Having the opportunity to finally fully measure the landing gear on the full sized Piper Pawnee (here a model 235) I am much closer to producing the needed drawing. Once complete, we will create parts for, and weld up the prototype for a production steel tube scale gear to upgrade the Graham/Tom Martin ag plane kits.
PA-25-235 N6857Z on the ramp ready to tow vintage and home-built sailplanes at the ESA Western Workshop held at Mountain Valley Gliderport in Tehachapi California.
Ken, who pilots the Pawnees for Browne's Air Service at Mountain Valley helped me gain a better understanding of some of the differentiating features between the various models of the Piper 25. The image above shows the dual upper and lower flying wires incorporated at the tail of the 235 while the lower images show the dual sets of jury struts and unique engine cowling.
The first model 25, the 150 which Dick Graham modeled to win the scale nationals and we now kit, used a Piper Super Cub cowl (along with its wings and tails) allowing the company to leverage some of its existing tooling investment in the production of the new ag plane.
Rather than the single central jury strut of the 150, the PA-25 235 shown here has both inboard and outboard supports to the two main struts at each wing.
The engine cowling of the 235 was much larger overall by deleting the lower oil cooler scoops using a completely flat-wrapped cowl and new nose bowl design. The flare on the lower aft cowling acts like a venturi, drawing huge quantities of cooling air through the large aft opening.
Landing gear main support legs were changed to a more robust design as well, deleting the sheet metal skirts. Notice the wire cutters on the leading edge of each forward strut to cut power lines once they cleared the spinning propeller.
Ken in N6857Z gets the signal and applies power on the first flight, Friday morning of the annual ESA Western Workshop, Rhon Bussard in tow.
Jim Short, Vintage Sailplane Association (VSA) president on his way to an exhilarating first flight (for him) in the freshly built Rhon Bussard.
An ecstatic Jim Short bubbles like a kid in a candy store as he shares with us the excellent habits of the brand new (1932 design) German sailplane to its builder.
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