1928 Command-Aire restoration

[Dave Hadfield]

I second those remarks. You guys are really cooking on that project. Congratulations!

Dave

[Canso42]

Being completely ignorant of Command Aires except what I've learned here, it's good to see a complete aircraft. Those are very distinctive cabane struts. Great work guys!

[wacoykc]

Looking great!

[rgj61]

finally got it out of the hanger for some photos in the sun:

[rgj61]

still have some OX-5 engine work, need to make the front/rear windshields, cockpit coaming, and various other smaller items....but getting there

[Airplanejunkie]

Sweet!

[stearmoth]

Beautiful job and aeroplane! Would like to see once! Will you attend Oshkosh this year?

Kind regards
Hans

[rgj61]

We finally got all the water leaks repaired and it was time
to run the OX-5. Dad had suggested earlier that running it
on a stand might be a good idea and it paid off. When we first
put water in it, we had alot of leaks which took some time to
resolve. The stand made it easier to take the water pump off,
and then back on and then back off...you get the idea. There are
alot of water connections and alot of places for leaks.

Here are a few pictures of the set-up. The engine is loud but
in a good way!

[rgj61]

here is a quick youtube video of the engine running on the stand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QTd_c_YlVo

[rgj61]

finally got the OX-5 engine off of the test stand an in the airplane. We had a few troubles along the way with water leaks and a few cylinder "issues." Like my dad said, it is a 1918 vintage engine and is gonna have a few bugs to work out.





Dad is at the controls looking at the gauges closely after start up. The OX-5 props pretty easy, not bad at all. The OX-5 has the Bendix Scintilla mag and the full Miller rocker set-up with the intake spring straps.

[StangStung]

That looks fantastic. Good work.

[Dave Hadfield]

Looks just about ready to go!

Looking at the airplane, not a lot of fin surface on it, is there? Kind of like a Moth. I expect you may have to hold it straight with your feet, actively, most of the time.

I see you've got a good grass surface to try it out on. That's 3/4 of the battle right there.

Dave

[rgj61]

added a few more photos to the website, done some taxi tests, almost ready for first filght

[rgj61]

finally got all three airplanes at the farm. We are starting a re-cover on my dad's 1938 Cessna Airmaster. It has cotton on it from 1974 so it is in need of new fabric.

[Mike]

Very nice! Living in California, it is nice to see pictures of aircraft on grass, just to remind me what it looks like.