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Above photos show starboard (R.H.) view, front wing struts, laminated mahogany / glass main gear, fiberglass moulded engine cowling, nose gear, enclosed canopy, custom prop. Note the pivotable air speed pitot tube on R.H. Side of the wing center section, and the Piper Cub vertical style fuel tank stick meter just forward of the windshield. The forward wing outer panels have been removed from the hinges, but the aft wing outer panels are shown in their folded position. This aircraft fits sideways in Al's small two car garage.
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Above photos show a very clean and basic instrument panel. The throttle is the left hand side red cluster knob and the front wing / rudder control stick is the green handle.
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Above photos show the engine cowling with access by duel L.H. and R.H. hinged doors on the centerline of the aircraft. The converted VW 1800cc engine shown is absolutely new (despite the years of protected storage) complete with ignition, gear box drive, carbs and rear magneto. I doubt that it even has 4 - hours of running time. Fully baffled and with a thin galvanized steel sheet firewall on the bulkhead behind the engine. The tubular engine mount can also be seen. Absolutely clean. .
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Above photos show the Mahogany / glass laminated main landing leaf with what was viewed as 8 inch wheels with hydraulic disk brakes. Tubular steel bracing also attaches internal into the fuselage through cover plates. The nose gear is self-swiveling with tension spring shocks, shown, and anti-shimmy springs. The wheel appears to be a 6 inch size. Al custom designed these also. Al was a Senior Design Engineer for the Douglas Aircraft Company while he was building this aircraft. All welding was done by certified aircraft welders. After nearly 18 years, there is still air in the main gear tires, gone from the nose wheel tire.
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Left photo above shows the aft wing hinge arrangement with the outer wing panel folded. There was no dust on the wing when the plastic sheeting was removed for taking this photo. The aft wing center section also has full length trim tabs for up and down in-flight operation. The right photo above shows another view of Al's custom handy work....his custom made propeller.
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A hard to get at view to take the photo of the rudder is shown above left. It appears to be a 40% fixed vertical fin and 60% rudder with a rudder counter-balance at the top. An excellent combination for effective rudder control. The aft wing is also shown folded under the protective plastic sheeting. Just part of a forward wing tip panel can be seen on the floor to the extreme lower left.
The FAA "N" number 3174C was issued October 01,1991 and cancelled on May 18, 2007
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Above right is another instrument panel photo. From left clock-wise: Airspeed indicator, "Lev-o-gage II" ball side slip gage, Engine gages - RPM, Temperature, Oil pressure, and Electrical switches - Magneto On/off master, Mag. check on/off, master switch. The lower center vertical meter is the forward wing angle of attack indicator from -3 degrees to +12 degrees. There is also a magnetic compass, just out of the picture at the top, above the ball side slip gage.
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The photo to the left shows a straight on shot from the engine cowling to the windshield / canopy.
Note the single structural square tube for moving the forward wing to change the angle of attack (being held up by a stick).
Hinged access doors to the fuel tank and instruments are also evident.
Uniquely designed brackets bolted to the main spar (spar not seen) of the forward wing are also evident to the trained eye.
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