Flying an Apache

Posted In: PA-23

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on November 14, 2025 at 10:41 am #25670

Well, if you sharpen your crayon again, we’d be happy to share it.
I like Steve’s titles,

Participant

Eric Parks on November 14, 2025 at 10:34 am #25669

Kent,

You know I’m always trying to make sense on “paper” of my messy flying hobby. I think it’s my attempt at Aviation Rehabilitation. Not sure it’s working though!

Eric

Participant

Eric Parks on November 14, 2025 at 10:32 am #25668

STEVE ELLS wrote:
Eric,
The 56 pages of “Annie stories” you’ve posted on this forum are a testament to your willingness to forge ahead no matter what it costs, or . . . . . .
Perhaps you can recoup some of the costs by turning all these posts into an ebook.
Title it, “Annie Does Eric” or “It’s a Long and Winding Refurbishment of Airborne Annie”
Thanks for posting all the details.
It sorta seems like Annie will tease you with a good flight or two, then she pounces.
Whaddya gonna do.
Flying is Good Medicine.

Steve, thanks for the smile! I love the titles 🙂 Yes, and I have tried to leave out some of the more boring or depressing details! However, as you already know it’s a labor of love and I get such a kick out of flying this little twin. Apparently that’s a good enough pay back. In looking at my logbook my flight time is trending up on a yearly basis but obviously not as much as I’d like. What encourages me at this point is that this is a PLANNED upgrade instead of of yet another suprise fix. Of course we are taking care of several items in this upgrade but that’s for the later story! Annie does seem to have a bit of prankster in her when coming up with mechanical issues. I keep trying to train it out of her!

Eric

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on November 14, 2025 at 9:46 am #25667

Hey Eric –
Nice job on the metal fabrication. Very clean.
Would you like to take a pen and tell your story?
Kent

Participant

STEVE on November 14, 2025 at 9:23 am #25666

Eric,
The 56 pages of “Annie stories” you’ve posted on this forum are a testament to your willingness to forge ahead no matter what it costs, or . . . . . .
Perhaps you can recoup some of the costs by turning all these posts into an ebook.
Title it, “Annie Does Eric” or “It’s a Long and Winding Refurbishment of Airborne Annie”
Thanks for posting all the details.
It sorta seems like Annie will tease you with a good flight or two, then she pounces.
Whaddya gonna do.
Flying is Good Medicine.

Participant

Eric Parks on November 13, 2025 at 4:34 pm #25665

Work continues on the heater for Annie the Apache. The ductwork has been completed and installed.

While working on the ducts it was decided that the spar cap would need to be replaced. It already was “tagged” for work on the next annual and the duct work was going to involve changes to the spar cap anyway so that is now in progress as well.

Attachments:
duct4.jpg
Duct8.jpg
Duct5.jpg
Spar7.jpg
Spar1.jpg

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on October 30, 2025 at 5:29 pm #25648

Looks great. Thanks for the update.

Tight fit with the blower motor.

Aircraft Spruce sells all kinds of different diameter ducting. Heat resistance.

Participant

Eric Parks on October 30, 2025 at 5:03 pm #25647

This is the latest on the heater, another slow project!
The heater itself is install and wired, still has fuel lines and duct work left to go with a lot of work to do in making new ducts.

Here is the actual Southwind heater installed in the nose of Annie the Apache.

Some of the electrical work up in the nose.
Attachments:
Heater10.jpeg
Heater11.jpeg

Keymaster

Kent Dellenbusch on October 16, 2025 at 8:55 am #25643

Thanks Eric
K

Participant

Eric Parks on October 16, 2025 at 8:30 am #25642

Kent Dellenbusch wrote:
Is he taking pictures along the way? This could be a nice story.
K

I’ve requested them!