iowa's L-4 project!

[iowa]

i have that movie!
will run thru it today and see.
dave

[iowa]

just an update:
i haven't been doing much lately.
just a lot of reasearch etc.
i am waiting for the faa.gov
records of my L4 on CD-ROM.
also, am waiting for it's military history card
from the kansas military aircraft museum.
then, i'm going to decide if i want to
repair my demolished fuselage
(there is about 25-40% that i can use)
or buy a new certified one from Univair.
first, tho, i want to watch and see how
a OA welding work shop goes at oshkosh.
and also take as many pics as i can of
any L4's that are up there!!
then the ball will start rolling!
not much building yet.
its a lot different restoring a
type certified airplane.
the 13th i fly to germany
to help HOBO drive his wwii jeep up
to denmark, and then ferry across to england
for the big beltring military vehicle show.
thanks for your interest
dave

[iowa]

there were 3 L4's at oshkosh.
one was up for the people's choice award.
(is this the one that beat you steve?)
it was in perfect condition.
i took about 250 pics of every detail!!!!
i now have a fair idea of how they should look
dave

[iron duck atelier]

Hi Dave,

I didn't know you had plans to restore and fly a piper cub.
As I learned to fly in a cub myself I want to encourage you to carry on and make it airworthy again.
It is an amazing airplane that prepares a pilot for the heavyer stuff.
After 150hours piper cub I got released on a S2A pitts special after only 1 houre of instruction.

Don't let it go, finish and enjoy it, Luc

[iowa]

thanks
my plan
is to make it a type certified
L4 as it would have looked out
of the new haven factory
dave

[iowa]

did L4's have an external manufacture's plate?
iowa

[L-4JFlyer]

Nope! They had a AAC dataplate, and a Piper dataplate on the map desk, near the corner of the door.

Also, I had the opportunity to chat with a couple FAA airworthiness people recently. They were all in agreement that the manufacturer's dataplate is the one that makes the airplane, not the AAC/AAF dataplate. As one of them put it "Just because you find someone's Social Security card, does not make you that person. Just as finding a AAF/AAC dataplate, does not make an airplane. You have to have the dataplate that was assigned by the manufacturer at the completion of the construction.". Dataplates, and aircraft registrations have been a pretty warm topic in the post 9/11 world.

Jim

[iowa]

thanks jim
i am looking for the drawings for the
observer's floor boad and kick board
also the desk blue print
wouldn't happen to have a set?
also, what color OD did you use on your L4?
thanks
dave

[L-4JFlyer]

Dave,

I had the original kick plate curtain still in my airplane. I think I still have it around here. There is a pattern in one of the Cub Club, or Grasshopper Club newsletters. Give them a call and they should be able to help. I got several large scale blue print drawings for the airplane, which had the map desk, etc, in it. I can't recall where I got those at the moment. You can get repro map cases from Dick Hall, in PA.

The OD I used was the Poly-tone OD. I have original fabric from a replacement rudder that was painted at the plant. The color from Poly-Fiber is very, very, very close. Consider the 50+ years of fading, and you've got it.

Jim

[iowa]

thanks jim
i have contacted dick hall.
he makes the seat back belts,
the the canvass by the kick board
and the map case.
i have ordered all these things from him.
some of the blue prints are hard to come by
thanks
dave

[iowa]

does anyone know
what type of patch
would have been on
an L4 pilot's jacket?
i know they wore the wings
with an "L" on it.
would they have been in the USAAF or USAAC?
thanks
iowa

[petesilfven]

I came across this book. Maybe it will answer your questions.

http://books.google.com/books?id=KJC02H ... il#PPP1,M1

Pics...... http://news.webshots.com/album/554968689ZGZqxu

[iowa]

thanks pete
i didn't have that book!
i ordered it today!
dave

[L-4JFlyer]

Make sure you get a copy of Ken Wakefield's books, as well.

Jim

[iowa]

not to worry,
i have it.
paid dearly for a copy on ebay
dave