Beechcraft D17 Staggerwing

[OldAirmail]

Beechcraft D17 Staggerwing


It looks great, flies great, and sounds GREAT!

















KPNE - North Philadelphia, PA

[Flying Trucker]

Wowzers...(not a real word according to this electronic gizmo)...guess I have been speaking English wrongly the last few decades...

But...Wowzers...one of my favourite aircraft...there were two of them around here about two decades ago and have not seen one in this area lately however visiting a few airshows in the United States one will see a least one Staggerwing...

Thanks for the cockpit shot and again great choice of an aeroplane to show off...

[Jetranger]

if you go to - http://aussiex.org/forum/index.php?/files/category/2-ozx-paints/page__sort_order__ASC__sort_key__file_name__num__50__filter_key__all__st__750

You can find even more repaints for that Staggerwing,,,

You may have to search under the words ALABERO tho,,,,

I picked up like another 7 or 10 repaints for my Staggerwing and the Alabero Cessna 195 too !

[yancovitch]

as good as it gets.....yea?

[jcj78]

My favorite livery so far is this one.






Also, check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Lionheart
http://griffonaerospace.com/uav-systems/lionheart/

The guy who designed this kit works out of Huntsville. His company also designed the Broadsword and Outlaw UAVs currently used by the DoD.
He keeps his personal Lionheart at 3M5 Moontown Airport, where I get to check it out at EAA Fly-in day every year.
Sometimes my pops splits a load of fuel with Moontown's owner, a super-nice guy who flew the U-2 Dragonlady and lots of other Air Force airplanes.

[OldAirmail]

Thanks, everyone.

JCJ, that's a great picture. Love it.



This aircraft has a few negatives, but overall I don't mind them. As I said before it looks great, flies great, and sounds really GREAT.

Probably the "biggest" problem is that the Fuel Selector switch (the reprogrammed Magneto/Start switch on the second Saitek Switch Panel) doesn't work in this plane. So when I try to start the engine it has no fuel unless I select it from within the cockpit with my mouse.

BTW - there are two tanks; upper wing tank, & lower wing tank. Select the upper wing tank first.

Not the biggest problem in the world, right? Ninety nine out of a hundred could probably care less. And the pleasure I get from it is worth far more than the $20 that I paid for it.

The Alabeo Staggerwing also has almost no documentation. Again - Not a problem. The info is still available.

The last "problem", for me, is how dark the flight panel is. To some degree that can be corrected by Alabeo D17 2nd Fixed Panel Mod. But I may have to try fixing it myself, a dangerous proposition.

So, problems? Who cares.



Anyway, a few more shots.

[lowflybye]

Also, check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Lionheart
http://griffonaerospace.com/uav-systems/lionheart/

The guy who designed this kit works out of Huntsville. His company also designed the Broadsword and Outlaw UAVs currently used by the DoD.
He keeps his personal Lionheart at 3M5 Moontown Airport, where I get to check it out at EAA Fly-in day every year.

I would love to have a sim model of the Griffon Lionheart if someone can build it. I can provide you whatever information you might need on the aircraft.

[OldAirmail]

Welcome, lowflybye.

The Griffon Lionheart. Yes. I've watched both aircraft on YouTube.

Now if I could only find that winning lottery ticket, I'd have both of them.

It's like a day dream, pick out an old classic, and design a new version made with the best of todays knowledge & materials.


Obviously, you have good taste in aircraft, so welcome lowflybye.

[lowflybye]

With only 3 of them remaining (of which only one is flying) winning the lottery won't help you acquire one as none are for sale. One resides in the Beechcraft Heritage Museum never to fly again, one is with its new owner in FL undergoing some major repairs before returning to flight at some point, and the original prototype remains with Larry French, the designer & builder of the Lionheart. Larry entrusts us to keep Lionheart flying and share her with her fans...he will never sell her...at some point she will go to a museum or be put on static display at Griffon Aerospace.

[Jetranger]

You can click on those pipes by the windshield and they'll disappear don't forget !

[jcj78]

With only 3 of them remaining (of which only one is flying) winning the lottery won't help you acquire one as none are for sale. One resides in the Beechcraft Heritage Museum never to fly again, one is with its new owner in FL undergoing some major repairs before returning to flight at some point, and the original prototype remains with Larry French, the designer & builder of the Lionheart. Larry entrusts us to keep Lionheart flying and share her with her fans...he will never sell her...at some point she will go to a museum or be put on static display at Griffon Aerospace.

http://photos.al.com/huntsville-times/2012/09/moontown_airport_annual_grass_11.html



This is a picture that was in the H'ville Times Sept 16, 2012. That is my boy and I walking west down the flightline , going to see the An-2 Colt. This picture was taken the day before, and published the day of a fatal Yak-52 crash during the same EAA Fly-In at Moontown (3M5).
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/09/airplane_crash_at_the_moontown.html

Here is a shot of Larry French's Lionheart making a pass down Runway 9 on Sept. 15th, 2012 at Moontown, also from the HT.



Might see you there next fall, lowflybye.

[lowflybye]

I was there flying rides in the Stearman most of the day Saturday that year and doing some Yak flying as well. If Lionheart is out and/or flying you will find me.

[Anthindelahunt]

Great shots OldAirmail. Picked up the Staggerwing on sale
over the Holidays. Flies really well.

Anthin.

[Anthindelahunt]

Thanks for the Tip about removing the pipes,Jetranger.
It was the only thing I didn't like.

Anthin.

[Anthindelahunt]

Welcome to the nuthouse lowflybye.

Anthin.