Projects

[Doug Johnson]

I found pictures of a couple Helio rebuilds can anyone tell me if the information I have on them is correct? There are several possibilities for the first one.

edit N4142D is 1957 H-391B c/n 091 N4431U Its not Ray Dorsey' Kenai, AK 391B  c/n 074   N173K

edit c/n 1411,  C-? Canada,   1969  1400 series H-295 located in Alberta was reg   HC-BOP Ecuador, returned as N367HC, Project plane now owned by Len Harasimiuk

[Namaolen]

 I'm now the owner of Helio 1411 ( ex HC BOP) and just joined FlyHelio today, I have pretty well removed all the multilayers of paint from it and am in the process of replacing all the glass, slow progress as I have to many irons in the fire right now but it's getting there. I'll post some pictures at a later date.

[Doug Johnson]

Namaolen,
Welcome to the site. Good to see your post, I was starting to answer my own. Hope to see some of your post soon and hear more about 1411.

Doug

[Ray Dorsey]

N173K Left The USA January 1958 as YV-T-JTP  Later registered as YV-C-SAE,Returned to Florida to become N173K.

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks Ray that's the kind of information I need from individual owners to bring my Helio lists closer to being complete. Now all we need is a picture of N173K

c/n 1411 is Len's project in Alberta, Canada


An earlier poster screen name StPat who has removed themselves from the site posted this; "I have pics of N4142D that crashed at White Sands NM back in the very early sixties"

Doug

[stpat]

Hello all, I will try to remember all I can about 4142D. This airplane was engaged in tests of the Nike Zeus system in the early 1960"s at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The airplane was owned and operated by Linden Flight Service out of Linden, New Jersey. The airplane crashed out on the range and was sold to Ewing Dryden and Harry McNutt, who were both friends of mine, (Dryden was my flight instructor for my Private License). They bought the airplane in 1961 I believe and we proceeded to rebuild it. One interesting fact is the engine did not come with the salvage as it belonged to the Government, how that came about I have no idea, except that the airplane was being used for tests of the weapon system and may have required some special needs. The color pictures show the airplane in a building at WSMR, probably in 1962 or early 63, Harry is in the pictures. We moved the airplane to the El Paso airport and the reparis were completed. If my memory is right we put an GO435 engine on it, don't know about the prop. We flew this airplane around El Paso for a while, and made a trip to California sometime in 1964. The airplane was sold in the 1964,65,66 time frame to a fellow in Seattle, whose stated intentions were to put it on floats and take it to Alaska so he could "study the natives". As I am now a residentof Alaska I am always on the lookout for Helios up there, but I should imagine it has changed too much for me to recgonize. It was an interesting airplane, the only one I ever flew, now they're kinda rare. I will try to post the pictures I have.
Cheers, Patrick

[Doug Johnson]

I found another project a 391 maybe someone will recognize it.
Brian Lecompte 250-837-9579 email AdvertiserWeb http://www.flywest.net

edit; c/n 034 1956  H-391B ,original registry XC-BUB Mexico,  wreck '65 @ NY as N74037, was C-GLKM  Northward Air Ltd  Larry Moody,next North-Wright air serv. Dawson Creek, B/C,  reg canceled '09 after wreck in muskeg landing, nosed over, as you can see needs lots of work, sold as wreck to USA

[Doug Johnson]

This is what I found on N4142D crashed White Sands NM '60 Nike missile tests, photo as rebuilt '61 , went to Canada in '63 as C-GIMR, accidents Nov 19/83 @ Hood River OR, Aug 25/92 @ Edmonds WA, now N4431U  Barry Dechert

Doug

[Namaolen]

The green and orange 391 is cn34. This one landed in a swamp and flipped over and must have sat outside for a few years because the motor was rusted quite bad, no prop, interior was caked in swamp mud on the roof liner, only straight portion was the fuselage. I saw it sell at an auction in Edmonton, Alberta in about 2008 and I think someone in the US owns it now.   

[Doug Johnson]

Namaolean sent these pictures of c/n 1411.

I like the the nice movable support jigs.

This is the way to usually save a substantial amount of money on a paint job, remove the old paint yourself. Disposal of hazardous waste both the old paint and the paint remover, usually considered hazardous waste most places is usually quite expensive for the paint shop to dispose of. Most Municipalities have a hazardous waste program that will allow you to dispose of it properly, some allow small amounts free. Just put the waste in seal able paint cans and dispose of it over a couple years.

Doug