Over the past few months, I have had the joy of watching a transformation. A little piece of history has been making a comeback in the maintenance hangar at KGWB. As you'll likely gather from looking back at previous articles, I have a certain bent for aircraft with a few years on them. Whether you call them vintage, antique, or classic, there is something marvelous about an aircraft with a storied past. And this aircraft being brought back to its glorious, airworthy state has some history to share.

When you start talking aviation history in Indiana, there should be a significant place in your conversation for the Hoosier Air Museum in Auburn, Indiana. The museum sadly went the way of time just a couple of years ago. But while it was still in operation, it housed a wealth of knowledge on aviation history, local military history, and the influence of aviation on the Auburn region. At least half of that knowledge was between the ears of the volunteers. Case in point, the story of the local company which purchased a former sewing machine company to make automobile engines, and then started making airplane engines...Lycoming engines. Wait, you didn't know that your Lycoming was made by a sewing machine company? As it turns out, the engine company we know and love today as Lycoming Engines was a sewing machine and bicycle manufacturer, started by a lady, Madame Demorest, in 1845. In 1910 they manufactured their first automobile engine and began producing engines for Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg, among others. In 1927 they were purchased by Errett "E.L." Cord who owned the Auburn Automobile Company. Lycoming, under Cord's ownership, started their foray into aircraft engines, developing their R-680 in 1929. Not too surprising, since by this time Cord also owned Duesenberg, which had manufactured aircraft engines for the US Military in World War I. But that's not what this story is about, this story is about a restoration... and it's a Duesy!

Perhaps this just looks like another engine start to you. But there was a long road travelled to get to this point. The photo of the engines firing up doesn't show the gaggle of people who gathered that day to witness the momentous occasion. Even the mechanics seemed matter of fact about the whole thing, wondering why so many folks gathered to see the engines do "what they're supposed to." But this all gets back to the Hoosier Air Museum. These fine folks once owned this airplane. And they, along with the new owner, were keen to see the machine come back to life.

Among the things the Hoosier Air Museum folks knew well, were the many variants and historical uses of what Cessna built as the T-50 Bobcat and military pilots called the "Bamboo Bomber." The volunteer at a fly in a couple years ago regaled me with the fact that these planes had at least four different designations from the military; UC-78 and AT-17 for the USAAF, JRC-1 for the Navy, and the Crane I for the Canadians. And of course, they knew of another historical use. For 39 glorious episodes, Sky King flew a war surplus Cessna T-50/UC-78 like the craft being restored at KGWB. To my knowledge, Sky King was the only cowboy around who could save the day, rescue his niece Penny, and outsmart the cattle rustlers all from the air. Glad those bandits never figured out there was nothing but fabric between the pilot and their six-shooters!

If you look close at the photo of the engines firing up, you might see the sky where you ought not see sky. The day the engines fired up, the starboard wingtip was in the midst of restoration. The closeup shows that the shape is right, but the cover is not all there. That being said, the wing didn't always look this good.

Things weren't always so nice for the Bobcat. Between the current owner and the museum ownership, the aircraft was taken over by a local firm with a great museum of their own. Kruse Museums took on the entire collection of the Hoosier Air Museum and have dutifully worked to preserve the history and the collection as best they can. Being an auctioneering family, though, some of the aircraft and memorabilia which were more highly valued were auctioned off. The proceeds of the auction will help fund the continued operation of the Kruse Museums, along with the added exhibits from the Hoosier Air Museum. One of the aircraft auctioned off is this UC-78, but not before it got its fifteen minutes of fame. For several episodes, starting with episode 447 in February of 2020, this aircraft was the backdrop (star?) of the TV series Restoration Road, with host Mitch Kruse. Sadly, in the hustle and bustle surrounding the auction, some damage occurred when a tow motor caught the wingtip. Also, at some point in its life, age caused the welds to give way, which held the door hinge on the airframe. And, as every aircraft owner knows, some things just have to be done... including the full annual inspection. So jettison the covers and cowlings, it was time for the mechanics' hands to get dirty and all of the gremlins to be ousted.

The wingtip came together through the keen eye for detail and the steady hand of the mechanic. The skills for repairing a wood and fabric plane are more akin to those of an old boat builder, than to the skills of the average A&P. Spruce, glue, brass nails, and stainless wire all come together to make a finished wingtip. The same diligence and pride in workmanship that got the engines running after a long hiatus, also got the wingtip looking good as new.

The door was another issue, related solely to time and the elements. One of the downsides to an old tube and fabric plane is that the tubes, and thus the welds, are steel. Eventually steel corrodes and welds weaken. These are all things to consider in the inspection and maintenance of the older airframes. Thankfully, this shop knows a thing or two about tube frames and they know people who can repair the welds. So in came the expert with the TIG welder, to repair the hinge mechanism and restore the door.

I make no apology, I had to squeeze in one more shot of the engines running and props spinning. As the caption says, I give it the award for the best startup in 2020. There was a lot of work that went into this plane. And it all came down to a grand finale. Like a fine wine, there is always an assessment of the finish, and this plane has a good finish. Hopefully the new owner will keep the plane flying and well maintained and ensure that it also has a long finish; a good quality in wine and an even better quality in aircraft that have an attached nostalgia. But don't just settle for seeing history on these pages. If they have weathered the COVID storm, www.adventureflight.net will actually take you for a ride in a T-50. There are also plenty of other aircraft out there with stories of their own; stories that you can keep alive. If you haven't noticed, this year has been hard on museums and they could really use your financial support and patronage. And without a doubt, if you take a look through the barnstormers.com ads, you'll find some airplane with a little history that is calling your name, if you prefer to own history rather than just visit it.