If any Wixers are at Sun n Fun, and you see fellow wixer Doug (FG1D-Pilot) wandering around looking exhausted, (or just sleeping) it is due to the mammoth task he and his maintenance team at Cavanaugh took on.
A Bell 47 restoration in 47 days.
They completely dissassembled a Bell 47 helicopter, removed the old paint from every part, repainted every part and re-assembled the helicopter with a complete re-wire, new bubble, new instrument panel and interior, and then made multiple flight tests to check everything.
(All this whilst getting the TBM, C47 and P-40 ready for Sun n Fun, T6 fuel pump overhaul, P51 prop overhaul, C47 pilot check-outs, and Mohawk training, and Doug only has a full time maintenance staff of 4!).
Flight testing was completed just after lunchtime today (Tuesday April 4th), and then Doug loaded it up and took off this afternoon to fly it to Florida for Sun n Fun. Knowing how fast it flies, and how far he has to go, he might just make it there in time to come back.
Attached are some sneak peeks, taken with a camera phone on Saturday night, as the new bubble was being installed, and the assembly and re-wire was still in progress. (The pics don't do the restoration justice, and I know Doug will provide much better ones when he gets back next week.)
If you see him, or any of the Cavanaugh team, say hello, providing you don't have to wake them up to do it
Julian
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