New Skymaster Owner

[YankeeClipper]

I believe that would be the "Jet Glow" pumpkin, if memory serves.

[TomM]

Pumpkin.......ouch!

Quick update for you guys. As noted below, my new plane ended up in Oklahoma as that is where I happened to find a MEI that had good experience in a Skymaster and the plane was originally in Texas. So a few weeks ago I went down there and touched and drooled all over the thing in the hanger while it down poured the entire weekend - no flying. Drove home and on the following Monday - company wide travel restrictions - UGH!

So here I sit, 650 miles away from the plane all bummed out for god knows how long.

But in my small northern Iowa community the stars may have aligned.....I was watching a Youtube video on multi engine training and I saw a video that featured a local guy that is a major player in the Commemorative Air Force. I figured that a guy that has flown a zillion different war birds might have skymaster time. So I reached out to him and guess what, he does! And to go one step further, he is a DPE and said he can do the center thrust rating - but he cant train AND be the DPE so still a slight dilemma.

Enter my neighbor from when I first moved to Mason City 20 years ago. I connected with him on an unrelated topic and low and behold he is a MEI and he has skymaster time as well! So the clouds parted, the sun shined down on me and all is better than it was when I woke up this morning.

So now I have a MEI and DPE right in my back yard. They both said they would go down and pick up the plane and bring it home for me. All that needs to be done now is coordinate schedules and weather.

Hopefully the next update will be a picture of the skymaster squeezed into my hanger - 6" clearance each side of the wing - safe and sound.

[YankeeClipper]

It's a great color if you ask me. Had my eye on that one for a while.

Sure would love to get back in mine, but going on the fifth month now just to get a fuel pump, nose strut, and master cylinder overhauled.

And that just gets it ferry-able ... if I'm lucky.

[TomM]

A quick update for all of you. Last Thursday I flew from Oklahoma to Ohio for my check ride. All went good with Brad Newman at Tiffin Aire. Supper great guy. Flew back to Oklahoma that same day to drop off my instructor. After a good night sleep (finally) I left Friday and flew my bird home to Iowa solo...filed IFR, climbed through the clouds to severe clear and all went great. It was an awesome feeling to get through the training and the check ride. I have a list of things to start working on to make this plane my plane, and I am very much looking forward to it. She leaks oil because I think it has been sitting. After the first 2 days of training the oil leaking slowed, but the push rod tube ends at the engine case are dripping wet. Easy enough to start chipping away and working my way down. No leaking at the crank seal.

I cant get over how slippery these things are! At less than gross it beats all the cruise speeds noted in the book. Very happy with everything!!

I am going to post my instructor in the instructor part of the forms. Brad Newman the DPE has been mentioned a number of times here, but my instructor has not.

Feels great to have a AMEL with a center thrust limitation!!!

[frank.oconnor19]

Congrats.

We had to do the push rod seals as well. is tedious but worth it. The amount of work to get the oil leaks under control is worth it. I wish you luck. I love owning my plane.

Frank
N326 - 1976 P337

[cessnadriver]

Tom M.
Great job on your new CLT rating!! I just finished mine in February, 2020. I own a 1965 C337 and also have the oil leaks from the push rod seals. I also bought 6 rebuild cylinders from Gibson Avn, Oklahoma, cost me $5200. Plan on replacing them on the rear engine due to 3 cylinders with low compression. When I started training from my home airport I noticed I was using a quart of oil per engine in about two flight hours. Thankfully the leakage has slowed to about 1/4 quart per engine in 3 hours of flight. Mostly through the push rod seals. AFTER I paint my plane this summer I hope to do the seals afterwards. Since I'm an A&P that will save me a lot of money, doing it myself. Good luck with yours!
Regards, BILLS

[TomM]

Thanks Bill and Frank. I do love it! I also started out losing about 1 quart every 2 hours - what a mess. It has slowed to a quart every 6 hours so its better, but still on the messy side. My mechanic has the seals in stock and I am on his schedule.....but he is booked out till mid summer. So hopefully it will continue to slow down.

After seeing the great posts about the side window replacement, I am going to knock that out over the summer as well. They are quite milky.

Although the solid orange color is growing on me, we will be splashing some trim color on it this summer as well. As with most folks I am sure, it will be a work in progress until I cant fly any more......

[cjordan]

Has anyone tried one of the vacuum systems where a plastic line goes down the dipstick tube? I use this on vehicles all the time. No mess at all. At least in vehicles, it seems to get all of it out, can hear sucking air if you pull off the bottom of the pan when it's empty. The one I have used is called a topsider.

I may see what happens trying this next time around.

[hharney]

I've seen some Lycoming equipped planes use this because they are subject to cam rust. If you fly once a week not usually a problem with these Continentals but can't hurt. They use a tube of desiccant material to draw the air through

[JAG]

cjordan - I change oil on one of my cars that way and never thought of using on the aircraft...It would make for a clean way of changing the oil on the aircraft, but I always wondered how much old oil or sediment gets left behind, versus using the low point like the drain plug. Certainly something to consider though as an alternative once and while.
Jeff