get the engine up, I pick up the radio and call the base, hey, it didn't hapen as you said.
Boy, did they get surly.
They hit a BIG tree on the copiloty's side, caught the gear, shoved the instrument panel 10" at least to the left, broke the upper carry through bolts, the removed yoke on copilts side, the stub back of the panel wiped all the back of the breakers off, killing all battery power, which is what saved their lives......reason I know?
Windshield was buried UNDER the prop.
They did NOT like having to re-write the report.
The pilot, I knew him well, was Pilot (not Aircraft Commander) in Little Rock on a B-47 that blew up at 10,000 feet on climbout, only survivor, badly burned, he'd jog around our compound, you could see the scars down his back, his neck, arms.....
Spent a lot of time in Helios......lots of odd little issues....like tailwhell and fork falling off on takeoff......and the recovery with a Cushman 3-wheeler.......welded it up, back in the air in 45 minutes.....or the tire on a tailwheel blowing up out in the jungle, destroying the rim and no parts......pilot had a local carpenter make a new one out of Ironwood, flew it home.
Man, I used to do a lot of aircraft stuff.
You've never lived until you have to change a liner and jug out on a DC-3 in the heat and humidity of the Llanos of Colombia.....
Had our annual Jag Concours at the estate of Dave Holzerland, who has a lot of "stuff".
I have this tendency towards dreams, and the night before, I dreamed there was a Helio Courier there, in his aircraft restoration facility.
So, we start looking at all the Grumman Albatross, one out front "as delivered" from the PO, with radials, but inside were a few with radials, the rest (4 or 5) with in-line, upside-down six cylinder engines, with what appeared to be cast aluminium noses to the cowl, AND at least one had two-blade wood props, all undergoing restoration....and in the middle, was this high-wing taildragger, no wings (unbolted at the carry-through), no engine, or doors, in prime, landing gear but no wrappers, I looked at the main gear poking out the front, turned to the kid and said: "Helio Courier".
Went around the copilot's side, sure enough, early one with a porthole.
So, since no engine or prop, I looked up the owner and asked which version Helio it was.
"Courier".
Yeah, I know that, but there were at least two models, one, lighter duty and less lift, smaller engine and two bladed prop, other bigger engine, three bladed prop, and more lift.
He had no idea.
The other main difference is the tailfeathers...you cannot upgrade an older one to a bigger motor and prop without the heavier duty tailfeathers....I know, as I was accident investigation lead/parts recovery on HK-612P outside of Mitu, and we had to bring back the tailfeathers (light duty version, but last O/H had H/D tailfeathers installed).
Here I am, a lowly mechanic, right?
They had decided exactly what happened (density altitude, overloaded, tried to make a turn onto base course to clear the tower, lost lift, hit the trees at 150', rotated vertical and hit the ground, end of story).
There were 6 souls on board, NO fatalities, although several had to be stretched out of the jungle, two US citizens, piloto and co, so, we needed the carb under the engine) and plugs.
Aircraft had broken on impact, shoved the instrument panel into the two front seat occupants, almost, they pulled the tail down to get them out (opened the craft).
Using a cable ratchet, to a stump, tried to rack the back of the engine up (prop buried) to get to the carb,,,,,,and the SOB tried to start.
There was enough power in the broken battery, and the wires were cut to heck, the engine tried to rotate around the prop. That's when we found the bent prop tips sticking out of the undergrowth...
I cut the battery cables, and the straps, pitched the battery into the jungle, where is sputtered for a LONG time....
So, we get the engine up, I pick up the radio and call the base, hey, it didn't hapen as you said.
Boy, did they get surly.
They hit a BIG tree on the copiloty's side, caught the gear, shoved the instrument panel 10" at least to the left, broke the upper carry through bolts, the removed yoke on copilts side, the stub back of the panel wiped all the back of the breakers off, killing all battery power, which is what saved their lives......reason I know?
Windshield was buried UNDER the prop.
They did NOT like having to re-write the report.
The pilot, I knew him well, was Pilot (not Aircraft Commander) in Little Rock on a B-47 that blew up at 10,000 feet on climbout, only survivor, badly burned, he'd jog around our compound, you could see the scars down his back, his neck, arms.....
Spent a lot of time in Helios......lots of odd little issues....like tailwhell and fork falling off on takeoff......and the recovery with a Cushman 3-wheeler.......welded it up, back in the air in 45 minutes.....or the tire on a tailwheel blowing up out in the jungle, destroying the rim and no parts......pilot had a local carpenter make a new one out of Ironwood, flew it home.
Man, I used to do a lot of aircraft stuff.
You've never lived until you have to change a liner and jug out on a DC-3 in the heat and humidity of the Llanos of Colombia.....
