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▪ HOME ▪ BIPLANE RIDES ▪ EVENTS ▪ HAPPY CUSTOMERS ▪ OUR AIRCRAFT ▪ ORIGINAL COCONUT ▪ FELLOW COCONUTS ▪ |
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The Coconut Flyers hangar specializes in antique aircraft restorations from the ground up. The 1941 Stearman N2S-3 flown by the Coconut Flyers underwent an award-winning restoration (2001 Sun 'N Fun Antique Grand Champion) in our facility by Tim Kirby. Tim is also available to do your restoration work including annuals & routine maintenance. (IA on staff) |
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Coconut Flyers partners with companies that meet and exceed our high standards of quality and reliability. |
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| Tuskegee Airman Fuselage painted. 4 hours in the spray booth and two full coats of Imron. The pictures really don't do it justice. | Tuskegee Airman Fuselage painted. 4 hours in the spray booth and two full coats of Imron. The pictures really don't do it justice. | |||
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| Fuselage being readied for prime then paint. |
Another spray booth full of Tuskegee Airman Stearman interior fuselage parts | |||
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| Tuskegee Stearman fuselage clamps. Holy cow! I hope we remember where they all go. | Disassembled, primmed, scuffed and painted three coats of zinc chromate
imron. Ahhhhh... All these parts just to make the rudder move and the brakes to work. |
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| Painting parts, unloading spray booth, loading parts, painting parts, it's like groundhog day. | Painting parts, unloading spray booth, loading parts, painting parts, it's like groundhog day. | |||
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| Restoration hut update: Cessna 120: New baffles installed along with
Chrome plated rocker box covers. |
New baffles installed along with Chrome plated rocker box covers. | |||
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| Engine Install complete, just add oil and a propeller and we are on our way. | Right side completed as well. | |||
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| Rising T-6 Engine mount, primmed and painted with three coats of imron. |
Oil tank getting yellowed, I mean really yellow. | |||
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| Oil tank on the mount and on the stand. |
Old school lacing and all new hardware, lots of detail. | |||
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| Left side view. And so it begins. | Oil cooler painted and installed. | |||
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| Air box before. | Air box after Coconut detailing is applied. And three coats of primer and three coats of imron. | |||
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| Coconut Tim tiddies up the engine compartment "Old School" with lacing cord. Lots and lots of lacing cord. | Jon does what Jon does best, ......prepares the prop for installation. | |||
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| Engine compartment almost done, waiting for a prop to be hung. | Big step completed late in the evening. PROP INSTALLED! |
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| I love when the big pieces go on. | Pre oiled and the last blades pulled through prior to test run. | |||
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| Roll out for first test run on new engine installation. | Cowled and ready for it's test flight, paperwork in progress. Looking for a mid week test flight. | |||
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| It's the detail work that takes so long. | Spinner located and installed. | |||
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| Install the spinner, cowlings and then complete the paperwork, hey, do we know where the spinner is? | Post installation congrats on the work completed by Tim & Jon. | |||
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| Jon gives a thumbs up after a great test run. |
Test pilots mount up for the test flight after a 10 month firewall forward restoration. | |||
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| T-6 Engine installation. All ready for an Engine. | Fresh from the can, a beautiful Aero Engine all ready to go. | |||
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| On it's way. |
Almost there, just coming up on midnight. All's quiet. |
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| INSTALLED! Ta Daaaa! Now come the accessories and lots of hoses and lines. Oh yeah, maybe a prop. Still painting little parts. Detail, Detail, Detail. That's what we're all about. | Restoration Hut gets a room mate. Coconut Flyer Mike Burke is the proud
purchaser of a 1933 Curtis Travel Air, formally owned by Willie Ropp. Congrates to Mike and his Wife Nancy. |
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| Mike Burke's Travel Air back in the 60's. It was the star of "The White Baron," A local program on WCIX TV Miami. | Will get some outside day time shots next week. For now, enjoy the Night Hanger shot. | |||
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| T-6 firewall forward restoration is coming along nicely. The detail work is really starting to show. Tim is looking for a "See Through" cowling, it will be a shame to cover this beauty up. | T-6 oil tank prior to three coats of primer then finish coat of polyurethane AN Yellow. | |||
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| Jon seems to be a bit confused as to which way is forward with this Waco
UPF-7 in for an annual. |
Worse than flying coach... | |||
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| Busy times for Coconut Flyers, a full restoration Hut. | Tim goes on the road to lay out roundels for one of Herb Clark's customers. No decals for Tim... | |||
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| Time consuming but worth every penny. | The finished product... | |||
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| BEFORE: Coconut Flyers Details another Stearman Engine. | AFTER: Exhaust shroud polished, new silicone valve cover gaskets, & new hardware all add to the time and effort spent to keep these aircraft flying. | |||
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| As always, Coconut Flyers keeping several Stearman owners happy with their maintenance program. |
Stearman 885 in the hanger for some maintenance. | |||
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| Tim Kirby and Jon Rising prepare a Stearman wing for a fresh paintjob. | Gene Moore supervises the cleaning and masking work on the upper surface of the wing. | |||
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| The Coconut Flyers Stearman in the final stages of re-assembly just before Sun 'n Fun 2007. | The first picture of the new paint job! | |||
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| Scott Sepper steadies a W670 for Bill Shaw's gorgeous Waco QCF-2. The QCF-2 arrived plagued with oil leaks. | Now with new seals, gaskets, and an oil pump change the oil leaks have been reduced to just a few drops. Here Tim takes the Waco for a test flight after engine installation. All systems check! | |||
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| Tim Averett gets some quality custom work done at the Coconut Flyers Hanger. | Tim's Stearman N2S-3 now sports an extra large baggage compartment for those long cross country trips. | |||
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| Coconut Flyer Dan "The Bug Man" Sommer gets new bungees on his 1936 Monocoupe 90A. | Dan celebrates his first flight after new bungee installation by making a pass at the moon. | |||
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| Tim installs freshly overhauled J & B Engine for Aviation Attorney Jim Jarvis. | The craftsmanship of the woodwork is easily seen in this shot of the Stearman's wing ribs. | |||
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| Canadian Harvard being prepped for wing attachment AD. | First part of T-6 wing attachment AD complete, zinc chromate is applied. | |||
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| Gene Moore assists in completing the most recent T-6 wing attachment AD. |
Tim test-flies the Harvard after complying with the Wing Attachment AD. Co-owner Jim Matthews occupies the backseat of this nearly perfect airplane. | |||
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| Dr. Roger Sherman gets new side numbers installed on site in his hanger in Leesburg. | A quiet Coconut Flyers Hanger, almost full. Always room for one more project. | |||
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