Bought a Fairchild 24

[Canso42]

Good to see and hear this kind of activity. Especially now that I know y'all are IH guys. My father in law in SW Wisconsin has a '39 H, all intact and complete if a bit rough. It's rusty brown like all Farmalls turn with age, but it does run. Gas engine, the tires hold air but thats about all. It also has this junk built deathtrap loader on it. He offered to let me drive it around but I passed. A big loader on a tricycle tractor with no fenders, no ROPS. I don't think so. Scrap the loader and its a good classic.
I'd like to see some more of y'all's tractor pix. BTW, I work for a New Holland dealership.

Doug Ratchford,
'Canso42'

[Dave Hadfield]

Tractors? Well, at the risk of "falling from the fold", I have a 39 JD BN, which is a bit rare with its single front wheel. I'm the second owner. It's a neat old thing, totally stock. Needs a repaint of course, which I'll do one of these days, but it runs well. Still has the original start system, which is Armstrong -- you open the faucet on each cylinder to take off the compression, spin the big flywheel by hand, chug-chug-chug go the 2 big cylinders, and you close the taps for power. It's got a block heater (Manitoba machine) and starts reliably even in the winter.

We use it for laneway and garden and woodlot chores. Here's my son, home on a break from college, visualizing one of his instructors...



As for the airplane, we got through the Annual Inspection virtually unscathed. Very happy about that! Here's Stan the Man trying to get off the oil filter, an impossibly hidden item in a ridiculously constricted space.



Not much of a filter. Catches piston rings, I suppose...



I think I can infer what's going on inside the engine better by checking the sump in the plug of the oil tank -- just like I would with the tractor.

Dave

Last edited by Dave Hadfield on Mon Feb 19, 2018 8:33 am, edited 2 times in total.

[davidbray]

hehe, a chance for me to go off topic for a minute!

Our two tractors are a late C and a 53 Super H. The H was bought new by my great grandfather and has always been family owned. I rebuilt the engine when I was in school, and we had it painted up really nice. We also have the original manual from it with the delivery sheet filled out. The C we aquired from some old brothers that lived down the road from us who after finishing up with a piece of equipment they would take and park it in a pasture and leave it there. My dad got it from them along with a 2 row cultivator which hasn't been restored. Someday if its still worth it I would love to pull the 40's chevy grain truck out of there and restore it.

Anyways back on topic. Beautiful plane Dave

[Second Air Force]

Dave, that BN is REALLY something I'd like to have! First year of the styled sheetmetal, still four speed, I could go on forever. I wonder if it was delivered new with skeleton wheels? We had a '41 six speed B that my dad bought brand new before he enlisted in the Army in February of '42. Later I bought a four-speed '40 B and a '36 A that I wish I'd kept. When I was still farming we used to repaint various two-cylinder John Deeres in the winter for fun.

Cool stuff!
Scott

[Canso42]

Several years ago I go an antique tractor calendar from the local NAPA store. It had a 1940's Massey-Harris that the RCAF used for towing aircraft. There, we're back on topic.

[AIRIC]

Yesterday Dave and I had some fun. After working on the Fairchild Dave did a few passes for me and then we went flying. Lots of fun and a good afternoon getaway.

The start


The take-off roll.

[AIRIC]

A few great passes

[AIRIC]

The Landing











That was about it for the photography. Put the cameras away and did some flying.

Cheers,

Eric

[Dave Hadfield]

It was a fine day for flying! Good fun!

This morning I spoke with Gord Emberly of the Western Canada Aviation Museum, who flew CF-EKC in the late 40s/early 50s. He operated the airplane on floats mostly, in NE Manitoba. Great stories!

He described a bad run of engine failures with the Warner. At one point they were changing cylinders every few hours. Apparently someone was selling exhaust valves in quantity, but while they looked new, they were actually defective -- rejects -- an unscrupulous vendor. That, plus the long, high-rpm takeoffs fully loaded on floats (they had a CS prop on it) and the valves would break, the mushroom would crunch the inside of the cylinder, and he'd have to plunk it down on some no-name lake and pull out the toolbox. (I'll bet he got good with those bloody pal-nuts on the back side of the jugs.)

Fine tales! When they were hauling fish he'd remove the pilot's seat, put a tub of trout in its place, slap a cushion on, and fly it like that -- anything for a bit more payload.

I hope he comes east at some point so I can take him up again.

Dave

[Myles]

Hi Dave,
I just wanted to tell you how I have looked forward to seeing pictures of your Fairchild 24 in your photo thread. The pictures that Eric has shot are fantastic! Being able to get a majority, if not all of the aircraft into a frame is great. It inspires me to "keep the faith" about one day getting my own Fairchild 24. Thanks again,

Jim Long
Santa Rosa, CA

[Dave Hadfield]

My pleasure, Jim. It's all fun for me.

Did I ever send you those instrument panel measurements you were looking for? I know I took the pictures.

Dave

[Myles]

Hi Dave,
No. I have not received those pics. I could use them if you have the time to send.
Jim

[Paul Lucas]

Wow, what a fantastic thread. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the posts and the photos are great too.

Well I have just been flying my FA24-41W here in Summer on the other side of the earth (Australia) and as always it's a pleasure. Whilst not airshow-perfect (restored in the early 1980's) she has given me very little trouble over the last 6 years I've owned her. Unfortunately I'm not an AME but so far by treating the aircraft gently and having her maintained by good guys, the aircraft has been nothing but a pleasure.

Amazingly, after 6 primes she starts first time/every time, even after weeks sometimes months of no flying. I have a newer type of primer than the type Dan's has (not sure of the name but it's similar to those I've used on Pipers/Cessnas) and you can actually hear the fuel being drawn through the lines - the first few strokes seemingly drawing only air, then the resistance increases and all is good).

The only trouble I had was batteries that were forever flattening, and I was incorrectly assuming a slow internal electrical leak. The answer after much investigation turned out to be due to the old generator actually being driven the wrong way by the accessory drive. It was difficult to detect this as the only way to ascertain the correct DoR for the Generator was apparently shown in small raised lettering on the back of the gen itself. Anyhow, a new Gen was installed and now all is ok.

I had been told it was next to impossible to hand-start a Warner (mine's a 165) but obviously from other posts here that's clearly not the case. Nice to know if I ever have battery problems again!

Whilst I also have a spark-retard lever fitted, I hadn't been delaying the magneto selection until two turns, but perhaps having read some of these posts that also may not be a bad idea. Might be a bit of a juggle though, as there is the start button, the "Shower-of-sparks" button adjacent to it (held simultaneously during start) and the spark retard lever which comes up right after start. Perhaps I will have to learn some new tricks!

Anyhow, great to read such an informative thread and look forward to some more posts.

[Dave Hadfield]

Hello Paul, glad you left a note. It's always great to talk to another owner/pilot.

I hope this thread has been some use to you. As you can see, I'm just learning about the airplane.

Yes, I can see how your batteries wet flat! Easy fix, though.

Mine is far from pristine, close-up. It's 30-year fabric. Just as much fun though!

As for the starts, well, if you've been getting away with a certain system for 6 years, then I wouldn't mess with it. But I think it's generally adviseable to retard it as much as practical during start. It's that first kick -- if it's a kick-back, there is potential for sheering starter drive teeth into the main oil system of the airplane.

Got any photos?

Happy New Year,

Dave

[WWIIABN]

Great looking Fairchild 24. I was just commenting to my brother yesterday that I much prefered the appearance of the Warner powered 24s over the Rangers......he prefers the Ranger having owned a Great Lakes and PT-26 (just purchased which we were working on) with them.