And So it Begins......T-41B Restoration

K5DH · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:59 pm

Lookin' good! The flat finish came out perfectly.

Silly radio nerd question... What radio uses the dipole antenna?

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

K5DH wrote:

Lookin' good! The flat finish came out perfectly.

Silly radio nerd question... What radio uses the dipole antenna?

Hey Dean,

The large "towel bar" antenna on the top is a FM homing antenna. The 54" whip immediately behind it is a FM com antenna. FM was used primarily for communications with Army ground forces including artillery and infantry. The large blade antenna is a VHF/UHF com antenna and I use it for the GNC-420 com.

DH82EH · **Posted:** Tue Oct 20, 2015 6:50 am

Yeah, she's looking really good.
Cool to see all the little details coming together. They really make it.

Andy

Zac Yates · **Posted:** Wed Oct 21, 2015 2:56 pm

Feel free to call me "nerd" or "geek", but seeing the stencils on the airframe makes me very excited! Awesome!

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

Flew the aircraft 3 hours today, first time after reassembly from paint. We "weathered" the black anti glare on the nose, still have to add the tail # and a few more small stencils.

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

We have now flown the T-41B 25 hours since coming ut of paint and have really been enjoying ourselves. A friend shot this short video of the aircraft landing, please ignore the title "perfect landing".

The aircraft is pretty high drag with the CS prop windmilling at idle and can develop a very high sink rate at low airspeeds. This was a fairly steep approach landing on runway 18 with a slight downhill grade. It would be possible to get this aircraft in to some pretty short strips in the hands of an accomplished pilot. The Horton STOL kit insures excellent aileron authority at the low speeds. This was a partial flap landing and not the full 40 degrees and no braking.

The ailerons are very light at all airspeeds and is an absolute pleasure to fly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=howEqIv ... e=youtu.be

avenger2504 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:11 pm

Well done and she sounds awesome too!

JohnB · **Posted:** Sun Nov 15, 2015 1:01 am

The matte finish looks good, makes the otherwise common 172 standout.
The close-up front quarter shot showing the spinnerless prop and military antennas could almost pass for a photo of an O-2.

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

avenger2504 wrote:

Well done and she sounds awesome too!

Thanks,

Don also shot this low approach right before the landing. We will be doing some high resolution air to air next week if we have good weather.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NVYXLnMFw0

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

JohnB wrote:

The matte finish looks good, makes the otherwise common 172 standout.
The close-up front quarter shot showing the spinnerless prop and military antennas could almost pass for a photo of an O-2.

Thanks John, we really love the plane, she is an absolute joy to fly.

Zac Yates · **Posted:** Sun Nov 15, 2015 5:58 pm

Top work! She looks superb. I've saved the video to watch later at home. Well done on a very special restoration.

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

Flew formation with a 150 hp 1976 C-172M yesterday and was surprised how well the aircraft climbed.

We took off together and he was climbing at nearly 900 fpm (sea level)with two people and 20 gals of fuel. I was at 24 square cruise climb to match his ROC. We maintained at least 700/800 fpm to 2,000 feet. I could have out climbed him at full power and 2800 rpm but only by 200 to 300 fpm.

we flew reduced power in formation and 110 mph. On the way home he was at 2500 rpm and 100 knots (115 mph) at 2,000 feet and I was at 24 square to match him. At 25 square I could barely pass him at a little over 120 mph.The T-41B reaches "compressibility" at 120 and the shock wave from all of the drag will not allow the aircraft to go any faster down low.

With power flow the C-172 had excellent climb and a 100 knot cruise at 2,000 MSL.

When we get some better weather I have a friend with a high quality digital camera and we are going back up for some much better photos. We had a 2,000 ft ceiling with haze along with a bumpy ride yesterday.,

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

She really turned out nice. I love the second A2A shot, it looks somewhat 1970ish over the "jungle" below.

Chappie

L-4Pilot · **Joined:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:35 pm **Posts:** 616

Chappie wrote:

She really turned out nice. I love the second A2A shot, it looks somewhat 1970ish over the "jungle" below.

Chappie

Thanks Chappie, come see us when you get a chance and we will let you fly her. She is slow but stately.

flightsimer · **Posted:** Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:46 am

Chappie wrote:

She really turned out nice. I love the second A2A shot, it looks somewhat 1970ish over the "jungle" below.

Chappie

I was just going to say, normally I would agree with L-4 about haze detracting from photos, but the haze in these photos actually looks like the light smoke you see in many original Vietnam photos. I like it.

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And So it Begins......T-41B Restoration

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