Rather than just fix the bent and broken parts, I decided - inspired by Yellowmaule and freedom - on a complete strip-down and re-build so as to “make Sierra Alpha great again”.
The idea is to start with a fresh (rust-free) fuselage from the factory, and add a pair of universal wings from Willy Ader in Germany to upgrade to MX-7-180B. The engine will go to LyCon next month. I have a spare (standard) prop, but I’m tempted to fit another MT or a Hartzell composite. I’m not fond of painting (and sanding runs) so I’ll cover the fuselage with Oratex fabric. At 1,470 lbs empty, SA had put a fair bit of weight on since leaving the factory, so I’ll see how much of that we can lose.
Over the years I’ve enjoyed following Yellowmaule’s resurrection of the Peril and freedom’s M5 project, so I’ll try to return the favour by posting some photos of the SA upgrade process - in between inevitable requests for help and advice.
Just to test whether I can upload photos, here are a couple of shots of my hangar, with SA and a friend’s Husky in the background. In the foreground is a funny French wood and fabric aeroplane (a Jodel D140 Mousquetaire), which is standing in for the MX-7 (and obviously slowing the rebuild process by tempting me to go flying whenever the weather is nice).
