Thanks. You'll love the L-5. Great airplane. Fun to fly, great climb performance, and the pushrod control linkage makes it super responsive. The best L-bird, in my opinion. The original expander tube brakes work fine, they just don't have the grip of Clevelands and they tend to fade if you use them a lot. Plus, bladders are getting harder to come by. Keep us posted on the progress of your project. I assume you have an observer (or is it an ambulance)? What's the condition of the wood in the wings and tail? Be sure to check to see if it is casein glue (milky white/tan color) or resorcinol glue (dark grey/black color). If it is casein, you need to rebuild that component. If resorcinol, check the integrity of the component thoroughly, but you may be able to use those components without re-gluing. I would start working on the engine early. You never know what you're going to need to replace and O-435-1 parts are few and far between. If you are putting Clevelands on it, I would also suggest going to a Scott tailwheel. It is done with minor modifications. The original Lake State tailwheels have a brass cone that wears and causes a shimmy. Also, buy a couple fuel selectors because the corks tend to be bad in originals and it may take a few to find a good one. DO NOT turn it without soaking it first. You'll likely damage the cork. Let me know if I can help in any way.
TS
_________________ Taylor Stevenson
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