VernerDuster Build

[DavidKeran]

By way of explaining what all my questions are about, and to avail myself of the Knowledgable Brains who frequent these forums, below is a rough outline of my Starduster Too build.

Titled “VererDuster” due to the engine choice, though I know of one other Starduster Too being built with a Verner 9S, begun prior to me.

My first few flying lessons were in a biplane (Stearman) back in the day, out of the Flying Circus in Bealeton, VA. Ever since, a biplane has been my lottery airplane, and over the years I’ve returned to one for an hour here and there to make sure that it wasn’t just novelty. It wasn’t! I never bought one, since I always thought “too expensive, it’ll be cheaper to build one.” Stop me if you’ve heard this before...

I don’t know how I got onto the Starduster Too design, but I did, and got it into my head that I would build one “some day.” You know, when I learned how to weld, do wood, and generally would have unlimited free time. As you may have guessed, that day never came, and I decided “well, would it hurt to get a set of plans from Aircraft Spruce?” Several months later, a half-finished project came up for sale near me, and for the usual “less than the price of materials” deal I bagged the lot. My wife and I have a running joke that the initial set of plans (dubbed “The Tube Airplane,” since it came in a mailing tube) was Tube Airplane 1, so this next set of parts was Tube Airplane 2.

A year or so ago, I went up to Wausau, WI, since I hadn’t flown a Stearman in a decade, and that was the closest one to me. I buzzed around the patch in it with its master instructor owner, and got back home and had a philosophical discussion with myself about the meaning of life. I re-read a note my Mom had written after her first Stearman ride - thirty-something years after soloing a Cessna, and a couple decades after a successful career flying “modern” flying machines, helicopters and blimps and such. The upshot of her note was: I had forgotten why I got into flying in the first place, until I took that Stearman ride.

I read it as: Life is short... don’t forget why you get into something like flying airplanes.

To quote Dave Baxter, “some are so poor all they have is money.” Well, I wouldn’t say I have money, so maybe I’m not poor, but either way I decided that if I used the Airplane Pot-o-Dollars in a very clever fashion, I just might pull something off. In any case, triggers were pulled, I sold off most of the airplane bits and pieces I had scrounged for other projects, much of Tube Airplane #2, a Triumph Spitfire I had laying around as a mildly profitable flip, and I wound up with Tube Airplane #3, a mostly-complete (firewall back) build with a mix of “experienced” parts, new parts, and clues and tips on where to find the little bits that weren’t there. I also put in an order for a Verner 9S radial engine from the Czech Republic, and, while I was at it and had the cork out on the bank account, a Sensenich ground adjustable propeller.

Since The Airplane Account was effectively flat broke at that point (of all it had ever had, and all it ever will have), I started making parts like crazy. Fortunately I work at a place with an abundance of random scrap materials, tools, and expertise, so coming up with the little bits and pieces is a matter of time. The fab shop helped me make several small wing rigging pieces, I hung out for a couple weeks in the fabric covering area learning how to rib stitch, and the welding department helped with some little things. The paint shop insisted on priming my elevator. Etc. Lots of help.

What I have discovered is that Tube Airplane #3 - while 80% complete parts-wise - is much more of a restoration than I had thought. Again, stop me if you’ve heard this. Sure, there was a mostly-assembled set of wings... but who knew sanding all those edges and varnishing and priming the inside of compression tubes and making leading edges and rigging wings and all that jazz could take so long!! I haven’t had a single project last more than a little bit - but there are a very many little projects.

So presently... with more updates to come... the fuselage is completely disassembled and off at the welder’s getting some tubing replaced, and the aft gear attach tabs reinforced. The wings are nearly ready to cover, after several tweaks. The tail has been cleaned up, trim tab remade, and primed. The ailerons, I-struts, and tail surfaces are covered and about ready for UV priming. Engine mount has been mocked up for basic dimensions/CG/thrust line. The landing gear sheet metal is about halfway there. I have a round engine in a square box, and a propeller in my office. The instrument panels have been re-built, vintage style, with some textured aluminum leftover from the cockpit floor of a DC3. Fuel tank will need some blasting/etching/alodining where the rails held moisture. Center section might be a rebuild. Etc. More updates to come!

 

[footloose]

 

[airplanegeek]

 

[Ryan Mactaggart]

 

[Dustohio]

 

[Larry Lyons]

 

[hatzdude]

 

[Pacer Pilot]

 

[Jerry]

 

[Martinb]