Owning an airplane

[Seadog36]

She is only a 125 hp, which is a little gutless. I'll have to upgrade to a 145 down the road, there are a lot nicer more beautiful Swifts west and east of the Mississippi but thank you.

Check out this video of Fernando Guerra, a 145hp Swift pilot in Brazil who knows how to fly this bird~

www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ZV36RrTCk

[Tupac]

If you ever fly near Collierville, Tennessee stop by 54M and say hey to Jim Rice. He has a pretty slick swift out there. (and a really nice cub he just finished restoring)

[B4Buster]

Definitely need to upgrade that engine if you can! What does that thing cruise at w/ 125 hp?

[Seadog36]

If you ever fly near Collierville, Tennessee stop by 54M and say hey to Jim Rice. He has a pretty slick swift out there. (and a really nice cub he just finished restoring)

Heck, If you like Swifts, the Swift museum is in Athens, TN

http://www.swiftmuseumfoundation.org/index.html

More great info here:

http://www.saginawwings.com/

She cruises around 130 mph with a 125hp, a little bit more with a 145hp, the difference is on climb out. Many have been modified for 160-210hp though

[Tupac]

Seadog instead of putting in an O300 it would be most likely cheaper to put in an O360 with a FP propeller. You'd get 35 more ponies and less mx due to fewer cylinders (and the O360 is about the most common GA engine in the world) and a couple grand cheaper to overhaul.

[Seadog36]

Seadog instead of putting in an O300 it would be most likely cheaper to put in an O360 with a FP propeller. You'd get 35 more ponies and less mx due to fewer cylinders (and the O360 is about the most common GA engine in the world) and a couple grand cheaper to overhaul.

An O 360 with prop sounds nice lol~ On top of costing a small fortune you need new engine mounts and all new accessories, baffling, etc, stc for increased weight~ then you will want to add aux fuel...it snowballs. Better to just buy a re-powered plane.

The C-145 is the exact same engine with a bigger stroke~ drop in upgrade. I'd rather put any extra ching into converting from yolks to sticks. Wen they first came out they were powered by 85hps!

[LilMak]

I like the C-145/O-300 engines. The run smoother and will still go if you drop a valve. If you lose a cylinder in a 320 or a 360 the thing is liable to shake itself to pieces before you get it on the ground. Think the C-145 still holds the world endurance record too. Of course I'm biased as that's what is slung on the front of my '48 C170.

Back on topic...My share of our last annual was $360. Had to buy an alternator STC when our gen gave up flying into OSH last year ($875). We did have one of our lifters flatten last year an chose to rehone the cylinders and replace the rings at that time. Cost about 2k to do all the work.

My advise to anyone looking to buy a plane: Get a good partner and buy the nicest plane you can afford. Try to find one that has been hangared and flown regularly. Letting any vehicle sit too much is not good for it. And, after working at a couple different repair shops, the hangared planes always came in with fewer problems than the ones stored outside.

[Tupac]

I lost a jug on my 360 - it still ran pretty well on three.

[Seadog36]

I lost a jug on my 360 - it still ran pretty well on three.

Geezzz Tupac, seems like you have had your share of mechanical misfortune so far.

I like the C-145/O-300 engines. The run smoother and will still go if you drop a valve. If you lose a cylinder in a 320 or a 360 the thing is liable to shake itself to pieces before you get it on the ground. Think the C-145 still holds the world endurance record too. Of course I'm biased as that's what is slung on the front of my '48 C170.

Back on topic...My share of our last annual was $360. Had to buy an alternator STC when our gen gave up flying into OSH last year ($875). We did have one of our lifters flatten last year an chose to rehone the cylinders and replace the rings at that time. Cost about 2k to do all the work.

Didn't want to replace the generator? Seems like if you can walk away from a repair for 2k you got lucky, these birds are hungry.

The '48 170 has the straight tail too right, I like those.

[LilMak]

Geezzz Tupac, seems like you have had your share of mechanical misfortune so far.

Didn't want to replace the generator? Seems like if you can walk away from a repair for 2k you got lucky, these birds are hungry.

The '48 170 has the straight tail too right, I like those.

The generator quit over RIPON on our way into OSH. By the time we got into the pattern the battery was nearly dead. Had everything off but the radio which quit while we were taxiing. The alternator is a great upgrade but a generator would have been fine as our panel is as simple as it gets. The only big draw to our electrical system is the retractable landing light. Bought the STC because it was in the box @ the Aircraft Spruce booth and the gen wasn't rebuildable.

And she's a beautiful straight tail ragwing with about 300SMOH and maybe 40 since that partial top. Next upgrade is a set of Slicks.

[Rash]

I have a lot of respect for you flying doods.  I don't understand anything you talk about.  If I have a alternator fail, I can flip a switch and try and let the good one charge both sides.  If all fails, I can stop and drink beer.  I don't drink beer much in a boat, but if someone else is driving....it's a night time activity at the house.

[Rash]

its more of knob than switch.

[Rash]

And don't and try and test the good one by turning if off.  You will blow the diodes.

[Rash]

Things I learned, be happy with what you got.  Don't test or pressure anything.

[Melvin]

Have all of your alternators failed recently? (Within the last 12 hours.)