Finishing touches, part deux

July 6th, 2011

We’re still not done! Just when you thought that nothing more could possibly be added, still more tweaks and improvements have been made to the Crossover Classic. When will this end? Probably right up to the time we hand the keys over to the lucky winner.

Some of you may recall that the airplane’s full-fuel payload amounted to a mere 353 pounds–as of a weighing that took place in May. You can thank the extra 24 gallons (worth 144 pounds) in the tip tanks for taking such a big bite out of the payload.

To the rescue came Trolltunes, Inc.’s gross-weight increase supplemental type certificate (STC). By adding the Trolltune STC, max gross takeoff weight jumps 150 pounds–from the stock 182P’s 2,950 pounds to the latest and greatest MTOW of 3,100 pounds. Presto! With a little bit of paperwork the airplane is now graced with a 503-pound full-fuel payload. Now two people and bags can make full use of the airplane’s speed and range. For this, I’d suggest climbing to altitude, dialing back the power a tad, and perhaps using the Mountain High oxygen system to take advantage of tailwinds.

The Trolltune STC does come with some limitations. For example, with the Cobham/S-TEC System Fifty-Five X autopilot aft limits of the center of gravity envelope moves forward one inch. But I’ve done sample loading problems and find this isn’t a grave problem unless you’ve loaded the aft baggage compartment to the max.

The other limitation gives the airplane a maximum landing weight. That weight is 2,950 pounds–the max takeoff weight of the stock Cessna 182P. So if you take off weighing 3,100 pounds, you’d have to fly around long enough to burn off that extra 150 pounds in order to land. Land heavier than 2,950 pounds, and the STC requires an inspection of the landing gear. In all, those limitations are small prices to pay for the extra payload. Do you agree? I thought so.

In other news, AmSafe’s seat-belt airbags are being installed on the two front seats. Let there be no doubt: The AmSafe belts give the Crossover Classic a big safety advantage. Which, of course, we hope no one ever realizes. The AmSafe air bag is enclosed in the lap belt portion of the assembly. On-board sensors detect sudden decelerations, and then the bags inflate, preventing the front seat occupants’ heads, necks, and torsos from striking the instrument panel and control yokes. The belts meet the 16-g deceleration protection standards set down in FAR Parts 25 and 121.

Air Mod, an AmSafe installation facility and interior shop located at Batavia, Ohio’s Clermont County Airport, will be installing the AmSafe gear–as well as H3R Aviation’s halon fire extinguisher.

PS Engineering has added to the excitement by offering its latest version of its very popular PMA8000BT audio panel. The new version has its function buttons clearly labelled, making their use highly intuitive. The function buttons let you and/or your passengers listen to ATC, music, or intercom transmissions in any combination–plus make telephone calls via the unit’s Bluetooth capability. You’ll be hearing more from us about the PMA8000BT in upcoming reports in AOPA Pilot.

Well, that’s it for now. After N182CX gets its third oil change–and its first with Aeroshell 15W50 semi-synthetic ashless dispersant engine oil–it’s off to Air Mod for those AmSafe belts. With some 45 hours under its belt, the new engine’s oil level has stabilized at the 10-quart level. The time to make the switch from mineral oil to ashless dispersant has arrived!

Many thanks to PS Engineering, Trolltune, AmSafe, and H3R Aviation for these late-breaking, excellent improvements.

Posted in Crossover Classics | 46 Comments »

Finishing Touches

June 3rd, 2011

I’ve been reading all the posts, and it seems that everybody is of the same mind. The unwavering thread is something to the effect that “It’s mine. Just send it to me at the KXYZ airport. I like/hate [take your pick] the paint job but will accept the Crossover Classic without any conditions.” It’s a refrain we hear each year, and which brings a smile to every AOPA staffer’s face. Hey, we’d keep it too, but the sweeps rules won’t let us!

But wait! No one can have it yet! That’s because we’re still making some final tweaks. For example, we’re performing a complete logbook review. All those STCs and other work must be documented properly–and we’re making sure that all is shipshape. We’ve learned from experience that a 20-, 30-, or 40-year-old airplane can have logbooks that leave a lot to be desired. And a lot to the imagination. (The worst is when an airframe or engine logbook is missing.) So this will take a few more days to complete.

Item number two: AmSafe’s seat belt/airbags have yet to be installed. This will take place at Air Mod, located at the Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio (you know, where Sporty’s is located). The two front seats will get the AmSafe belts, and we’re glad about that. AmSafe’s belts are a great safety enhancement.

Item number three: The JP Instruments EDM-930 engine data monitor has been sent back to that company. JPI will change the EDM-930 default settings to show the airplane’s new N-number, plus load the 182′s total airframe and new-engine (the Continental IO-550 installed at Air Plains Services in Wellington, Kansas) times. Now any mechanic can push the 930′s buttons and up will come the correct TTAE (total time, airframe and engine) information.

The EDM-930 is also having its electrical gauges recalibrated. The airplane has a 60-ampere/hour alternator from Plane Power (thanks very much) but the 930 showed red load exceedances when the electrical load hit 32 amps. That threshold is being moved up to reflect the system’s current safe load capacity.

Item number four: Landmark Aviation at our home field–the Frederick Municipal Airport in Frederick, Maryland–has re-rigged the airplane.

Item number five: The leather seats will be cleaned. During an airshow, the seats pick up drool from the curious (just kidding) and grime that sifts out of the sky (not kidding)–and from hundreds of hands caressing the custom, leather-covered seats (thanks Garrett Leather). I was going to say “rich, Corinthian leather,” but that would be over the top. Hey wait, maybe it is Corinthian leather! Where’s Ricardo Montalban when you need him? Anyway, the seats will be cleaned.

So that’s the latest. All these changes will be completed before EAA AirVenture, so you can see them at Oshkosh–which runs from July 25-31. More news as it happens! And be sure to check out the July issue of AOPA Pilot. Your airplane will be on the cover, and the accompanying story will once more list all the project’s many fine contributors.

Posted in Crossover Classics | 48 Comments »

Vive la difference

May 12th, 2011

A new paint job makes all the difference. That goes double for an airplane with an original paint job as deteriorated as the Crossover Classic’s was. Earlier this week, I picked up the newly-painted sweepstakes Skylane from BOSS Aircraft Refinishers. I know some of you have criticised the “swoopy” paint scheme, but the final product looks great. You can look at a paint scheme on a piece of paper, but that’s certainly no match for seeing a new paint job in the flesh.

After a two-hour flight from BOSS’ shop at Salisbury, North Carolina’s Rowan County Airport, the airplane is now hangared at AOPA’s home base at the Frederick, Maryland Municipal Airport. There are a couple more stops on its journey to completion, but for the most part the restoration is finished. Look for more coverage and more photos in the July issue of AOPA Pilot magazine. And the airplane will be on the cover (we did the air-air photography last night, and the photos do it justice). Oh, and there are more blogs in the pipeline as well.

Now I have to go clean bugs off the leading edges. I’ll be baaack, as Arnold would say.

Posted in Paint Job, Refurbishments | 23 Comments »

Let the painting begin!

April 25th, 2011

OK, I have been reading all your comments (thanks so much for following along, hope you like it), and while I can’t guarantee that any one of you will win “your” airplane, I can say this: Elvis–er, the Crossover Classic–has left the building. The Air Mod building that is. The interior has been completed, and photos and more coverage of this excellent effort will soon be posted–and published in AOPA Pilot.

A couple of items need to be mentioned. Everyone dwells on the major components of an interior overhaul, but don’t forget the detail items that may not be immediately apparent. For example, beat-up, faded plastic parts. Would yellowed plastic panels on the doors or A-, B-, and C-pillars show up against the backdrop of a brand-new leather interior? You bet they would! Like a sore thumb! That’s why anyone considering an interior renovation should yank out the old plastic (and there are a LOT of interior plastic parts) and replace it with new components.

Stripped and mummified

Once more, we’ve chosen to go with Vantage Plane Plastics’ replacement plastic. Vantage, at www.planeplastics.com, makes interior plastic kits for a wide range of GA airplanes. It’s their specialty. We’ve used Vantage’s plastic parts in our 2004 Twin Comanche “Win-A-Twin” sweepstakes airplane, as well as our 2006 Cherokee Six “Win A Six in ’06″ sweeps project airplane.

Another neat detail-that’s-a-big deal is Saircorp’s rudder pedal extensions. These fit over the stock rudder pedals and give you more rudder authority–especially when your legs are on the short side and you’re facing a sporty crosswind landing. You can check them out at www.saircorp.com.

All the hard work is done

And now, in breaking news, I can report that the airplane is now at Boss Aircraft Refinishers at Salibury, North Carolina’s Rowan County Airport–and its nasty old paint job has been stripped off! I am personally elated. Any of you who have seen the plane in person can testify to the deteriorated condition of the original paint job. Well, it’s gone.

Bill Lucey, head of Boss Aircraft Refinishers, said that the stripping did pose some challenges. The old lacquer-based paint doesn’t exactly slough off like newer polyurethane paints. “With polyurethane, the day after you hit the plane with the stripping agent you can hear the paint coming off,” he said. “It’s like ‘splat, splat, splat’–you can hear it from the next room.”

Down to the bare frame

But with lacquer, it’s a different story. Lacquer does slide off a little bit, Lucey says. But mainly it turns into a goo that resembles “burnt cheese.” (I’m still trying to imagine what that looks like). Anyway, the burnt cheese needs to be hit repeatedly with stipper, blown off with a high-pressure sprayer, scrubbed with Scotchbrite, and washed and rewashed in order to coax all that goo off the airplane.

Now, the red goo is no more. In its place is a bare, all-aluminum exterior. And while the ship is far from its final coat of paint, its appearance is greatly improved. It sure looks a whae of a lot better than before!

Next up: Application of the white base coat, the masking of the paint scheme, the application of the paint scheme, and the clearcoat finish. Stay tuned!

Posted in Paint Job, Refurbishments | 13 Comments »

Sun ‘N Fun Aftermath – Blown Alternator CB!

April 7th, 2011

Thanks for all the notes about the Sweeps 182′s fate during the March 31 tornado event at Sun ‘N Fun. The airplane survived in fine shape–more than you can say about a lot of airplanes on the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport that day.

But there was a catch. On the last day of the show–as with all such large fly-ins–the exhibit airplanes are towed and/or pulled manually out of the exhibit area. The result is a traffic jam because everyone wants to get out of there asap. So there I was waiting for the airshow to finish and the red flag to descend–meaning that the field was now open, and taxiing for takeoff could begin. (All I wanted to do was cross the active, taxi over to the FBO, and get ready for a departure the next morning.)

The plane started fine, but then, uh oh. The 60-ampere Alternator circuit breaker popped! I was on battery, stuck in a conga line that wasn’t budging, and watching my battery indicator dropping through 11 volts. No way was I going to reset the CB and risk further problems.

Long story short: I made it to the other side, had AeroMech’s mechanics look at the charging system, and waited for the verdict.

“The voltage regulator was full of water,” said AeroMech’s Ken Willaford. “I took it out, shook it, and water came out. So I blew it and the rest of the engine compartment out with compressed air, started it up, and everything worked fine.”

The next day I took off–bound for the paint shop. Three hours and change later, I was at Boss Aircraft Refinishers at Salisbury, North Carolina’s Rowan County Airport (KRUQ). Bill Lucey took the keys, and I was outa there.

Anybody else out there been waterlogged like that?

So now, let the painting begin! And brother, does this airplane need a new paint job. Look for more updates on the stripping of the bad old paint and the application of the new paint job over the coming weeks.

Posted in Engine, Refurbishments | 35 Comments »

Sweeps at Sun ‘N Fun, Cont’d

April 1st, 2011

The Sweeps plane the day after the supercell—no damage!

The claw held!

My post yesterday was rudely interrupted by the massive supercell thunderstorm complex that rolled through the Sun ‘N Fun grounds. As I was typing, a gust of wind blew open the back of AOPA’s tent–right behind me. Now I had an in-person view of the torrential rain and monumental winds. And a thorough soaking. Then a gust blew down a stack of water bottles, so I was surrounded by oh, maybe four dozen 24-packs of “Silver Springs” water. Then the power went out. So I disconnected and evacuated to the Florida Air Museum with other AOPA staff.

Now, back to the Crossover Classic’s fate. The good news is: NO DAMAGE! (There is no bad news). I watched the airplane from the tent for a while, and it rocked a good bit, but the tiedowns held. Those tiedowns–known as “The Claw”–are held into the ground by three angled pins. And they worked. Many other airplanes on the field didn’t fare as well, as I’m sure you’ve seen in the coverage on AOPA’s website. So bravo for The Claw. And good luck played a big part, too, I’m sure.

The inside of the sweeps plane.

I also credit our good fate to the strength of our new tent, and the blocking effect it–and Pilot Mall store behind us–exerted on the damaging wind flows from the west. All’s well that ends well!

I’m sending along some iPhone snapshots of the 182′s interior–and one of The Claw tiedown points–because several of you asked to get a glimpse. Sorry about the quality. Better photography will follow!
For the record, the Lakeland Linder Airport experienced a confirmed EF-1 tornado. The “EF” stands for “enhanced Fujita,” and the “1″ is a damage designator. According to the EF scale, an EF-1 tornado will cause “moderate damage. Rooves can be snapped, mobile homes overturned, exterior doors lost, and windows and other glass broken.” The National Weather Service might also add, “tied-down airplanes flipped, torn loose of their moorings, and light airplanes crushed.” Storm winds in an EF-1 tornado run from 86-110 mph. The NWS recorded a downburst gust yesterday at 75 mph. Well above takeoff speed for most of the airplanes on display here.

Sweep's Seat!

Posted in Exterior, Interior, Refurbishments | 15 Comments »

Sun ‘N Fun Feedback

March 31st, 2011

After three days on display at Sun ‘N Fun, we’ve had a chance to sample the opinions voiced by visitors to the Crossover Classic. Most of the comments seem to dwell on the issue of the paint job–the current paint job, that is. People are tactful and polite, so the questions are always carefully posed. Maybe they don’t want to offend.

Anyway, a common question will come as an oblique reference. For example, people will say “Is this the paint scheme you’ll be using?” Or “Do you like the original paint scheme?” There is universal relief when they’re told that the airplane’s next stop is Boss Aircraft Refinishers of Salisbury, North Carolina, where a new paint job awaits.

The current paint issues–vast areas of cracking, flaking, and major-league fading–have to do with the lacquer-based paints used by Cessna in the early 1970s. In short, lacquer paint jobs don’t age well. But the new Sherwin-Williams paint that we’ll be using at Boss Aircraft Refinishers will be much more durable of course.

Some have remarked on the difference between the current N-number on the airplane and the N-number being shown on the paint scheme rendition. Why the discrepancy? Because we’ll be renaming the airplane to N182CX when it is painted. The “CX” is our way of conveying the “Crossover” concept. And yes, I tried to obtain N-numbers from the FAA that ended in “CC” or “XC,” but no cigar. Those were all taken. So N182CX it will be.

There’s a lot of gawking at the panel and interior, completed by Advantage Avionics and Air Mod, respectively. But the Saircorp/Flight Boss Ltd. center console came in for its share of interest. Several visitors wrote down the company name, and a few took the time to go to the company’s website on their smartphones. Looks like a few sales might well be in the offing.

Sometimes, people checking out a sweepstakes airplane do quirky things. I can’t tell you how many times people have squeezed the leather seats, or rubbed their hands over the new carpeting. The leather was provided by the Garrett Leather Company of Buffalo, New York (www.garrettleather.com) and the carpeting came thanks to Aircraft Interior Products of Wichita, Kansas (www.aipsource.com)

And now for a little reportage. As I write this, I’m in the back of the AOPA tent at Sun ‘N Fun, and the convective weather preditions for today are coming true. The skies have lowered, darkened ominously, and surface winds have been gusting well past 35 knots. On my “Radarscope” iPhone app, I can see that steeply-contoured precipitation returns are overhead. The winds are so strong that the sides of the tent are blowing back and forth, so much so that a stack of bottled water has fallen over, landing right behind me.

Posted in Exterior, Interior, Paint Job, Refurbishments | 4 Comments »

The Crossover Classic arrives at Sun ‘N Fun

March 30th, 2011

It was quite a pleasure to fly the Sweeps 182–fresh from its interior completion at Air Mod–to Sun ‘N Fun. The seats are super comfortable, and noise levels are low thanks to Skandia’s soundproofing package. My route took me from Air Mod (at Ohio’s Clermont County Airport) back to home base at Frederick, Maryland for the first leg. The first portion of the leg was marginal VFR, but by the time I was over West Virginia IFR had setttled in over the entire Mid-Atlantic, thanks to a persistent area of low pressure.

Now’s when a cockpit like the Crossover Classic’s really shows its worth. The Cobham/S-TEC System Fifty-Five X took care of the flying while I got set up for the ILS approach to runway 23 at the Frederick Municipal Airport. The center console, from Saircorp/Flight Boss Ltd., had enough compartments to hold all my charts and approach plates, and its clipboard kept the plate for the ILS close at hand. (The console’s lower compartment holds the airplane’s Mountain High oxygen bottle and regulator). Oh, and there’s a nice armrest, too–which flips up to allow access to a large storage compartment capable of holding larger items, like an Air Charts low altitude enroute chart book.

The ceiling was 800 feet, the visibility one-and-a-half miles, but it was no sweat really. The Garmin G500 showed the way–and the synthetic vision showed the virtual runway dead ahead. The G500′s flight path marker also backs up your nav visual cues by showing exactly where the airplane is flying. So, stay on the ILS and the flight path marker will remain planted on the virtual runway’s touchdown zone. Nice.

After a second, five-hour flight I was descending into the Lakeland airport traffic pattern with AOPA Live’s Warren Morningstar aboard. We were Sun ‘N Fun bound, and having the airplane’s GTS-800 traffic advisory system (TAS) aboard made a big difference. Targets began to appear on the G500′s PFD (primary flight display) , the dedicated TAS page on the MFD (multifunction display), and on the ship’s two GNS 430 navigators. Talk about situational awareness!

The Crossover Classic is now on display at AOPA’s tent at Sun ‘N Fun, so stop by and check out the new interior if you;re in the area. More from Sun ‘N Fun to come!

Posted in Avionics, Flights, Interior | 11 Comments »

And the paint job contest winner is …..

March 16th, 2011

….. Paint job number three! By an overwhelming margin, with more than 1,200 votes, you chose a swoopy, white-on-red design over the other three choices. Readers’ comments were, um, interesting, as you can see by checking into your responses to our blog postings. Some of the more amusing involved the tree on the vertical stabilizer in paint concept choice #1, and the stars on the tail of #2.

Since the clear winner was #3, so be it. Even though some have likened it to–of all things–a fishing lure, we’re going ahead with it. Thanks again to Scheme Designers for all their work coming up with a multitude of paint schemes, some of them wilder than you can imagine.

And just a quick note about the interior progress. Right now, Air Mod is sewing the leather seat coverings to the seat frames, installing the leather sidewalls and carpet, and embroidering the Crossover Classic logo on the front seat backs. We’re posting a couple of photos showing the quality of Air Mod’s embroidery, as well as a glimpse of the sidewalls’ red accent trim. What you can’t see, however, are the Bubinga wood inserts that will grace the side panels and armrest areas. More on that later!

Posted in Interior, Paint Job, Refurbishments | 14 Comments »

Pick Your Paint Job

March 9th, 2011

The Crossover Classic’s new interior may be in its final strages at Air Mod, but now it’s time to think about the next step in this exceptional Skylane’s restoration. Very soon, Boss Aircraft Refinishers of Salisbury, North Carolina will be preparing to give the airplane a badly needed paint job.

Question is, what kind of paint job? We’re being democratic and letting you vote your preference. Among the four paint schemes presented here–all of them created by Scheme Designers of Cresskill, New York–which one is your favorite. Vote here, and we’ll move forward with the decision. After all, this will be your airplane!

Click on the images to see a larger version.