Navion Parts Availability

"PiperSeneca@" wrote:

What is the parts availability like for 1940's vintage Navions?

Not bad at all. One guy just bought the contents of the Navion factory.
From what I've heard, the people that bought the paperwork are trying to
make the parts considered bogus, but I don't think they have a chance.
He got 9 truckloads of parts including things people hadn't seen in
years. The Navion Society has some drawings that they have been making
parts from for years (the guys that bought the rest of the drawings are
trying to make those bogus also). We've never had problems getting parts.

And how much commonality do they have with the later upgraded models
up through the 60's Rangemasters?

Not sure, but I'm also not sure I'd call a Rangemaster an upgrade (as she
ducks from the objects being thrown by rangemaster owners).


There seem to be several Navion owners groups. If so, what's the
difference between them?


Politics! Well, a few more differences. The American Navion Society is a
company and it has a large parts dept. You must be a memeber to buy
parts. Navion Skies has a great want ads section and they organized more
trips (South Africa, Europe, etc.). We belong to both.


And finally, ownwers impressions of the aircraft would be appreciated.

Best airplane ever made :-). Big, roomy, can carry the kitchen sink.
Faster than a 172, not as fast as a Bonanza. We can carry camping gear
for a long week and 2 folding motor bikes with no problem. It handles
very nicely and is rather docile. Ours is in for the conversion to an
IO550 and we've gotten a bad case of the might as wells. It will be great
when it's done!!!

You need to get a copy of the Navion Societies "How to buy a Navion".
It's a bit dated, but so are the planes :-). We had a GO-435 engine in
ours. It was great while it lasted, but when it blows you really need to
re-engine and that's $$$$. If you know that going in it isn't too bad and
ours lasted 6 years. If you can find one with a big (modern) engine in it
from the start it is great, but more expensive.

You should join the societies now and get to know some Navion folks. They
are your best resources when you are looking at planes. If you can find
the local Navion mechanic that would be a big help also.


Margy

"rip" wrote in message gy.com...
Parts availability is generally quite good. The type certificate and
tooling was recently purchased by Sierra Hotel Aero
(http://www.navion.com/), so they can actually provide factory new parts
if needed.

They're too busy hasseling ohter Navion shops to build parts right now.

Not sure I understand who is the bad guy here. Who is making the "bogus"
parts?

Sierra Hotel Aero bought, at auction, the Navion type certificate (etc) this
past December. Are they now trying to protect their auction purchase -
Navion's type certificate. Is this a bad thing in Navion owners' eyes, or a
good thing?

Are others making parts without Sierra Hotel Aero's ok. Do they need the ok?
Is this where the battle lines are? Who's winning so far?

What do you project the fuel burn per hour numbers will be in you Navion?
Will it be fuel injected? IO550. Does the "I" stand for in-line or (fuel)
injected?

Will you get a paperwork increase in useful load with the bigger HP engine?

--
Montblack


("Margy Natalie" wrote)

Not bad at all. One guy just bought the contents of the Navion factory.
From what I've heard, the people that bought the paperwork are trying to
make the parts considered bogus, but I don't think they have a chance.
He got 9 truckloads of parts including things people hadn't seen in
years. The Navion Society has some drawings that they have been making
parts from for years (the guys that bought the rest of the drawings are
trying to make those bogus also). We've never had problems getting parts.
snip

Montblack wrote:

Not sure I understand who is the bad guy here. Who is making the "bogus"
parts?


No one is making "bogus" parts. Sierra Hotel bought the type certificate and
can make new parts. Classic-Aero bought the parts inventory. SH is saying that
C-A's parts are bad because SH owns the type certificate.


Sierra Hotel Aero bought, at auction, the Navion type certificate (etc) this
past December. Are they now trying to protect their auction purchase -
Navion's type certificate. Is this a bad thing in Navion owners' eyes, or a
good thing?

Having SH own the type certifiicate is good, but it is also good to have 9
truckloads of parts available.


Are others making parts without Sierra Hotel Aero's ok. Do they need the ok?

An owner can make parts for thier own airplane. C-A is selling parts that were
made by the factory 50 years ago.


Is this where the battle lines are? Who's winning so far?

I think they will both win (I hope)



What do you project the fuel burn per hour numbers will be in you Navion?
Will it be fuel injected? IO550. Does the "I" stand for in-line or (fuel)
injected?


It's injected. I'm not sure what the fuel burn will be, but it will be great
when it's done. I expect 16 + or so??


Will you get a paperwork increase in useful load with the bigger HP engine?

I don't think we will as we already had a 260 HP and the tips. We had to
re-engine as we didn't have one that worked and the 520 or the 550 is the way to
go. The 550 became available and we grabbed it.

Margy

An owner can make parts for thier own airplane. C-A is selling parts that
were
made by the factory 50 years ago.

These are airframe parts, right? There's just something about a fifty
year-old part that worries me, although I can't say exactly why...

It's injected. I'm not sure what the fuel burn will be, but it will be
great
when it's done. I expect 16 + or so??

Hmmm. With our O-540, we can lean it back to 14-15 gph in cruise, but it
gets as high as 25 gph on take off.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

These are airframe parts, right? There's just something about a fifty
year-old part that worries me, although I can't say exactly why...

Why? Lots of people are flying in collections of fifty year-old parts.

George Patterson
They say that nothing's certain except death and taxes. The thing is,
death doesn't get worse every time Congress goes into session.
Will Rogers

In rec.aviation.owning JimC wrote:
: There are some on a Navion in Sanford, FL, although some of them are a
: little bent as of the middle of last week. See the thread titled "My Plane
: Almost Became an Insurance Claim" and http://navionpics.swegian.com/ for the
: pictures.

: JimC

Ha! I just happen to have a line on some Navion parts, including a set of
wings! Combined with that baby-blue Navion's fuselage, it'd be a nice
machine.

Explanation: My mechanic is a Navion nut. He's got one, and we have 3 more on
the field. He "rescued" his from a local trade school that was using it to
teach A&P candidates, and had been doing so for almost 50 years. He's totally
redone the thing and it's quite nice. It's a 1950 Ryan Navion "A", converted
from the E-185 to an IO-470 that once graced the left wing of a 310. He knows
someone who's got 3 disassembled Navions in his barn!
--
Aaron Coolidge (N9376J)