My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

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6643
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Aircraft Type: 1946 C140/C90
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:55 am

Well onto brake bleeding. Unlike automotive, the Cleveland's are bled by forcing fluid up from the calipre. I had a "Mighty VAc" automotive hand pump that can also pressurize, so I stole one of the wife's mason jars and fabricated a pressure bleeder. Took a small piece of bar stock, drilled two holes through it, found some steel tubing, soldered the tubes through the bar, epoxy'd the piece to the jar lid. Not very fancy, but 0 cost. Found a small length of brake line, and soldered the line to the end fitting, which screwed into the brake master fill hole. Pumped up the jar with oil in it, and up it went. I waited to make sure this worked, before I posted it! Didn't take too long to fab, and for my purposes, worked AOK.

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User avatar
6643
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Sat May 03, 2014 9:20 am

Scat tubing, ELT mount and Fuel hose:

Scat tubing adds abit of visual progress. Fabricated a simple ELT mount. Lightweight and easy to make. ELT was sure expensive, hope to never use it. And fabricated the fuel line from the carb to the Gascolator. Forward progress!

Scat tubing now on.
Scat tubing now on.
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Simple ELT mount
Simple ELT mount
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Fuel line
Fuel line
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Tue May 13, 2014 1:54 pm

Some more progress. Cut and laid carpeting inside for some visual progress, wanted to see how it was going to look. Also working on wiring which is coming along very nicely, and fabricated a circuit breaker holder for the (4) 7277 CB's that will be used, in conjunction with the W31 switch/CB's.

carpeting and CB's visible in this view
carpeting and CB's visible in this view
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Firewall forward wiring going in
Firewall forward wiring going in
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Another wiring view
Another wiring view
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Shop re-arranged after all winter, needed another view,,, Getting ready to work the engine cowlings
Shop re-arranged after all winter, needed another view,,, Getting ready to work the engine cowlings
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Tue May 13, 2014 2:09 pm

As I come upon 18 months of working on this C120 project, I was taking a moment the other day to reflect back on why I started it, how it came about, and where the heck am I now? I think the first realizations leading to this new chapter of an aviation avocation, were at Grattan raceway near Grand Rapids, Michigan 2 years ago after a reasonably hard fought drive to a 4th place finish in an SCCA amateur sports car racing event. I was driving, as I have for many years, my Datsun 240Z and it was a beautifully hot Memorial day weekend. The realization was that now in my 50’s, and after 26 years of competition, I wanted to do something else. I had reached the end of this fabulous road I had travelled, and I was OK with that. Not sure why I felt that way that particular day, but I did.

I was sitting at my work desk one day after that, and somehow the thought hit me to look into the EAA and see if there was some local chapter to visit. How about building an airplane and learning to fly it… Thoughts of becoming a pilot fostered in my youthful high school years, spawned from a class called “Aviation Science”, along with the general propensity to look upward at the sound of a plane flying over. But I never saw a path to go that route, no familial of other taxi-ways to flying airplanes sprouted before me in those years. Expensive folly my dad thought, he wanted me to be an Engineer, and so I did become one.

I e-mailed a co-worker who I was sure would know about a group called the “Experimental Aircraft Association”, and low and behold he steered me to Chapter 221 in Kalamazoo. And I attended the next meeting. I remembered the first time that I showed up years ago, to my first SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) meeting wanting to be a race car driver, and how much had transpired since. And this first meeting sitting in the back of the room as the new kid looking into flying, took me back to that memory. What was I going to do, what will my interest become, are these people friendly, am I worthy…

I’ve always been interested in planes and flight and I even work in Aerospace as an Engineering Manager in charge of a team that designs, develops and certifies hydraulic pumps and equipment for aircraft. I decided that now was the time to Learn, Build, Fly my own machine.
So I was checking my e-mail one day and another friend who I had discussed this new “Learn, Build, Fly” thing with, sent me a link to an on-line auction for a 1946 Cessna 120. Part of an estate sale, sitting in a barn for over 40 years, about 70 miles north of me.

We then took a field trip up to see the plane and what I knew about working on planes at that time, wouldn’t fill one 337, however it looked like a worthy project. It was the Barn’est barn find I had ever come across. The idea that this plane sat in that building for over 40 years, original owner wouldn’t sell it, many had tried to talk him out of it, but it stayed there until he passed on. Wonder why,,,, More on the plane’s story later.

To the point of my recent reflections, against all the advice that I’d read about buying some airplane before you learn to fly, and not knowing what you will want, blah, blah, blah. I am thrilled with the endeavor for what it has given me. In the 18 odd months since I trailered her home and began the process of the restoration, I have immeasurably increased my knowledge of general aviation aircraft construction, and history, and parts manuals, and STC’s and AD’s and 337’s and logbooks and riveting and…

What seemed daunting at first has become a journey of learning and more importantly, of new friendships now being developed as I seek to learn more about the flying community. I feel more “Legitimate” for having plunged in. This is no time to stop now!

Andy Cotyk.

40+ years in this pose. Imagine
40+ years in this pose. Imagine
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Project day 1
Project day 1
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+18 Months
+18 Months
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Your humble scribe, in my office.
Your humble scribe, in my office.
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Mon May 19, 2014 9:14 am

Last of the gauges installed. Bought a T&B from AQI, they did a great job with it, looks great. Panel now complete to the factory gauges in 1946.

AQI refurbished T&B
AQI refurbished T&B
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Panel
Panel
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Thu May 22, 2014 9:28 am

Young helper Greg was back over last night for the first time in quite awhile. He's graduating HS in a week or so, then on to Kettering Univ. to pursue a degree in Mech. Engrg. He was a huge help through last summer, being young and agile. I once sent him down the fuse with a power washer and a raincoat on. Anyway, he was good motivation to get the cowling's cleaned and prepped. These are on fabulous condition, one easy dent to remove. Next step is to cut-out for the C150 exhaust pipes, then paint and stripe to match the plane.
lower
lower
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upper
upper
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Fri May 23, 2014 9:06 am

Fit check of the cowls. This is one area of the plane, showing the effects of 68 years of aging... The mating of parts just aren't going to be perfect... I was going to make some jokes about age and sagging, but I didn't want to test the wife's sense of humor that far... Not a good idea I thought, with the long holiday weekend coming up and all...

However, at 100 mph and 1000', no one is going to see any misalignments!

And stuck the shelf and rear fairing's in temporarily, just for giggles. Will be working to cut out the exhaust opening's in the lower engine cowl, and then on to paint for all the remaining parts.

Cowl fit check
Cowl fit check
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Not too bad a fit
Not too bad a fit
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Rear fairings
Rear fairings
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Shelf
Shelf
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Tue May 27, 2014 9:05 am

Great Memorial Day Holiday weekend, did a mix of outdoor yardwork, motorcycle riding, cooking out, and working on the wiring for the project. Wiring is sort of a minimal visual progress activity, but I'm gaining in it! Should be done this week. Could be sneaking up on firing the engine, we'll see what the plan becomes.

Original 1946 wiring. Soldered connections on fuse holders were loose at some connections.
Original 1946 wiring. Soldered connections on fuse holders were loose at some connections.
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Progressing
Progressing
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Wed Jun 04, 2014 9:10 am

Local EAA Chapter 221 here in Kalamazoo, Mi. is coming out for a Project visit tonight! We hosted the June meeting last year, when the fuselage was still in the rotisserie. The local chapter president asked if the group could come back this year, and see the progress. Proud to have them come back out, it's a nice local group!

Getting ready for the show!
Getting ready for the show!
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Lorraine's seats, and Jack Hooker's harnesses
Lorraine's seats, and Jack Hooker's harnesses
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The panel
The panel
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Re: My 1946 120 Resto project N77220

Post by 6643 »

Kazoo120 » Sat Jun 07, 2014 11:19 pm

Local EAA Chapter project visit Meeting was well received. Lots of visitors and great conversations.

Tomorrow is a pivotal day in this overall endeavor! Flight lesson #1! I can't seem to get to bed tonight. Wish me luck. A.

I want to share this from William Wynne's website: flycorvair.net, I have come to enjoy his articles there. I connected with this as I phoned the CFI this past week, to begin my "Endeavor". I wish I could write in the manner that William does.

Thought for the Day: Aviation as an Endeavor
June 5, 2014

“At any real level, flying is not a sport, a hobby a pastime nor entertainment. It is an Endeavor, worthy of every hour of your life you invest; Those that dabble in it find only high cost, poor reward and serious risk. They are approaching it as consumers. Conversely, for those who devote their best efforts and their serious commitment, the rewards are without compare. The serious people alone will know the reward that was beyond the reach of any man who walked on this planet a mere 111 years ago. No matter how brilliant, how wealthy or how powerful, no man could fly then. Today, because of incredible luck of the circumstances of your birth, and the efforts you have made, you have a real chance of building a flying machine with your own hands and then being the master of it in the sky. It may very well be the ultimate expression of being an individual, the ultimate rejection to the tepid life to which others would consign you. In a world that is ever increasingly fake, this is an opportunity to do something very real. ” -ww.

The Project presentation. I do this every day for a living,,, I prepared an overview of the project from day 1 to present. Photo by Daniel Flanagan
The Project presentation. I do this every day for a living,,, I prepared an overview of the project from day 1 to present. Photo by Daniel Flanagan
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Wing talk. Photo by Daniel Flanagan
Wing talk. Photo by Daniel Flanagan
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Fuse discussions. Photo by Daniel Flanagan
Fuse discussions. Photo by Daniel Flanagan
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