workdogruss
Member
Greetings folks. Russ here. I've been lurking and learning for a number of months here as well as a few other sites.
Lifes twists and turns have had me planeless for 10 years now, but my eyes have been eternally looking to the skies and I yearn to get airborne again. Something nostalgic looking and mildly aerobatic is where my interest is. I've a strong fascination and admiration for the tube and fabric biplane types, and have tolerated being without for about as long as I can stand now.
All of my time has been in a sweet little spam can Aerobat, so i've got a lot to learn about both maintaining and flying a Starduster (which is my choice of poisen this time around).
Much soul searching about 1. Building
2. Rebuilding
3. Purchasing a ready to fly
has brought me to choice #2.
I very much enjoy building or restoring most anything from furniture to antique cars to the aforementioned Aerobat. At the age of 66 years young, I don't really want to wait another 10 years working on a fresh build to get back in the air, so decided a bit of both restoring an existing orphan and flying relatively soon would be the most fun.
I'm hoping to get member thoughts and advise when the time comes to consider a purchase, and all the help and guidance I can get thereafter. I'm going out to look at a candidate tomorrow morning that's a couple hours from my place. If it seems worthy at all, I'd like post some pics and perhaps a dozen or so questions about concerns I should consider, condition issues, and perhaps rough value. Spam can values, I can estimate fairly well. Experimental biplanes, not so much, so any thoughts would be appreciated.
Any and all input from ya'll is welcome.
Best regards, Russ
Lifes twists and turns have had me planeless for 10 years now, but my eyes have been eternally looking to the skies and I yearn to get airborne again. Something nostalgic looking and mildly aerobatic is where my interest is. I've a strong fascination and admiration for the tube and fabric biplane types, and have tolerated being without for about as long as I can stand now.
All of my time has been in a sweet little spam can Aerobat, so i've got a lot to learn about both maintaining and flying a Starduster (which is my choice of poisen this time around).
Much soul searching about 1. Building
2. Rebuilding
3. Purchasing a ready to fly
has brought me to choice #2.
I very much enjoy building or restoring most anything from furniture to antique cars to the aforementioned Aerobat. At the age of 66 years young, I don't really want to wait another 10 years working on a fresh build to get back in the air, so decided a bit of both restoring an existing orphan and flying relatively soon would be the most fun.
I'm hoping to get member thoughts and advise when the time comes to consider a purchase, and all the help and guidance I can get thereafter. I'm going out to look at a candidate tomorrow morning that's a couple hours from my place. If it seems worthy at all, I'd like post some pics and perhaps a dozen or so questions about concerns I should consider, condition issues, and perhaps rough value. Spam can values, I can estimate fairly well. Experimental biplanes, not so much, so any thoughts would be appreciated.
Any and all input from ya'll is welcome.
Best regards, Russ
