Hello Andy,

I would love to "supplement" the Bonanza with a Porterfield. I like old cars (63 Studebaker Lark), old trucks (78 Dodge D-100), old motorcycles (82 Goldwing, 67 Triumph), old airplanes (53 Bo) probably because I was born in 52 ( although I don't consider myself old...that "old" bar gets moved up as we age), and have a special appreciation for old yet useful things that were well crafted when they first were built. Plus, I believe having these old machines are of no use if we don't use them. So, all of these vehicles get used and maintained since, I believe, their useful life is not over with. And I enjoy the fact that in a modern cookie cutter society, these vehicles not only allow me to enjoy yesterday today, they have an identity all their own. A Porterfield would fit very well into that mode of thinking. Something to think about.

Thanks for the encouragement,

Jim

"Andy - my apologies for a tardy (understated) response . But I am still interested in trying 41 VT on for size - any chance a day next week would work?""Andy - my apologies for a tardy (understated) response . But I am still interested in trying 41 VT on for size - any chance a day next week would work?"

Sounds great - I will stop by sometime in the next few days.  I have a friend visiting who has flown Werner Griesbeck's bird in BC.  So he can show me which is the front and which is the back.

Thanks Andy! Lucky for me I'm under 180 and just a hair under 6 feet tall. Maybe I'll get up to see 41VermonT one of these days. 

That'd be a twofer. Never flown a Porterfield. Never flown off of skis! That would be super fun! If I have an open weekend (with a 5 month old baby, those are tough to find!) I'll let you know! Thanks very much for the invite. 

Hi Andy, I just purchased one of these gals out of Sonoma Valley airport #816.  I haven't brought it back to Oregon just yet but I plan on visiting this site frequently and keeping up with you guys.  I will certainly share the fun stuff when it comes along! Thanks for keeping this up.

Thank you for the add Andy. I have recently acquired NC37716 which suffered a nose over accident. Last week I returned from Aberdeen SD where it was to St. Could Fl , where I now live. I have approx 650 hrs in my old aircraft Nc25563 ser # 641. I sold it years ago for the equity I needed for a bigger plane for a growing family. I have always have fond memories for my old airplane. I bought 255623 as a rolled over basket case , built it and learned to fly in her. I now have her sister!. NC37716 left the factory as a land or sea plane. It has EXTENSIVE documentation. I Spoke with a prior owner , James Gooding, last evening and he is ecstatic she will fly again. Ill keep you all updated on her progress as i intend to commence work on her in late summer. In the mean time, I need a copy of the fuselage drawings so I may facilitate repair of some broken and or kinked structure. Can anyone help me out? ALSO. I have LOTS of rubber biscuit shock absorbers should anyone need any. Feel free to contact me at clearprop75r@hotmail.com. 

Hello Andy.   The skinny bird I just acquired is a CP-65,  very good shape but hasn't flown since 09.  Lewis Mitchell owned this aircraft for many years here in TX. Lewis is a WWll vet and retired from a flying job with the FAA.  He is 95 now.  I've been running this plane off and on for him for the last 3 years and will fly it soon.  I'll send pics. bo case rhome tx

Hi Andy thanx for the reply note... funnily enough I knew Doug Sales quite well in the mid to late 60's as we used to hang out together And have been to many of the Hot air ballon shows in Hamilton.. but on another matter on the 2nd page of the groups photos there are  4 pix of 3 Porterfieds labelled Red White & Blue.You wouldnt have the "N" number of the lite blue (taking off) one would you as thats the color I have used on the model I am building!! If you know it  I will put it on my model......Thanx a lot...Regards Al Wqrd..NZ

Hello Andy

We just found a couple old planes in the backwoods of Louisiana( a 42 PT26 and a Porterfield. They have been taken apart and stored in various sheds, barns and old cars. I found the serial id tag in the back of a 59 Edsel wagon, the wings stored in the rafters of an old barn... Still searching the jungle for the rest of it( engine ,cowl etc) 

I need help to id which plane i have. The wheels are dated 1937, id tag 36-70, august 1938, serial # 337

Will post pics soon. 

Thanks Dick Nelson

Thanks for the welcome, Andy. I'm more interested in a flight worthy A/C rather than rebuilding. Just looking for now. My center of gravity has "shifted" significantly since my days with the Starlite and Starduster.  I'm 5'10 but close to 250#. I can handle close quarters at the controls. Just concerned about CG problems at this weight. The Porterfield caught my eye due to its close appearance to my Aeronca. This is the first I've ever heard of a Porterfield.

That Porterfield for sale in Kansas is in a Facebook Airplanes For Sale Group. Doing research on it is what led me to your group. I won't be able to act on anything until Spring at the earliest. Looks like a sweet plane at a good price though.

Small world about the Starlite for sure! I didn't berlong to the Yahoo group. There was another Starlite owner about 40 miles away from me and we always got together at fly-ins around Tennessee. I was not the original builder of mine. I acquired it from a guy who bought it from the builder (who was afraid to fly it) and then promptly ground looped it, collapsing the gear, which drove a wheel through the right wing and hit a runway light with the left wing leading edge.  You, of course, know how close coupled the controls were and you just cannot get heavy handed or heavy footed with a Starlite on the ground. I traded a 1980 Cadillac Eldorado for it, put it back together and had a ball flying it. As you know, Starlites always draw a crowd wherever they go. I took it to Sun 'N Fun twice and eventually sold it to get the Champ.

As for the Starduster, I did not build that one either. The turtledeck (aka 'storage area') was fiberglass. It was a dream to fly and one of the best landing taildraggers I ever flew. But I outgrew it (weight-wise) too quickly.  At 210# I could barely get my hips in and out of the cockpit opening and a parachute was definitely out of the question. My lifelong dream was to own and fly a Stearman. The Starduster was as close as I ever got. No matter. It always put a smile on my face.

I'm looking forward to learning more about the Porterfield from you and your members. Thanks again for adding me.

Collegiate SN 938 NC37709 We hope to have it ready to fly soon

I will say Hi to Ken for you

Is there a place where I can find any airworthiness directives for the Colliagiate?

She is a project. I bought her from Jason Algra back in 2015, then immediately had to find a new job. Been concentrating on flight training but 368, also known as Maggie Lou, is never far from my mind. She's housed at the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth, TX. 
I'm really hoping factory drawings are still available. I'm used to working from parts catalogs. 

Hi Andy. I’ve not received to data pack yet on the 90 Franklin install. Actually I made a error on the engine I’m overhauling for my FP 65. It is actually a 80 hp with starter and generator. I’m hoping to use your data as the basis for this engine. Would also like to get info on other installations of 80 or more hp. The starter and generator do not stick back any further than the mags. I’m thanking one of the small lightweight starters just might work. From my measurements it seems that the gas tank and starter clearance are the issue. Thanks for your help

Thank you for the warm welcome Andy. I’m looking forward to doing my tail wheel endorsement with my new bird!

Hi Andy,

Thanks for letting me join you all. Looking forward to finding an aircraft at some point, a Flyable one first with a project a little later. 

Howdy hey thanks for the welcome! He talked about the Porterfield Club ALOT! He truly loved it. Unfortunately about a week ago he had a massive stroke and his time is nearing an end. I hope the Army approves my leave so I can go see him one last time. I look forward to seeing everyone's posts on here and learn a thing or two! Im glad he opened my eyes to aviation (Im normally a car guy) and maybe one day Ill be up in the air too.

I have been looking to buy a porterfield for some time now. I am interested in a 35W if I can find one for sale. The owners of these models don't seem to want to part with them which is very understandable. I'll keep an eye out anyway.

Thanks for the welcome Andy!

I'm close to the 180 (that I can influence)... but have +2" on the height being 6'..  would I not fit at that height?

Bryan

Thanks for the information.  I had noticed it is called "skinny bird" never really connected the dots.  There is or was one located about an hour from me, and you say one is in Bryan (as in Aggie-land"?)  I have a few friends who spent 4 years on the wrong side of the river (Sic Em' Bears) but it would be nice to have two Skinny Birds close to me to look into.  

I am only 5'10 and my daughter is shorter than me - but how important is that 180 # thing?  I  wear a 42 jacket, will I feel like I am shoulder to shoulder with the wings?

And it is no secret here, there is a Porterfield in CA that is kinda pretty and it has been available for at least a few months.  Any members here been by to look at it.  Spare engine certainly has my attention - love spare parts - but my daughter named it "Olive" already so I need to get her up close and personal with one of the Skinny Birds here in Texas (anyone in or near TKI willing to take her up for a short ride, I buy gas and lunch afterwards - and all she needs is a quick hop around the patch, no stick time).  Need to see if she still likes the idea after being inside a skinny bird.

Last - wheel pants???  Two that I know of, still need to look at the third, have no pants.  I have seen references to Taylorcraft wheel pants, but have not had time (or the admission to the club) to go searching and since I am writing my first post . . . I am hoping for forgiveness if this is one of those times when I should "look for the search bar".

Thanks for the info.  The one I am looking at (the one my daughter named "Olive" is the one in TJ Neff has.  Lucky for me, there is one for sale here in Texas - about 2 hours away but that is a lot closer than California.  I can at least get inside one and see if she fits.  My biggest problem, as I just discovered, is hanger space.  I have checked every airport in 40 miles and no one has hanger (not even patio) for rent.  I don't think a tube and fabric plane would hold up outside in Texas.

A CFI I know is also throwing a little ice water on the idea - I get that it does not have Artificial Horizon, VOR, etc.  So?  She can "learn to fly" not "manage" a plane.  My only complaint about the Cirrus I used to own - great traveling plane but it was built for a programer/manager, not a pilot.  

Then I do understand, if my daughter learns to fly by the seat of her pants, she may have trouble transitioning later since avionics are getting more and more complicated and more "legacy" planes are going partial glass.

I agree, but did not know the statistic that 1 hour in a glider is better than 10 in a plane.  One of the things that draws me to the Porterfield is the lack of avionics.  As I have said, I loved my Cirrus, it was a great traveling plane, but it is designed to be "managed" not flown.  

I will look for private runway with hanger, had not thought about that as an option - though I don't know where one is around here.  Time to buy a sectional and start making calls I guess.

Thank you Andy we'll sure do that. We have a 1946 Aeronca Champ for sale with an 0-200 conversion If you know anyone that might be interested. We should have the annual done sometime within the next couple of months.

Thanks Andy,

No, I did not buy Roger’s airplane. I’m finishing the the paperwork for a ground up restoration on a 1940 LP65 that has been converted to a CP65. Not sure that it will make it to Oshkosh, but we shall see. Also, Has anyone put VG’s on a porterfield yet?

 N27288 S/n 769 I got my A&P in Alaska.

Also, is there anyone that might have a replacement front RH wing strut?

Thanks a lot! Figured I would have to go that route, not a big deal but it’s always nice to find one on a shelf, one the the struts has some airworthy but ugly repairs which really takes away from the rest of the ground up restoration. 

I have a copy of a pilot manual and maintenance manual and that is it so any additional information you might have would be fantastic!

Thanks, Andy, and thanks for letting me join!

 I know very little about Porterfields and that tip about the Collegiate helps!

Thanks,

What'cha mean? Don't all engine heads have to be re-torqued every dozen hours? :)

Hi Andy, is new member James Pollard a hacker?

Thank you very much, Andy, for welcoming me to the club.  

I have sat in both seats of the Porterfield.  When I sat in the front seat, it reminded me of the two Dehavilland Chipmunks I owned.  The instrument panel in the Chipmunk is very close to your face, also, though not as close as the panel in the Porterfield.  

Regarding solo flight from the front seat…there are pictures and videos online of Porterfields being flown solo from the front and the back seat.  I look forward to learning more about that mystery.

You asked what happened to my DH-1.  I assume you mean my second DHC-1 Chipmunk, which was sold about 18 months ago to an individual who keeps it based on a grass field east of St. Louis. I replaced the Chipmunk with the aircraft that replaced the Chipmunk in  RAF service as a primary trainer, the Scottish Aviation Bulldog.  Nice airplane, but the little wheel in the back isn’t there…they put it up front, under the engine, and made it larger!  Sacrilege!!!  After 18 months of no tailwheel time (and really missing that kind of flying), I started looking for something with a tailwheel that was different from Cubs, Champs, etc.  Since there were no Spitfires on the market at the time (that I could afford), I began searching for a Porterfield.  Happy to say that I found one.

Again, thanks for the welcome.  Looking forward to continuing my education regarding the skinny bird.

Thank you, Andy.  That certainly clears up some of the mystery about front/rear seat solo flight in the Porterfield.  The airplane I plan to purchase (John Elliott’s Collegiate) has had the little Lycoming 65hp engine replaced with a Continental C-85, which I imagine is heavier.  With John’s help, I’ll be taking a close look at the W&B before I fly her.

Thanks for adding me to your group Andy! I'm interested in finding a Porterfield as I've lived my entire 53 years in the Kansas City area. A good friend of mine had a project when we were in A&P school but he never finished it before letting it go. Dave

27259 is now in London OH. Still flying on what it should be 1800ft of grass. 

Understood.  Just in case it helps, I have been a member of this group in the past, and I'm not sure if my old membership might still be taking up a space.  I believe it was under b.lovett@att.net, but I re-registered because I couldn't get signed into it to update my email address.  (I was also on Chuck Lebrecht's mailing list many years ago.)  If my old account is still here, please feel free to purge it.