Gee, where was that picture shot? DZ was just pokin' fun at me, that's my plane, and he and I are long, long time friends. Love you too DZ!
Actually, I can't take five friends along, the U-11A was taken from the first of the Aztecs, which still had the Apache seating. I hear there's something in the regs that says you can only have five seats if you only have one door to get out of in case of emergency. The later models of the Aztec had a removable emergency made out of the left side middle window, so they put a sixth seat where the Apache luggage area was, and moved the luggage area to aft of the cabin. Then, to off-set the CG change of having 200 pounds that far back, they put the long nose on with the luggage compartment in it.
Yeah, I thought I had found a good poor man's warbird (or warbug). When I got the plane, it was in POOR shape. I've got twice what I could sell it for in it, but I'd venture to say it's in better shape than other Aztecs it's age. There was no way to get rid of the wrinkles without reskinning. I think they happened when (according to the guy I bought it from) a lineboy backed another plane into the right side of the tail.
In spite of what the Pacific Air Museum claims (that their member has the only flying Navy U-11A), there are no former military U-11A's flying. The records I have found indicate one was sold to the private sector, but it crashed. That might have stopped them from releasing the others. The U-11A in California is a 1961 model. The Navy bought 20 of the new Piper Aztecs in February, 1960. Their's were '60's, not '61's. The CA plane also has the Metco (?) wet wingtips, which alters the silhouette.
Actually, I believe the Navy Aztec had a 24 volt system, and I know they had passenger oxygen (which later became a civilian model option) and prop anti-ice. My plane's serial number is 27-927. My research shows the 8th plane shifted over to the Navy order was 27-928. I don't think you can get much closer to the real deal than that! So I bill my plane as the only authentic representation of the U-11A airframe flying.
It's nice having something about the size of a T-6, so it fits well in four-ship formations for fly-overs. We use the CAF's U-3A (which is really a Cessna 310) in formations as well. Of course we have to slow down for the T-6's! My fuel burn is about the same as a T-6, but as mentioned, the AzTruck can haul five, as opposed to the Texan's two, and gets there a lot faster! According to "the book", at 7000 feet, 75% power, and leaned out the best, you'll burn a combined 28gph, and have a true airspeed of 205mph. I've never got mine that lean, it's more like 32gph at altitude, and 34-36gph down low flying in an airshow...unless they stick be behind the T-6's! The U-birds these days are usually up on the top level of the stack, with the C-45's and T-28's. Much better speed match.
Of course I don't get to have the fun in the Vietnam act that the O-2's do.
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