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United States Pilots Association |
I promised you readers a progress report on the resurrection of this 1978 Cessna Hawk XP II I purchased in December of last year. You will recall that after inspection of the airframe prior to painting we found numerous discrepancies involving the poor repairs of much of the fairings and external plastic pieces, all of which have been replaced prior to painting. The plane has been flown a total of 45 hours since purchase, including a round trip from Odessa, TX, to Tunica, MS. It flies just great with no criticisms of its stability etc.
Although manufactured in late 1977, it is a true XP II by virtue of the fact that its IO-360 Continental engine was overhauled to the dash KB specs. The engine was inspected and all was found to be in order with no oil leaks or any mechanical anomalies. It puts out 195HP at takeoff and climbs out like no other Cessna can. The power-to-weight ratio must be stupendous. Using first detent of flaps, the airplane literally leaps off the ground after a very short take-off run. There is an STC (Isham) that essentially changes the prop governor, creating 210HP on take-off. The kit, which can be installed by almost any mechanic, retails for $1,995 using the existing mechanical tachometer in the airplane. For a few dollars more they will sell you a digital tach claimed to be far more accurate. Continental has stated that changing the governor and the resultant increase in RPM does not adversely affect the engine or TBO (2000 hrs). I have elected to retain the original governor and the 195HP even though the extra 15 HP turns this plane into a STOL bird.
Here is what has been done to the bird since the purchase and paint. The first item was to take the interior plastic trim out of the airplane and paint it to original color. It had faded to a mustard yellow in spots and looked awful. While taking these pieces out we found aging cracks and some broken parts. These were all repaired to better than new, and painted and reinstalled. The instrument panel covers (two) were the same mustard shade of cream and were removed and painted flat black. The headliner in this aircraft comes in two solid pieces of plastic, and these were removed and repainted as well. All of the eyebrow lights were tested, and the inoperable bulbs changed or replaced/repaired. The plane came with two Cessna radios, part of the originally furnished "Navpac." One radio was a 720 channel and the other a 360 channel. A standard Cessna audio panel had a multitude of problems, and it was decided to replace all three.
Since I am essentially a VFR pilot, I chose not to invest in a Garmin 430 or 530 unit. There is, for me, too much information coming at you, and I have found myself burying my head in the instrument panel instead of using my Mark VIII eyeballs outside the plane. I elected to install a King KN62 DME and a Garmin 150XL GPS (VFR only). I already owned the DME and bought the Garmin on E-Bay, including the rack and connectors, for $500. I subsequently invested in a new database for $180. Both units work as advertised. Now as for the radios themselves, the original units were a dirty cream color and almost non-functional. An MX300 was purchased on E-Bay for $425 and sent to TKM for inspection, etc. This radio slides in to the original Cessna 300 tray and powers the VOR indicator. I owned a TKM MX1700 radio, removed from my former Bellanca Viking, and bought a tray and connectors on E-Bay for $60. I then bought a King Glide Slope receiver, indicator, and antenna with all of the connectors for $415. Finally, I purchased a King KMA-24 TSO'd audio panel for $275 on E-Bay. It came with the tray and necessary harness. All of the new radios are black in color and, of course, the two navcoms are both digital with frequency storage capability. These four items are being installed as I write this by West Texas Aero in Odessa, TX. When installed and functioning, I will have, GPS, VOR, ADF, ILS, with backup DME capability for an initial investment of about $2,500 including installation. The interior plastic and paint work cost less than $300. The panel is as modern as any I have seen, excepting the glass cockpits.
The actual upholstery was and is almost as it came from the factory, and it is original. I would have installed grey leather, but the existing covers are in excellent condition. All of the side panels are equally pristine. I did remove the carpet and sent it to an auto detail shop. It looks today as though it just came from the factory. There is no crazing on the glass. There is no indication of any corrosion anywhere on the plane. The tires are all brand new. The brakes were replaced at annual.
Decals were purchased from Julie's Aircraft Sales, the Cessna dealer in El Paso, TX. When Julie's could not get black colors for the model of the airplane, I turned to E-Bay (where else?) and bought the color I wanted for the wingtips etc. Finishing off the project, stainless steel screws replaced all of the aging hardware and new camlocs (corrosion proofed) were installed on the cowling.
The end result is an airplane with better performance than the new 172s produced by Cessna, equipped with modern avionics, a drop dead gorgeous paint scheme, that flies as well or better than many others I have had the privilege to pilot. I know that when the 100 degree days come to West Texas, this is the airplane I want to be in when the density altitude approaches 8000 feet.
Next month I will publish the actual end result, including the panel and interior.
Steve Uslan, President