A Beech Story

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:48 pm

After reading some of the new threads of the Yale restorations going on. Its been great seeing other grass roots restorations. Not all of us in this world have the bank roll to restore a P-51 or a P-38. Some do what they can, how ever they can. Sometimes it causes issues in life, it may take many years of work and lots of bloody nuckles and sweat, but in the end its all about the payoff. Well I have been at the side of the computer scanner all day and these pics and the Yale restorations have inspired me to write this "A Beech Story"

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:00 pm

My uncle always worked hard his life and there are certin things that he had always wanted. I guess one of them was a Twin Beech. He had worked on many over the years for other people but I guess that he wanted one for his own. He bought a wrecked H-18 down in Turks & Caicos for I think $3500.00. It had been wrecked when the nose gear failed and collapsed, she had no engines and was many miles from Vermont.
He flew down there and took the airplane apart and put it on a barge for Fort Lauderdale. Once it arrived here, she was towed on her gear from the port to the airport where the work would begin.

Being that he was the DOM for a commuter airline that flew for USAIR, he would non-rev many weekends for the next few weeks bringing parts with him as his luggage then clothes. A Oil cooler one trip, fuel strainers the next trip. I remember picking up a set of BRAND NEW fuel cells for the H18 that he got direct from Beechcraft by pulling some strings. "if you value your life, dont let anything happen to those my boy" was heard more than once as they sat in the box in our garage until installed

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:20 pm

The nose had been damaged when the gear collapsed so since she would fly, the skins and bulkheads where repaired as needed.

Wings would get installed. I was going through A&P school at the time so some weekends I would get some hands on. Even at school we had a twin beech that I would often PRACTICE on.

Left to right......Me my uncle and cousin.

This is the day, a inspiring A&P mechanic would learn a life long lesson from "the Teacher" It was when we went to Mc Donalds for lunch. I watched my uncle watch a elderly man push a mop across the floor. He would look back at me and say "thats why I like this place, always hope for a job".............. Many years have passed, were both still turning wrenches for a living.........I still have hope for a job!!

During my summer break from school, I would head over to Bob Garsides, he ran a radial engine OVH shop in FLL. I worked for free tearing down engines and I did a couple of 985's for my uncle. Bob was the MASTER when it came to round engines. I wish now that I took pics but I would often stop by as he put my uncles back together with FACTORY tolorances!

While at A&P school, the director had cleaned out a old closet and had some parts out on the floor. When I arrived for class I recognised the short stacks of a Beech 18. A quick call to VT and a talk with the director. I got my uncle and him together and 3 large boxes of 1900D manuals arrived in trade for the exhaust!! You got to get the deals when you can.

Well both engines were now installed and it was getting ready for flight time. But that would need to wait, it was hurricane season and a storm called ANDREW was headed our way. With the beech so close to the flight to VT, it was all elbows to get the beech ready. The airplane was lifted up and the gear raised and then lowered on tires and lashed down for the storm. As our luck would have it, Kermit Weeks would suffer the most and a little twin beech that was headed to VT would escape only loosing the battery cover and we found that around the hangar.

She made her trip to VT where the work would begin and would continue until her finnish.

Dave Hadfield · **Joined:** Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:31 pm **Posts:** 1672

Very cool, Jeff! Good story!

So, did it fly?

Dave

wacoykc · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:14 am

So Jeff...where is the airplane today and is it still flying? Which commuter did he work for as I have been with a USAIRWAYS Commuter for 21+ years.

Andy

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:36 am

wacoykc wrote:

So Jeff...where is the airplane today and is it still flying? Which commuter did he work for as I have been with a USAIRWAYS Commuter for 21+ years.

Andy

Was Commutair in Plattsburgh NY. Yep he still has the airplane and she still fly's. To finnish the story off I guess. The same guy had wrecked another Tri-gear beech. When my uncle bought 98K, the other one was sitting there but was in far worse shape. He later went back and bought it............again took it apart and put it on a barge for FLL. Since this one had alot more structrual damage, he took the centersection out of this one and trailered it to Vermont. He is still working on that one today.

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:39 am

He then did a trip to Manatoba with another guy and they both bought a C-45, They got mike's to ferry out, where my uncles went on the special twin beech trailer.............Pretty neat, wish I had taken pics when it arrived.................but here is the airplane.

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