Warbird Information Exchange

I am getting close to a T-28A with a Wright R-1300. It has a pre-oiler, manual main oil cut-off valve, and a sump drain, but does not have the automatic 'Clean-kit' electric pump nor an Airwolf filter. The engine has 20+ hours on a fresh rebuild (Dumont) with new mags, starter, generator and fwf hoses.

Any advice or experience into best maintaining or running these engines? I am definitely planning to put on an Airwolf filter, but am undecided about the clean kit pump if I have a drain in place - any words of wisdom here? I'm also reading alot about over and underboosting and avoiding unneccesary engine stresses. I'm told R-1300 parts are readily available, moreso than an 1820 actually which is surprising.

I am also thinking of removing the cockpit heater as it stays pretty warm inside anyway, and it scares me to even think about using that gas-fired jet wannabe. Advice?

With a polished fuselage and 800lbs of old military inverters and radios and extraneous stuff removed in combination with a three bladed hydromatic and low canopy, she does ok in climb and gives 170 - 180 kts at 36 gph. That's fast enough for me and is actually the same miles per gallon as a T-6, just faster.

Many thanks

Haven't dealt with a 1300, so no usable advice there.....As to the heater, ditch it without stripping out the basic installation. If you end up doing much flying in a cold enviroment, you might want to have it overhauled and reinstall it. Just block off the fuel line as close to the source as you can, tie the electrical back and pull and block the breaker for it. Hard block the heated air line forward of the firewall and go fly. Don't forget the changes in the W&B for removing the heater too.

Don't forget to run through the T.O. and Landing performance numbers for the A model vs the fields you normally would go to. You'd hate to drop in somewhere that you couldn't safely get out of during your normal flying conditions. It's been known to happen on more than one occasion to drop in somewhere and have to shed load or fuel or wait for a temp drop to get back out safely.

Hope it works out positively for you.

Good advice. I pulled out the old dash one and ran a summer case scenario. On a 100 degree F day here in San Antonio the density altitude is usually around 3,700 feet for SAT's 800 foot elevation. Using a gross weight of 7000 pounds the take off distance with zero headwind is about 2000 feet. On the more typical 85 degree day it plots at around 1750 feet with zero headwind.
Thanks for the reminder!
What are examples of what other folks seeing in terms of t.o. distances?
thanks.

My friend Ward Wilkins who lives on a farm south of Lafayette , Ind. owned a _T-28A for a few years. I do not want to give out a phone, but you may find a way to contact him for advice. He's an experienced warbird pilot and mechanic, P-51, Skyraider, etc. I seem to remember the A is lighter, maybe better for acro. I thought there were some problems with engine part availibilty, maybe not. How many As are around? Got any photos? Good luck.

_________________
Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Many thanks.
I'm using Mr Trudeau (Linc Dexter's previous partner) from Miami for the PPI and am talking to as many folks as possible. This one I am looking at has had all of the inverters and heavy avionics removed, about 600 pounds, and it feels very light and nimble; will hopefully make up for lower power with better economy.
Have photos, still working on how to post.
There are about 50 or so As around I am told.

SNJ5 are you the guy looking for a hangar at 5c1. Can't be that many T-28 As around San Antonio. If so we met last week I have the blue hangar across from the FBO.
Wayne

Howdy Wayne! That's me. Good to see you. I'm BFRing with Tom this week with the 210, so hope to see you again.
There's so much more to getting an aircraft than just getting an aircraft.

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Those must be photo shop pictures, notice that there are no oil stains all over the side as its taxiing out. Impossible!! or it doesn't have any oil in it.

Yes, it seems amazingly that is the case though. The current owner absolutely is fanatical about keeping it clean and using the sump drain mods (along with everything else in fanatically maintaining this airplane).

But, fear not, when we started it after sitting a week it puked about a quart out of the lower cylinders across the right wingroot. Everything normal - heck, my old T-6 would do that sometimes!

The engine only has 20 or so hours FWF with all new accesories AND HOSES. It's so clean you could do surgery back there.