New Culver Cadet Owner

[Louis Hudgin]

Hello I'm Louis Hudgin from Gilbert, AZ. I just purchased a long dormant 1940 Culver Cadet LCA N29295 s/n 164. It has been stored at the Goodyear airport in the Phoenix area since 1977. I keep my PIPER Arrow at Chandler and will disassemble the Culver and move it in with the Arrow. I see on the FAA sight there are a couple other Culvers in the PHX area. I'd like to meet those owners and any others that may be coming through the PHX area.

Louis Hudgin

[JoeB]

Hi Louis,
Welcome to the Culver group!
While the forum has been pretty quiet there is some great support and several flying Cadets out there! 
We also have a group on Facebook if you have an account, several active owners posting pictures and videos.
Looking forward to hearing more about your Cadet and please let us know if you need any assistance getting it flying again.
Best regards,
Joe Burley

[Louis Hudgin]

  Thanks for your support. I'm sure I'll need help with some things. I am an A&P but have very little wood experience. Tomorrow I start pulling it apart to transport it back to my airport, KCHD, from KGYR where it has sat since 1977. The last entry in the logbook says it was put in storage then and there but I have heard roomers that it has flown since then. It actually looks feels and sounds pretty good but I'll know better when I get it apart and give it a really good inspection. Any tips on how to transport it without damaging the fuselage? Is it possible to attach photos?

Louis Hudgin
Gilbert, AZ

[JoeB]

Hi Louis,
I posted your request to the group on Facebook directing them here, hopefully someone can give you some real life experience on how to safely transport your Cadet!
You can upload pictures with the “Attachments and other options” below the text box area. We would love to see it, keeps us updated!
-Joe

[Louis Hudgin]

I have a cart similar to the ones used in the factory to hold the fuselage when I get it to CHD but I'm thinking I'll bolt a couple 2x4's to the motor mount for the trailer ride to keep the belly off the trailer. I'll figure it out. I put the stab on and took some shots of it before I pulled it all the way down.

[JoeB]

Nice find Louis, looks like you found a diamond in the rough!  Appears to be in pretty good shape, keep the updates coming!

[Keith U.]

I set fuselage on several layers of padding on a trailer, then strapped it down around motor mount and tail, rode about 150 miles that way.  Wings were in a rack, leading edge down, sorry lost a hard drive early during the rebuild so I don’t have a picture of the trailer full of pieces, looked like Sanford and Sons junk wagon.  Good luck with the rebuild, by the photos it looks complete, that’s half of the battle.

[Louis Hudgin]

I got the wings moved safely today despite the 30 kt winds. Will move the fuselage tomorrow. I built a crude cradle using the spar carry through to keep the belly off the trailer. My trailer is only 10 ft long so the tail will hang off the back a little but have plenty of support and cushions. I lifted it off the ground and supported it on saw horses as the manual explains to pull the wings. Before I began removing the wings I climbed on it to retract the gear and heard a loud POP. I probably didn't have the tail high enough and might have broke a rib. I found some other minor broken wood but overall it looks pretty good so far. It's pretty complete except I didn't find a tailcone/fairing. I think without a nav light, its just a flat piece bent around from side to side, am I right?

  Question, Can a C-75 be easily uprated to a C-85? I was surprised to find that all 4 cylinders still had compression after all these years.

Louis

[JoeB]

Sounds like progress!
The ‘tail one/fairing’ isn’t a big deal, everything on a Cadet is pretty easily fabricated.