I used to taxi past that poor, sad old bird at KUDD for almost all of the 20 years it sat neglected. So surprised and happy to see she has been given a new lease on life. Beautiful job on the restoration.

I was lucky enough to meet these guys and get a ride backseat in this plane today. Yep, in love with this bird 😊

I have a picture of this Navion in my gallery, sitting next to a Cirrus. My choice, Navion, or Cirrus? Navion hands down! Beautiful, just beautiful!!

@email4664

2 жыл бұрын

I own a Navion, and would never consider a newer plane really. The others here are older- Much older.

It's beautiful. My dad owned one in the late 70's and I'm very fortunate to have logged 750hrs in it. Navion are wonderful flying airplanes.

@bluemarshall6180

4 жыл бұрын

fishin n flyin 👍

@outwiththem

6 ай бұрын

Man.. You are a lucky son.

What a beautiful airplane!

Any video of the restoration? The plane looks beautiful! Very nice work!

@Daviddwakefield

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you. No video, but there are a several photos in the various albums. facebook.com/n4110k

They look so much better without tip tanks.

@greghansen6673

6 жыл бұрын

Looks over function... Love the range tip tanks provide

Its freaking gorgeous!

10 times better than any Cirrus!!

This is A National Treasure... For me its.

Beautiful

That video made me smile. Congrats Dave. Always admired the old Navion.

👏👏👏👏👏👏 Great job!

I never knew a Navion can be IFR equipped.

Thanks, and outstanding job. It's beautiful! Is the engine a 260 hpr Lyc? Does it cruise about at 75% and 8,000'? Enjoy.

My affection for the Navion goes back to the TV movie "Family Flight". Later I had a Navion as part of my security check @ a local airport. I always thought of it as a 4 seat Mustang...lol. This one is gorgeous. 👍👍

The Navion is a classic airplane; the Cirrus is a plastic toy

Unbelievably gorgeous! By far the best looking Navion I have seen to date.

IO-550 Continental would be my choice of engine. I believe that there is a STC for the ac/engine upgrade. Geared engines are super expensive to overhaul. Beautiful job of restoration ! There is one here that is flyable that needs very little work. Its owner flew it last year to another airport to avoid ramp fees.

Yeah, it takes the passion to spend the money, it also takes having the money to be able to spend the money.

Thanks for rescuing such a jewel fast machine. Seen many cars these days costing as much, but only good for the road..

NICELY DONE.😃

Absolutely gorgeous! Worth every bit of the effort that went into it.

A work of art 👌

built in 1947....looks like it was designed today....good looking plane for sure

Wow the sound of the engine makes you wanna compete Awesome did he say power plant is lycoming G045 geared could that fit in a 172

@Daviddwakefield

2 жыл бұрын

GO-480

Beautiful Navion

Somebody should build this as a homebuilt and use foam/epoxy/fiberglass and carbon fiber... for the wings and emphenage...sort of like a big Lanair with an attitude!!! :)..🐦

Post-war Mid-Century beauty! Thanks for bringing her back to life!

Beautiful plane and great sound , front cowling reminds me of a 172

GO-435 - No wonder it sounds like a Commander or a Twinbo-my dad bought one in 1965 that had been flipped in a windstorm and had the gear punched up through the wings - paid $1500 for it -but after going to all the trouble of finding a partner to invest in a restoration , buying another Nav for parts , etc. Dad’s health gave up and he had to sell his interest in it .

Did I hear correctly that you installed a Lycoming GO-45 engine? I googled the model and got no hits. Is it a GO-145? That doesn't seem right, since that model is a low-horsepower 4-banger.

@Daviddwakefield

2 жыл бұрын

Lycoming GO-480 I mumbled in the video a bit..

Jeez that’s a gorgeous airplane

Beautiful!!

Fantastic Job! I can only dream...Thx

Beautiful plane, I just wish this 1940s classic wasn't wearing the boring every-single-Cessna-Skyhawk-since-1995 paint scheme. Modern interior is great, but this should be wearing a classic paint scheme. Either way, great to see a plane resurrected and brought back to life!

@Daviddwakefield

2 жыл бұрын

There some very nice beautiful more classic paint schemes along with several that have Military schemes. They're all beautiful. I wanted something a bit more unique. YMMV

Love the Navions and Rangemasters!! GREAT Airplanes!!

Sweet! Always wanted one.

a great job. I am not a pilot but like this sort of video.

We had a beautiful Navion on the ramp at Southbridge MA - destroyed in the 6/1/11 tornado that also destroyed my hangar and my first Cirrus. At the time, four of us co-owned a 1942 Fleet Finch biplane RCAF trainer. Still amazed at the difference in appearance and performance for two airplanes only four years apart.

New canopy ?

@Daviddwakefield

2 жыл бұрын

No original canopy, This particular airframe was one of the first to have the sloped windshield installed back in 1974. When the restoration was done in 2011/2012, I opted for the larger rear window kit. The canopy was completely rebuilt and we modified the original air scoop on top that ducted into the Osborne headliner kit.

Not a fan of the paint scheme... but what a gorgeous airplane this is!

@TomCook1993

2 жыл бұрын

Looks like an RV paint job

Truly beautiful!

I'd like to know about the decision to use a geared engine

@rescue270

4 жыл бұрын

Christian Forbes It is the original engine for this aircraft.This is a Navion B, which was built with the 260 hp Lycoming GO-435 geared engine as original equipment.

@Daviddwakefield

2 жыл бұрын

The E225 was changed out in the early 1970's for the Lycoming GO-480. I kept it the same for a couple reasons. That powerplant is a great match for the Navion airframe. It performs so well. Then the sound. It sounds like a mini Mustang when you fly by. Truly unique. A lot of people are afraid to fly behind a geared engine. That's fine by me. Just means more parts are available if/when the need should arise. A geared engine teaches you to be a better pilot with careful planning especially on decent. As long as you don't do anything with the throttle too fast, you'll have no issues. I also burn 12.4GPH between 8-10K at 175 MPH TAS. The boys running the Continental 550R are burning closer to 17GPH.

Good work

One of the most beautyful plane of the yesterday. Now, is the great plane with plus perfomance

Question: How is it a “restoration “ with a glass cockpit? I love the plane and the work done but I’m stuck on the word “restoration”. Just wondering...

@ConvairDart106

4 жыл бұрын

Restoration, in aircraft always means the airframe. A plane like this, needs to be able to utilize the entire airspace system, and an old radio stack does not allow that. Also, no-one makes vacuum tubes for radios anymore. 1947, was a few years b4 solid state circuitry....

@email4664

2 жыл бұрын

@@ConvairDart106 Not sure if you understood the point. Plus, "before" is the way the word is written.

Beautiful restoration. I'm also a former Navion owner, and miss it just about every day. 1950 Navion B, N5304K, video here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mpmAubqLmturhco.html

Nice. It's a wing-rockin' great ride!

I will add with the full 45 degree flaps- the aircraft could safely be landed at 50 MPH. they went from slow flight to fast taxi without issue. the B model with the geared Lycoming more difficult to land- by comparison. mine -N8645 H was a 225 HP.

as a former 1947 North American NAvion owner (N8645H) I miss her more than I ever thought I could, beautiful flying or sitting one of the best aircraft designs-ever, now I have just memories. (North American built NAvions had the NA in caps. Ryan Navions Have a Cap N.

I always like the Navion. As close as you can get to a fighter plane like the P-51 in civil aviation.

@gerilynntarvin9402

5 жыл бұрын

it is affectionately called the poor mans P-51

@gerilynntarvin9402

5 жыл бұрын

it was known as the "poor mans P-51"

Wow. What could sitting on the ramp for $100K and have extra tens of thousand $$$ sitting in the bank. But, it sounds like he had money to burn so why not do it. As a body shop owner I used t ask guys why they were restoring that 65 Pontiac Lemans or Buick Skylark or a Porsche 912? When had they could have done a GTO, GS or 911 for the about same amount, in the end they would be way ahead in value.

@Daviddwakefield

4 жыл бұрын

It's about being passionate about the process and end result. As I stated in the video, I wanted to rescue one. Besides there's much more to the story that was left out in both the article and brief video.

Show de bola...

This guy has too much money! :)

WOW!