Need info for plane restore

[runninsilent]

I hope this is the right place to ask for help here. My dad and I are planning to restore a WWII aircraft. Right now he's in Iraq but as soon as he gets home we're going to start on it. What all do we need to have to do a complete restore? Books, blue prints, manuals, etc.? I'm lousy at finding things on the net but I'd really like to do what I can to get things started while he's gone. We were thinking of a P-61. or a fighter of somekind. Maybe a P-38 or P-51 but the P-61 is to of our list. Any and all help would be great.

 

[evangilder]

Finding a P-61 to restore would be tricky at best. It's probably better to find something to restore first. I hope you have a lot of money, because it's going to take a lot to restore one.

 

[lesofprimus]

No sh!t... I hope ur Dad is a VERY well paid civilian contractor over there, cause ur gonna need big bucks just to pick up an old rusty crate.... A P-61 is an extremely rare find...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Good luck...

 

[timshatz]

Run,

If you go to Courtesy Aircraft, you will find a couple of hulks they have for sale to those who want to restore. No 51s or what you listed, but there is a P39 in there. Here is a link:

Courtesy Aircraft, Inc.: premier dealer of quality Warbird and civilian aircraft

Good luck.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Very cool. They have a P-51D. A-20, TBM, and a Buchon for sell!

I did not know that Texans go for as little as 150,000. I see myself owning one one day!

 

[Wildcat]

If the reports are correct that A-20 is headed from Oz!

 

[timshatz]

Very cool. They have a P-51D. A-20, TBM, and a Buchon for sell!

I did not know that Texans go for as little as 150,000. I see myself owning one one day!

Adler, they're expensive as hell to own. The basic cost is just the start. Consider the oil, gas (both of which these things drink like water) and the parts are expensive as hell. Something is always, always breaking! UGGGGHHHH! Owned a Yak52 and it was one of the "cheaper" warbirds. Still, like a high maintanence chic, something was always going wrong (also, like the chic, some days you just couldn't get them to turn over).

That being the case, you do look very cool in one. Definitely head turners.

 

[delcyros]

If I am allowed to throw my 2 cents into it, I would like to remind considering two further aspects:

For a reconstruction, please note that it requires some decent skills to do so:
1.) the whole airframe must be disassembled (it´s fortunate to record this process if something later goes wrong) into single parts. Each part has to be cleaned, recorded, and considered: Is it worthy to be used again? In any case, the part needs to be removed from it´s paint (record the paint layers) for considering other than You have an x-ray device to draw conclusions on the metal properties and conditions of this part (such a device (from dads experience) really safes a lot of time money). Then this tool needs to be conservated (there are different agencies on the market for this purpose), oxidating parts are time bombs. Paint it again and record the final result.

2.) For the engine I strongly suggest You get in contact with someone who did this professionally before. Engines, esspeccially of this period are challenging devices. Similarely You should record the process (seems odd, but from experience, this may help to find problems rapidly if they occur).

3.) deciding whether the plane goes back to air or remains on display. This question belongs to the degree of rebuild necessary after step 1-2 for parts which failed to pass consideration for air worthyness. Of course, the money is the most single deciding factor here...

4.) During the rebuild process, You will need to have controll by national aerial authorities for /if airworthyness specifications (they will also decide on rebuild parts) is given.

construction tools: You probably will fail to find everything You need, the sooner You have abilities to construct things the better.

good luck!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Adler, they're expensive as hell to own. The basic cost is just the start. Consider the oil, gas (both of which these things drink like water) and the parts are expensive as hell. Something is always, always breaking! UGGGGHHHH! Owned a Yak52 and it was one of the "cheaper" warbirds. Still, like a high maintanence chic, something was always going wrong (also, like the chic, some days you just couldn't get them to turn over).

That being the case, you do look very cool in one. Definitely head turners.

Oh I know how they are. I knew someone who had 2 Texans and they were trading one of them for a house!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Running silent - although your ambitions are worthy, you're reaching for the stars. First off P-38s and P-61s are just not around for the taking as other members mentioned. If you're going to get involved with something, you better fully understand what you're getting yourself involved with. Not only think about the restoration, but think about hangar space, contracts with machine and chemical processing shops and other logistics that are never spoken about when you might hear about a warbird being restored. Is your dad a pilot?

 

[timshatz]

Run Silent, how 'bout restoring a nice C-150. Cessna parts are plentiful and it will doubtless take much less time. Cheaper to fly, insure, easier to fly as well.

Or a Grumman AA1. Drop a 150Hp engine in it and you have a fast little bird.

Just a suggestion.

 

[timshatz]

Oh I know how they are. I knew someone who had 2 Texans and they were trading one of them for a house!

A house!? Jeez. On the good side, houses appreciate and aircraft tend to depreciate. Sounds like he made a good trade.

Once thought about going right up the run of High Performance aircraft (Yak, BT13, AT6, P51 or F4U) but stopped (dead in my tracks too) at the Yak. Found out my limitations included (but are not limited to) bruising knuckles on a radial engine. Just not my bag.

Back to bug smashing in an Archer I go!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Run Silent, how 'bout restoring a nice C-150. Cessna parts are plentiful and it will doubtless take much less time. Cheaper to fly, insure, easier to fly as well.

Or a Grumman AA1. Drop a 150Hp engine in it and you have a fast little bird.

Just a suggestion.

If you never restored an airplane before this is perfect!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Runsilent. Do you or your father have experience in restoring aircraft or aircraft maintenance as a matter of fact. Because it is not like buying a car in a junk yard and working on it in your garage to restore it.

It just does not work that way...