flydiesel

I completed an Aerocanard/Cozy project begun by Gary Dwinal in Maine. I bought the complete project, including engine, instruments and avionics, and transported it to Southern California in 2002. We christened it N637PS for Psalm 63:7,8: "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you. Your outstretched hand upholds me." After completing the plane in 2003, I continued to make refinements for years. Eventually, it became a beautiful plane and a good flyer. In the summer and fall of 2008, I converted the plane to run on avgas and/or a biofuel, N-butanol, and flew it across the country. It is the first and only plane to make the entire, ocean-to-ocean trip on 100% biofuel. See the Smithsonian article at: http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/Moments--Milestones-.html and my website (badly needs an update) at looklocal.org has a link at the top to the flight. The website explains my motivation- I want to end petroleum dependence. After completing the trip, I switched back to avgas and began the return trip. Over central Missouri, due to a combination of weather factors and bad choices, I was forced to make an emergency landing. The plane was destroyed and I was badly injured. I came to rest upside down in my harness, the structure around me completely missing. Amazingly, the engine, motor mount, hub extender, all firewall components, and the Catto propeller survived the crash with no damage. Some instrumentation and avionics survived as well. The engine was just rebuilt and has less than 60 hours on it. It is an 0-360 A2G with after market fuel injection and a Jeff Rose ignition on one side, magneto on the other. I am in the process of returning to flight status. It is possible to repair N637PS with new bulkheads, wings, etc. It is also possible to move the engine and surviving equipment to finish a new build. I am interested in doing either, then continuing n-butanol record-setting flights beginning with a trip across the Atlantic. Together with several sponsors, we solved the technical issues and proved the engine already. If you know of any well-made Aerocanard, Cozy or other 4 place canard projects at a fairly advanced stage, we should talk. -- Len Johnson 714 334 5855

oops- phone no was wrong

n637ps is the first plane to fly across the country on biofuel, but was destroyed in a weather-related incident with an inadvertent speed brake deployment. She deserves to retire to a museum. It sounds as if your inventory might permit that. Can we discuss? 714 334 588 Len Johnson

"The three bladed is a stock 64x76 Cozy prop for a 360 engine. If the prop is just in for refinish, no major dings or anything, it runs about $200, up to $350 for repairs and refinish. " Catto We will fairly negotiate the price based on this. Because of scorching, we can guess sprucing up the prop will be more than $200 and less than $350, so we'll assume $300.

It's made by Advanced Aricraft Electronics, Inc. (AAE), Model L-2. I still have the installation manual, but there isn't much to it. I noticed when I dug it out just now that it has a chip in the epoxy on one side, abut 1/8" x 1/4", exposing what I take to be the conductive mesh. It lists for $99; if it were perfect, I'd knock off $20 or so; since it has a chip, I'll take half price. If it doesn't work, I'll give you your money back, but I'm pretty sure it will.

I know the diameter is 64", but I don't know the pitch. I just emailed Catto, and will pass it on when they respond.

The prop was overhauled following a nose wheel collapse when some gravel was kicked up into it during the subsequent slide. We took the opportunity to take a little off for stronger takeoff and climb performance; otherwise, we might have repainted it ourselves. It now has some paint scorching because of an exhaust valve leak and some fuel testing we are doing, which is why it could stand sprucing up. If someone has a 200 hp engine or wants more cruise performance, Catto can do that as well. We have all four exhaust outlets in line with the prop hub, and feel we can avoid future scorching as well as improve our top end economy by going with a 2 blade and clocking it so that it is not in front of an opening exhaust valve. Others have addressed the problem by combining the four pipes into a single exit beneath the cowling farther from the prop. We don't want to make the cowling and exhaust changes to do that. We flew with the 3 blade quite a while, and have no complaints apart from having to wipe soot off the blades. The 3 blade may look cooler, and is farther from the ground on landing with the shorter blades. We've just decided that, for our purposes, we're going to switch.

We have changed to a 2 bladed Catto from a Catto 3 blade. We also have a smoother and a hershey kiss spinner, including hardware. The only thing missing is a crush plate and prop extension. The prop has about 170 hrs, and was overhauled by Catto once. It could stand some sprucing up; Catto does that reasonably. I can get it done, or the buyer to their own specs; it could be re-pitched then. The prop is in Southern California at CNO. Other stuff: internal transponder antenna, never used. Older Electroair with mag timer and extra coil unit, also 170 hrs. Slick impulse mag, about 130 hrs. Ellison Throttle Body with Featherlite air box and device to orient air flow for Lycoming 0-360, about 170 hrs. Brock front strut hardware, about 40 hours. Your know what this stuff is and what it's worth. Reasonable offers only, please. Will sell separately.