Vintage Beechcraft Staggerwing Restoration
By Rebecca Reeb
(Tom Carter)In a small, unassuming hangar at French Valley Airport in Temecula, Calif., a group of four people ministrate to Beechcraft Staggerwings. Currently there are two Beeches awaiting the final completion of work items. One airplane had not flown in more than ten years so there has been plenty to do, over and above the normal items for that particular airplane. At 7:30 a.m. every day the folks at Staggerwing Aviation plan out what will be next for their workday and the boss will make sure that parts are ordered. Keeping the supply line working means things will get done without any real lapses in time or lost man-hours.
The airplanes come from all over the country to this small hangar. The folks at Staggerwing Aviation offer all forms of maintenance plus upgrade mods (more than 30) to make flying the famous Staggerwing in today’s environment much easier.
One case in point is a 74-year-old F-model Staggerwing. The airplane was ferried in from Pensacola, Fla. and is the property of Marianna Airmotive, which wanted all the latest mods that could be applied. There were lots of time critical items that were replaced. The airplane’s engine was removed and trucked to Oklahoma where it received upgraded cylinders and a brand new fuel injection system. The direct port fuel injection has added to an increase of 15 mph to the indicated airspeed. The vintage F model was always a good airplane with great control surface balance. Now the airplane is getting ready to surprise folks with her improved speed and fuel economy.
Marianna Airmotive’s F-Model Staggerwing is ready to make her return trip to Pensacola, Fla. (Rebecca Reeb)The yellow F model is ready to make her return trip across the country. By the time this goes to press, NC49301 will have zipped across the country in less than 12 hours and will stand ready to serve the folks at Marianna Airmotivefor years to come, while the folks at Staggerwing Aviation stand ready to support this and other Staggerwings as long as they fly.
