1929 Curtiss Robin
1930 after the record 27 day flight
sometime during the flight
2011 as received at the shop
Curtiss Robin NC9223 was originally powered with a 165 HP Curtiss Challenger motor. It has been re-powered with a 225 HP Lycoming R-680 which greatly improves performance and reliability. It was on loan to the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum and successfully evacuated before the flood of 1993. It was subsequently dismantled for recover but put into storage. It will now be refinished for permanent display in the museum. The restoration will include modifications to represent ” The GREATER ST. LOUIS ” endurance record aeroplane of 1930, which flew non-stop for 647 hours (27 days).
Going into the shop
Motor coming off
Mounted on repair stand ready for cleanup and repair
Painting in progress
Painting finished
Exhaust installed
Rear view waiting to be installed
Firewall and instrument panel stripped
Undercarriage removed
Mounted on repair stand ready to get started
Fuselage ready for assembly
Fabricating the headliner
Headliner finished
Side panels finished and controls installed
Instrument panel and rudder pedals installed
Baggage compartment installed and
fuselage ready for covering
Top fabric is on
Side fabric being installed
Fuselage is painted
Masking for lettering
Finished lettering
Sheet metal fabrication and assembly started
Landing gear installed
Inflight service scaffold fabricated
A few pictures that should be here are missing in action
Rib lacing the wings after covering
Doing all the ribs at once with many needles
Masking to paint the numbers on the finished wings
Installing the wings
Installing the tail surfaces
All together ready to roll out
Sunlight at last
Original 1930 markings
Unfortunately unforeseen engine problems prevent any operation at this time. The aeroplane has been placed into the museum on display