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Just 6 short months ago, the only way the Cessna Cardinal we refurbished for this year's sweepstakes could travel to an airshow was via Douglas DC-3 and an Atlanta Air Recovery & Storage 40-ft flatbed trailer.

But this week, the Cardinal flew from Griffin, Georgia, to Hartford, Connecticut, on its own wings — a complete and gorgeous airplane, the product of thousands of hours of labor and donation and organization on the part of more than 70 contributors to the project.

What would have been an 18-hour trip by trailer was a relaxing 8-hour flight on Cardinal wings, at 23 inches and 2,300 rpm and 71-percent power. The Cardinal's Lycoming O-360 burns about 11.2 gph and is currently achieving 127 knots TAS at 5,500 feet. What a difference the freshly overhauled and painted wheelpants make!

These very wings
"Every now and then I run across a picture that just jolts my reality checker, like the one you see at right," said Dan Gryder, our field project manager for the Cardinal, and owner of the AvNet, during a reflective moment last week, as we finished up a couple of key items to prepare the Cardinal for AOPA Expo. "Did we really do this? Yes, we did, and it hasn't been that long ago! The pictures tell a story — and they remind me that we took every inch of original electrical wiring out and installed all brand new. We stripped, etched, alodined, primed, and painted over 280 individual aircraft pieces, and we put it all back together with all new hardware. Without a doubt there have been some challenges. But the team of vendors, suppliers, and craftsmen that were invited to play at this level have met each one of those challenges with professionalism and a resolve not to quit even when it got hard, a pure indication of the type of companies and people that they are."

The nuts and bolts
The journey began the day before, with a trip around the pattern to flight test the new wheelpants. Everyone on the field wanted to know if the pants would significantly increase the Cardinal's speed. So Tom Holt, of Freeman's Just Plane Hardware, and I got into the airplane and took off for a couple of quick speed runs before the sun set.

Holt has been one of our top assets on the project, on site literally every day that the push was on. Maybe it's tough to understand why access to hardware is so critical — unless you've been in our shoes. Actually, anyone who has worked on an airframe project knows that it is inevitable you will need a different bolt or screw, or an additional washer at a crucial time — and usually after hours or on a weekend. One missing piece of hardware can keep an airplane from flying.

Holt has been there for us every step of the way — and last week was no different. Thursday, Friday, Saturday as we completed the wheelpants installation and a couple of other maintenance items, Holt was ready to run — to his hangar, to the store, wherever we needed a hand. He even picked me up at the big airport when I came into town. We cannot thank him enough for all his help throughout the project.

The first speed run
So how did it fly? Holt flew it up to 2,500 feet and let the S-Tec Fifty Five X take over for a straight track. Instantly we saw that the updates made a difference: The highest TAS we'd seen without the pants? 121 KTAS at 7,500 feet. The initial speed run turned in 123 KTAS; on the trip north and at higher altitudes that speed boosted up to 127 KTAS. Remember, this is also an improvement we've seen at the same time we've put in the rest of the new interior — adding more than 50 pounds to what we've been operating with. We'll keep the numbers coming as we cruise around with the completed airplane.

The journey
After a top off the next morning, I packed up and launched for Frederick, Maryland. The climb rates we're getting with the Power Flow System installed definitely show — 600 to 700 fpm in the warm weather so far; more concrete numbers to come. With a high pressure system dominating the entire East Coast, the flight planning was easy. Not a cloud from Georgia to Maryland! A little bit of a headwind kept me humble for the first leg, to Blue Ridge Airport, in Martinsville, Virginia. With 60 gallons on board and 499 nm, I couldn't quite make the trip nonstop and be happy with my reserve. So I took on 39.5 gallons at KMTV, and headed on home.

The next day, Monday, October 1, brought more blue skies, though a thin layer of puffy clouds at 3,500 feet msl prettied up the view. I took the VFR-low hassle route from KFDK to Pottstown VOR, to Sparta VOR, then direct Hartford, which kept me clear of every chunk of airspace. I actually talked the controller at Allentown into putting me into the VFR flight following system (Philly wouldn't even return my calls; I felt so jilted!) and I had that assistance while crossing through the approach corridor into West Chester (KHPN).

The Brainard Tower cleared me for a right base to Runway 20, giving me the city tour of downtown Hartford on the way in. For those flying in, trees and levees surround the airport, so that displaced threshold is there for a reason. Not a big deal at all during the daylight, but be aware when it's dark.

Forums
We're hosting informal gatherings at the Catch-A-Cardinal on the static display at Hartford-Brainard Airport each day. Here's the schedule of folks who will join me and Field Project Manager Dan Gryder of The AvNet at the airplane to talk about all the cool things we've done to it over the course of the past year:

Thursday, October 4
2 p.m.
Dave Brown, Garmin

Friday, October 5
2 p.m.
Craig Barnett, Scheme Designers

Saturday, October 6
11 a.m.
Ray Crist, Lycoming

See you at Expo!

E-mail the author at julie.boatman@aopa.org.

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