Corben Baby Ace D as LSA

[Hambone]

Group effort we got a Flybaby to Oshkosh this summer for the 50 year anniversary.

A couple things from that trip.

Carry a setup for tail tiedown on starting. Chocked and parking brake on with nobody in the cockpit a single place A-65 airplane can go on it’s nose if the throttle is too far open. Tied at the tail leaf spring helps a lot. There are few people that can prop an airplane. I would rather always prop it myself and if someone wants to help have them hold the tail.

Carry a good set of tie downs and ropes. Make sure the airplane has some spot to tie to.

Dual Impulse Slick magnetos and shielded harness work great when using a handheld radio. They work very well for starting hot.

If you can tie the handheld into a real airplane antenna mounted to the airframe someplace it will help the range a lot.

Unless you are absolutely sure get the carburetor overhauled by someone who knows Stromberg carbs and what needles, seats are installed.

Run 11-15 lbs air in the main tires and check for any misalignment of the valve stems at each stop. If the wheel creeps it can shear the valve stem off. $$$

Make sure you have a good tailwheel, tight tailwheel horn to the rudder and the correct chains, springs. Be VERY particular about this and it will treat you well. I have had good luck with the Lang tailwheels as a replacement for the 2000 Scott. I tried a homebuilder ACS tailwheel on the Flybaby and it has worked out ok but is showing some looseness in the steering arm less than 50 hours in. Much cheaper than the Lang.

Check propeller bolt condition and correct torque. You will be going through some large humidity changes between Georgia and Tuscon.

Have a good cockpit cover ready to go in case you get stuck having to duck in someplace with weather and leave it tied out.

A bicycle dynamo with propeller on the side of the airplane makes 6V AC. Not too useful.

Sun protection is critical.

Check you can turn fuel off and on from the cockpit easily.

I ran Phillips XC20-50 in the A-65 without trouble. Also Aeroshell 100W.

MAKE SURE THE CARB HEAT IS WORKING!!! Usher makes some good carb heat boxes. Aircraft Spruce sells them and it’s cheaper/easier
than trying to repair a box. I like the Piper swivel fittings used on Cubs and Shortwing Pipers. They are expensive but work well for the carb heat arm.

It’s going to be a great trip. Just one leg after the other, don’t rush enjoy the scenery.

Very useful info!

A few questions, if I may:

1) Which handheld comm radio, headset, and external antenna did you use?

2) What about the cockpit cover? The only one I can find online is $500+!

3) Did you add any additives to the fuel?

4) Did you ever have to hand-prop by yourself? I've seen some nifty one-person tailwheel tiedown systems that can be released and retrieved from the cockpit.

Thanks again!

[TimTaylor]

I just designed a nifty disposable tailwheel tiedown in my own head. It would be a short piece of rope, maybe 2 feet long, with loops on both ends. You would also have a pin of some sort on a long skinny rope from the tailwheel to the cockpit. Wrap the "disposable" piece of rope around a tie-down and around your tailwheel housing mechanism. Stick the loop from one end of the rope through the loop on the other end and then slide the pin through. When you're ready to taxi away, pull the skinny rope with the pin back into the cockpit and leave the 2 foot rope behind, wrapped around the tiedown. I suppose this already exist somewhere.

[3Dreaming]

A few questions, if I may:

1) Which handheld comm radio, headset, and external antenna did you use?

2) What about the cockpit cover? The only one I can find online is $500+!

3) Did you add any additives to the fuel?

4) Did you ever have to hand-prop by yourself? I've seen some nifty one-person tailwheel tiedown systems that can be released and retrieved from the cockpit.

Thanks again!

I'm not Cub flyer, but I have over 1000 hours flying behind a A-65.

I use both an old King KX99 and a Icom for a hand held. A bent wire antenna is the most common. Getting ready to switch from the bent wire to a AAE composite antenna mounted inside the fuselage on one of the taylorcrafts. I have also had good luck with using an coax extension and hanging the rubber duck antenna in the windshield, but not sure that would be an option for you.

What I would do for a cover won't work for everybody. I have a dad in the upholstery business that I would get a cover from

I learned a long time ago after having a stuck valve a Fond Du Lac on the way to Oshkosh that you need to run MMO in the fuel. I am not very precise, but I shoot for an ounce per 5 gallons. I probably use a little more than that in reality.

When I was younger I traveled a bunch with my dad, now I'm the dad traveling with my sons. At least half the time I have someone with me to help with starting. When I am by myself I would ask for help. Mostly someone to hold the tail or man the controls. Most of my A-65 flying has been with the old Bendix shoe box mags without an impulse, so I preferred to set everything up and do the propping myself. We have a tie down release similar to a glider tow release for hand propping on the airplane I have the most time in. The self release rope or chocks that can be retrieved are a good thing.

[Hambone]

Here's a few photos from the ongoing condition inspection. Any info to be gleaned from these?

[Hambone]

A few questions, if I may:

1) Which handheld comm radio, headset, and external antenna did you use?

2) What about the cockpit cover? The only one I can find online is $500+!

3) Did you add any additives to the fuel?

4) Did you ever have to hand-prop by yourself? I've seen some nifty one-person tailwheel tiedown systems that can be released and retrieved from the cockpit.

Thanks again!

I'm not Cub flyer, but I have over 1000 hours flying behind a A-65.

I use both an old King KX99 and a Icom for a hand held. A bent wire antenna is the most common. Getting ready to switch from the bent wire to a AAE composite antenna mounted inside the fuselage on one of the taylorcrafts. I have also had good luck with using an coax extension and hanging the rubber duck antenna in the windshield, but not sure that would be an option for you.

What I would do for a cover won't work for everybody. I have a dad in the upholstery business that I would get a cover from

I learned a long time ago after having a stuck valve a Fond Du Lac on the way to Oshkosh that you need to run MMO in the fuel. I am not very precise, but I shoot for an ounce per 5 gallons. I probably use a little more than that in reality.

When I was younger I traveled a bunch with my dad, now I'm the dad traveling with my sons. At least half the time I have someone with me to help with starting. When I am by myself I would ask for help. Mostly someone to hold the tail or man the controls. Most of my A-65 flying has been with the old Bendix shoe box mags without an impulse, so I preferred to set everything up and do the propping myself. We have a tie down release similar to a glider tow release for hand propping on the airplane I have the most time in. The self release rope or chocks that can be retrieved are a good thing.

More great info. Thanks!

[drseti]

I should perhaps do the pre-buy inspection.

Oh, there's no perhaps about it, Ham!

[3Dreaming]

Yep, Stromberg carburator.

[Cub flyer]

You just don’t know for sure what was installed unless the logs have a good parts list or you can talk to who built the engine.

3d Dreamer is correct it is 2350RPM limit. I was thinking of the static RPM limit of 2300. 2150 is from the J-3 manual which says to cruise there and do not run full throttle more than 3 min. It’s recommended but without knowing for sure what parts are in the engine you can’t just spin it whatever RPM It can make. If I were to build one I would copy the A-75 or A-65-14 parts but use the A-65 timing and limits.

Take a look at the flybaby.com homepage. There is a lot of info there from Harry Fenton which could be helpful. If it has the non impulse shoebox Bendix mags they are fine also. They will run a long time. Radio shielding and hot starts can be more of a challenge but it is a reliable setup.

Is the seller the builder? Having the owner/seller talking you out of having an independent mechanic look at it for some type of prebuy can be a real red flag.

I know others swear by it but I’ve never run marvel mystery oil. We ran the A-65’s about 3000 hours between 2 J-3’s over the years training. Most of it was with car gas before they started to put ethanol in the fuel. Now I just run 100LL because I don’t fly the engines enough and can’t get good car gas. The non ethanol stuff we can get local just simply won’t start good when hand propping.

I have seen a lot of rust on the valve stems getting bound in the guides. You can see this with the exhaust removed and looking in the port at the exposed part of the valve

The mild steel aeronca exhaust has an AD to check the elbows for cracks in the V part of the exhaust. Worth a look. Is the prop stamped with prop pitch and diameter? Check bolt torque is correct. It would be nice to check out the hub if tapered shaft but you probably won’t have that option.

[Cub flyer]

A few questions, if I may:

1) Which handheld comm radio, headset, and external antenna did you use?

I’ve got an Icom A-24 with a headset jack and push to talk on the stick. The antenna is just a stainless wire com antenna mounted behind the pilot seat to the headrest.

2) What about the cockpit cover? The only one I can find online is $500+!

I made paper patterns by taping construction paper over the cockpit area and windshield. Then cut it up for patterns to transfer to a boat cover I got at WALMART and cut up. Some stretchy strap material and velcro to hold it on. it worked ok but some sunbrella material would be better.

3) Did you add any additives to the fuel? no additives. Just Phillips XC20-50

4) Did you ever have to hand-prop by yourself? I've seen some nifty one-person tailwheel tiedown systems that can be released and retrieved from the cockpit. Yes many many times. When by myself I turn the fuel off and tie the tail . I usually prop from the front with 2 people and behind by myself but since I’m left handed it’s not the best for me to stand behind the prop. With the J-3 you can stand in reach of the throttle when behind. The Flybaby you don’t have that option. I cut out the parts from the Flybaby.com drawings for a tow release. It’s workable but I’m going to modify a bit before installing. Tying the tailwheel mount to something is best If you can. I get it started. Then walk around to turn fuel on. When engine is warm I’ll untie the tail while leaving park brake on then get in. The J-3 does not have a parking brake so I can usually hold the tail and get back to cockpit or have a chock with a string attached or similar. Various schemes online. There was a tie clip thing available from Aircraft spruce but I thought it was a little light.

[Cub flyer]

Here’s some other data. Around the pattern doing full stop landings I burn about 3.9 GPH.

Cruise at 2150 I burned 4.5-4.6 GPH.

This is with a Sensenich wood 72 42 propeller. Stromberg carb

For starting:

If primer 1-2 shots and pull through 4-5 blades throttle cracked it will start usually.

With no primer pull through 8 blades at idle and then it should start. Not as reliably but will go.

Hot just try to start. If you have the non impulse mags it may take a little more throttle to keep it from kicking backwards.

If flooded then I use full throttle and pull it through backwards 10-12 blades. Then throttle idle, cracked slightly and try again.
I used carb heat whenever below 2000 RPM. unless dry and hot. I’ve had terrible carb ice in July warm humid day. Cruising around slow with photographer and iced up. Could just maintain level flight. Less when full heat was applied and it was melting out. A lot of the time I leave the carb heat on when taxing also unless it was a dusty spot. (no filtered air) . Best to practice starting especially with the previous owner coaching. They are all a little different and respond sometimes to different techniques. Once you feel comfortable then your ready to head west.

When possible I did 25 hour oil changes.

[3Dreaming]

I have found that each engine has its own personality, what works best for one might not work best for the other. I don't have any special number of blades to pull it through. I listen to the engine when pulling it through. It will tell you when it is ready to start. The problem is this is not something easy to teach.

The engine will likely start easy when cold, but when hot finding the secret can be more dificult. One thing that I have picked up along the way that was burried in some Continental operators manual, is to advance the throttle when shutting down to lean the mixture. When starting hot the engine is real easy to flood, and advancing the throttle helps combat this. Just don't forget to pull it back after you are shut down. JWhen hot you will likely need the throttle cracked just a bit. This makes tying down even more important.

I'm not a fan of the pulling the engine through backwards when flooded, but it is a safer method if you are by yourself.

[Hambone]

More fantastic info! I really appreciate the decades and thousands of hours of your experiences. No need for me to reinvent the wheel!

I’m researching open-cockpit cold-weather clothing now. I’m thinking a heavyweight merino base layer with a waterproof lined coverall, mid-layer, balaclava, neck gaiter, goggles, boots. Warm but not too bulky. Recommendations welcome!

[TimTaylor]

My recommendation is to hurry up before it gets cold.

[Hambone]

My recommendation is to hurry up before it gets cold.

Aiming for mid-November. Hopefully staying south following I-10 from Mobile to Tucson won’t be too cold.

It will definitely be nice and warm, and a whole lot safer, if I’m driving a U-Haul with the Baby Ace in the back!

[Cub flyer]

Ask the owner because it depends a lot on how the windshield is built but expect most wind to come from behind down your neck. It can be quite comfortable if your seat height and windshield are pretty good. I have cabin heat in the FlyBaby which works good enough for a couple more weeks in the fall. It’s a J-3 exhaust and heat box. I have a soft helmet with ear cups for the headset to come through but check fit of your headset to see if it can still get up against your head with the ear seals. A regular hat and collar, buff type thing may be better using the headset.

Check if your using a GPS that you can position in a few spots so the sun does not washout the screen. I have a Garmin 496 with a little sun shade from Aircraft spruce . Most apps and phones will work fine for a GPS or backup now with a map app but practice with it first on the ground. You might find some small bags with clear window at WALMART in the sporting goods to clip on the tube structure. Stinks to drop something and it slides towards the tail.

Is the compass reasonably accurate? Maybe mark fuel wire stick with 5 and 3 gallons remaining. (dab of orange paint). But beware. The Flybaby I bought a new float gauge from Univair for a J-3 with the plastic float. My old cork was, Well it was 40 years old. So I put the univair cap on and marked it just before it left for OSH. The entire trip it did not work. Would stick full up and then fall down on landing. Tried sanding it and bending wire with no luck. I have the exact same Univair cap and float on the J-3 and it worked perfectly. You can Shellac the old cork to help it float but I’m not sure what would be ok in modern car gas if that is what it is using. When I got home I polished the wire more and it is floating now but with short local flights and a lot of landings I have not noticed for sure if it works.

The engine Photos of the Corben for sale look pretty good. Nothing jumps out as being a problem.