With the new engine, came a new (to us) cowl, which didn’t match. A few club & family members got together last week to prep and paint the cowl stripes. T-1 days we cleaned up the hangar and blew out the dust, and on Day 0, we started masking the stripes and protected the rest of the airplane from overspray. First we sprayed a few coats of metallic red, then let it dry overnight, and then removed some masking to do the blue. Add a clearcoat with hardener pre-mixed, and it shines! The new LED hangar lighting really made a difference too.

Two Connecticut Valley Flyers members made the quick 6 minute flight from KHFD (Hartford Brainard Airport) to 4B9 (Simsbury Airport) in the club Cessna 172 to show off the airplane at the Simsbury Fly In. Great day enjoying aviation!

After a long, uneventful life, great compression, and perfect oil analysis, we decided it was time to overhaul our Lycoming O-360 engine. This time, we went with the Penn Yan Aero SuperHawk conversion! No more constant speed prop and 40° flaps, but we did gain another 200 lbs of gross weight (with the 2500 lb gross weight increase). Useful load is now 1017 lbs, or 789 lbs with full tanks. This engine is smooth and performs well. Take your friends, and go fly!