1962 Piper Comanche 250 "The Beast"
Starting a gut job in 2015
I bought the Beast cheap from an A&P. It had good bones but faded and worn paint and interior and most avionics were not working well. The engine was well past TBO after two field overhauls and the original Hartzell prop was coming due for its AD, but at least it had new main landing gear conduits.
Full restoration completed in 2022
My flying restoration started with upgraded Avionics including WAAS GPS and an EDM830 engine monitor. Then I added a new MT Prop, Lycoming Factory reman engine. New windows and a leather Airtex interior were added. A top shelf paint job from Boss Refinishers finished the project.
Up on jacks for four months while I rebuilt the landing gear to satisfy AD 77-13-21 part A. My IA Ted let me do everything and inspected all my work thoroughly.
Here is a display of all the components to the left main landing gear. All seals and wipers were replaced. Every component stripped inspected and re-painted. It’s a complex work of art.
I removed the original fiberglass insulation and replaced with Airtex’s sound proofing and installed the headliner and repaired the side panels. While I was at it, Alpha Aviation shoulder harnesses were riveted into the fuselage.
I opted for a leather Airtex kit and the quality was excellent. I stripped and repainted the seat frames then fit the glove-tight upholstery and foam over them for a professional finish.
Boss verified everything that worked or didn’t and then masked the windows and prop and chemically stripped the Beast. The team then disassembled, mechanically stripped, washed, etched, re-masked, and primed the aircraft.
The base coat was next, followed by reassembly, masking the trim scheme, and another disassembly. The trim colors and N-number were last. Bill’s team balanced the control surfaces, reassembled the airplane, buffed out odds and ends, jacked it up, swung the gear, verified everything worked, and signed the log.
