About the Restoration...
Summary:
N1413E was used by Wilbur Grant to do Airshows back in the late 1960's. He performed along side such aviation legend's as Mary Gaffaney, multiple Championship winner.
Then one time, while over the Bahamas, Mr. Grant was caught in a 100MPH storm that forced him to land on a small island. Unfortunately, the aircraft nosed over, causing minor damage. Once the aircraft was back in the States, Mr. Grant tore it down and it sat in his barn for 30 years or so until he sold it to a father and daughter who were looking to restore it togethor. The project languished as they often can, and it was eventually advertised for sale in Trade-A-Plane.
The project was evaluated, purchased and a frame-off restoration began. By the time N1413E had its' RTS flight Thanksgiving Day, 2010, it had been nearly 40 years since it had last flown; it looked, felt and ran better than when it rolled off the factory line in 1946.
Project notables:
Spars & Wood:
All new wood, including spars, was purchased from Rainbow Flying Service. Their spars are STC'd due to a change in the design of the reinforcement at the wing strut attachment area. The new spars are still subject to AD# 00-25-02, but the recurring inspection is only required in the event of wing damage.
Powerplant: The original fuel injected engine was sold separate from the airframe and a replacement 85HP C85-12F engine was located and overhauled here, in-house. This Continental engine accomodates a starter and alternator, but has no provisions for a fuel injection system. We decided against re-installing fuel injection as it is tricky and requires hard-to-find parts. A lightweight Sky-Tec starter and lightweight 12 amp, gear-driven, B&C alternator was installed. Like-new Slick 4300 magnetos and a rebuilt Stomberg carburetor (with mixture) finish out the appliance list. A brand new Sensenich wood prop, pitched for climb, was purchased from the factory and installed with a new, polished spinner. One final upgrade (which came with the engine prior to overhaul) was a spin-on oil filter adapter that increases oil change intervals from 25 to 50 hours, thanks to substantially better filtration than the original engine oil screen it was equipped with.
Electrical:
A stock Aeronca Champ has no electrical system, not even a starter. In the interest of safety and value, it was decided early on to install a lightweight starter and lightweight battery to start it with. Since a battery was to be installed, this allowed for the convenience of a radio and intercom. The ICOM A210 is both a good performing radio, as well an exceptional intercom, complete with limited active noise reduction and auxiliary stereo music input.
Halfway thru the project, a buyer came on board and asked that the aircraft be made VFR Night legal. To do this, we installed AVEO Engineering LED navigation wingtip lights and a Whelen LED landing light in the left wing leading edge. The aircraft now meets VFR-night requirements. To assure adequate electrical capacity, a B&C lightweight, 12 amp alternator was installed to the engine. No transponder is currently installed (although there are accomodations for one), nor is it required, unless flying in or over Class B or C airspace. Even then, a clearance may be requested when flying thru the Mode C ring. To finish the installation, an electrical control panel, complete with volt/ammeter was installed.
Parts, Fabricating & Finishing:Since this was a frame-off restoration, everything was evaluated, then reworked or replaced; however some of the following more notable components are specifically mentioned here. A new nosebowl was purchased. Additionally, both the boot cowl, upper and lower engine cowl, wing gap fairings and most of the trim pieces were fabricated and replaced.New front struts were purchased from Univair. Rear struts were replaced with serviceable parts as well. All new control cables were installed. All side windows were replaced. New oleo metal skins were installed. Hanlon & Wilson mufflers were repaired, one was overhauled.
Upgrades:
As a result of the 85HP engine upgrade, several other upgrades were available. The most notable is a gross weight increase of 80 pounds. This raises the gross weight from the original 1220 lbs to 1300 lbs, - well within light sport requirements. The useful load of N1413E is 403 pounds, 8 pounds
more than a 2011 Champ!
An original style (with sight gauge), 6-gallon wing tank was installed in the right wing for extended range.
Micro Aero-Dynamics vortex generators were installed, resulting in a reduced stall speed from 38 MPH to around 30 MPH, depending on weight. Other advantages of the installation have not yet been full documented.
Flight with the door removed is approved due to STC installation.
Fiberglass wheelpants were fitted and installed. This was primarily for aesthetic appeal and appears to have little aerodynamic affect.
The aircraft is approved for VFR night thanks to FAA field approved Whelen & Aeroflash LED lighting. These lights provide high reliablity with low weight and power consumption, making them ideal.
Safely and clearly communicating in flight is now possible with the approved installation of an ICOM radio, which has a built in intercom with limited active noise reduction. Utilizing the latest in circuitry and sporting an OLED screen, the ICOM A210 is easy on the eyes while still being great performer. An Air Gizmo panel mount dock for a Garmin 196/296/396/496 rounds out the panel for safe navigating and weather avoidance (496 only). Also, for future convenience, wiring accommodations for a transponder are in place.
05/08/11 Update: Flying and tweaking N1413E for about six months was loads of fun and very little work! In that time, we recieved several unsoliticited inquiries and offers to buy the beautiful bird. One of those inquiries came from a Mr. Ron Cvetican, owner of
Golden Anchor Cabins in Dryfork, West Virginia. Mr. Cvetican's keen eye to detail has made his cabins and restaurant a true one-of-a-kind experience.
An offer was made that we accepted and about one week later N1413E was flown 10.5 hours North over 6 states and portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains to its' new home at Elkin Airport (KEKN). Mr. Cvetican has now become the latest owner and caretaker of a beautiful aircraft with a long, rich history. From airshow performer to cattle rancher to a father and daughter team and finally, thru the doors of Ragwing Restorations, N1413E has found another owner and a place to call home!
08/15/11 Update:
While sitting at a forum in Oshkosh I recieved an e-mail from a fellow commenting on our Champ, featured in Sport Aviation. I was unaware that it had showed up so I quickly pulled out the issue of Sport Aviation that I had been carrying around all day and there she was! How exciting to see N1413E splashed across the page in a nationally published magazine!
Several e-mails have rolled in they have all been most kind: