EAA Sport Aviation

HANDS ON WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE BUILDING/RESTORING

I BOUGHT THIS PLANE NEW in 1976 to train ag students. We probably trained at least 40 pilots in this Citabria. The ribs got loose on the spars, and it needed a spar replacement. So I decided to make a project of it and did the whole plane. After six and a half years of restoration time, Citabria 7GCBC—N7877S—made its first post-rebuild flight on July 2, 2011, at Locker Brothers Airport in Muleshoe, TEXAS CITABRIA

Texas. I installed Milman Engineering
metal spars (it was an awesome kit), new
Rainbow floors and formers, three-light
Whelen strobe system, Brackett air filter,
and Poly-Fiber system fabric painted with
Aero-Thane. It was my first complete air-
frame fabric job, and it was a learning
experience. I had previously re-covered ag
airplane tail surfaces only. The Citabria
now has a Bendix/King KLX 135A GPS/
comm and a Garmin GTX 320 transpon-
der, PM501 intercom, new windshield and
side windows, and new seat belts. My pre-
vious projects include a set of Zenair
floats, a Van’s RV-4 (N46DL), and an RV- 8
(N78DL). Next project is unknown, but it
will fly.

Don Locker, EAA 94724; Muleshoe, Texas E-mail: lockerac@fivearea.com

HERE’S AN ORIGINAL 1931 Great Lakes 2T1E (N108CH) formerly owned by the late, great Charlie Hillard. It took to the sky after its restoration on November 11, 2011. The biplane is powered with a 165-hp Warner and is a delight to fly. The aircraft is covered with the Poly-Fiber system and finished in Aero-Thane. Waco AGC- 8 NC2312, SN 5063, flew its first post-restoration flight on August 7, 2011, after 14 years and 6,000 man-hours of work. The flight was uneventful, and it has flown 20 hours since. The Jacobs L6 was overhauled by Steve Curry of Radial Engines and runs like a Swiss watch. The airframe is covered with the Poly-Fiber process and finished with Aero-Thane. Both the Waco and the Great Lakes are an absolute delight to fly, and we’re looking forward to attending AirVenture Oshkosh in 2012. FLORIDA GREAT LAKES AND WACO AGC- 8