Alti Cruiser at Torrance

[donv]

Dylan, I think that is a fantastic idea. That airplane is indeed a piece of history.

I would suggesting finding either (or both) a local air museum or an A&P school to partner with. Getting it back to flying would be difficult (just read some of the posts about Glenn's issues with his 680FP, which is similar but was in flying condition when he bought it!), but getting it to a decent place for static display would be a good first step.

Welcome!

[EagleScoutPilotDylanG]

Welcome Dylan...

The enterprise that you are considering would be a monumental task for a page full of ample reasons.


Are you considering restoration to an airworthy state or for a static (museum) state?

You might want to review the multiple threads on this site regarding restoration and ongoing maintenance which involves tens of thousands of dollars and in many cases difficulty securing parts.

There are hundreds of years of talent on this site and I am sure that you will hear from some of them.

I wish you much success

I wish to restore it to an airworthy state, possibly add new turboprop engines.

[donv]

I would strongly advise against the idea of adding turboprop engines. There are plenty of inexpensive old Commander turboprops out there which could be restored-- what makes this airplane special is that it is a very, very early example of a pressurized piston Commander.

I wish to restore it to an airworthy state, possibly add new turboprop engines.

[EagleScoutPilotDylanG]

I would strongly advise against the idea of adding turboprop engines. There are plenty of inexpensive old Commander turboprops out there which could be restored-- what makes this airplane special is that it is a very, very early example of a pressurized piston Commander.

I wish to restore it to an airworthy state, possibly add new turboprop engines.

Good idea I will keep the uniqueness by seeing what I can do with the original engines. If there are any problems rebuilding the engines or finding new parts for the engines, I will try to find the most cost-effective solution for the replacement.

[ghancock]

You can still rebuild the engines.  That will be the least of your issues.  I have no idea what types of pumps it uses for hydraulic system and exactly what type of compressor it uses.  Taking on a job like this requires paying more attention to the things you "CAN'T" find than what is still available.

Technically most everything can be made if you can't find it except for the hydraulic system components.  That is pretty much where I am with my plane.

Oh and Butch, I spoke to that school a couple of times and they were not very interested at the time to sell anything.  I even tried to just buy the pumps off them and they didn't want to do that either.


Glenn

[Adam Frisch]

Well, good news. A gentleman named Dennis at Southbay Aviation has now started restoring the old 720 from Torrance. A herculean task, no doubt, but apparently the airframe is pretty corrosion-free. Here's the email I got from Dominique:

Hey Adam hope all is well in the middle of this Covid pandemic. I reached out to you the beginning of the year when things were normal about the 720 over in Torrance. Also spoke to Glen about his AC. Hey I just wanted to give you an update on the 720 sitting in Torrance. Dennis the owner of Southbay aviation is restoring it. Turns out that was serial number one out of 13 ever made and Eisenhower flew in that aircraft. He’s restoring it three-year project 250,000 and then donating it to the Smithsonian Institute afterward. It’s a great story I spent an hour talking to them here’s a few pictures for you. The FAA was all over that airplane but it turns out the aircraft was made withZinc so it survived any major corrosion and the FAA has given it a greenlight after several spar inspections. He said it’s a three-year project but all is going well he’s dropping the first engine and sending it over to San Diego today. Here’s some photos I’ll keep you up-to-date. Again I hope all is well.

[donv]

Fantastic! So glad to see that piece of history coming back!

[Adam Frisch]

Here's a video of the owners talking about restoration! She's taxiing, so things are slowly moving forward. Not sure if she's flown yet.

https://youtu.be/19cOPXYEySo?si=ZMbW1a-B-W54_iNx

[EricDapp]

You lost me at sky-drol and geared motors.

[donv]

Great to see!

How different is the 720 from the 680F(p)?

[appleseed]

the most obvious differences, 480s, bathtub nacelles, and it's looks like they took the cautious approach to beefing up the cabin and windows. I think the differential was even lower than the Fs

[JimC]

I am always happy to hear when someone doesn't want geared motors. It keeps the prices down for the rest of us foolish owners.

[appleseed]

The supercharged engines perform so well from 12,000 to 17,000'. If you could just replace the headache system with something very simple light and reliable. 3 psi, or even 2.5 would make the difference.

A blower and an outflow valve. No intercoolers or a/c. Keep it shutdown until the cabin is above 10,000' and cooled off.

On the ground for shop testing cabin leaks, a shopvac does the job just fine.

[JimC]

According to the bible (Stars And Commanders, Dave Duntz's great book) here are some other differences between a 720 and a 680 FP:

The engines were GSO-480s, not IGSO-540s.

Differential was 2.3 psi.

All windows were double-paned. The outer windshield pane was laminated glass.

Thirteen were built.