About 1978 or 79 I converted this PA-12 N4151M to a "Bush Plane", The conversions were as follows, an O-320 was installed, an 8 inch Scott tail wheel, PA-18 tail feathers, Cleveland wheels and brakes, the Borer extended baggage, and PA-18 Flaps. The PA-18 flap conversion was the first one field approved on a PA-12. The owner of the PA-14 flap conversion for the PA-12 didn't have anything on the PA-18 application but told me to create prints of my work, send them to him and he would get the paperwork together for my field approval. The agreement was that he would own the STC once he ran it past the Feds.
To get the approval an engineer from FSDO came out and made me block the flaps in the retracted position after which I had to pull 100 lbs on the flap handle with a hand held scale. In doing this the tripacer flap handle I had installed bent. The engineer didn't see that happen so after he was satisfied that the system held up not knowing that the handle bent he approved the conversion and left, after which I changed out the handle. I had a lot of tripacer parts since I had salvaged out a number of them. Still have papers for 4 or 5 of them.
After all the approvals were signed off and the plane was licensed I sold it to a gentleman in So. Texas, later he sold it to to a friend of mine who converted even more, He installed an O-360, did a wing tip conversion, put those fences on the wings, repainted it and set it on floats.
I did an N number search and found that it's now located way up in Maine.
I thought I'd tell this story at this time since there seems to be a sort of chill on the site. At least there hasn't been to many topics posted. Jim Swayze
To get the approval an engineer from FSDO came out and made me block the flaps in the retracted position after which I had to pull 100 lbs on the flap handle with a hand held scale. In doing this the tripacer flap handle I had installed bent. The engineer didn't see that happen so after he was satisfied that the system held up not knowing that the handle bent he approved the conversion and left, after which I changed out the handle. I had a lot of tripacer parts since I had salvaged out a number of them. Still have papers for 4 or 5 of them.
After all the approvals were signed off and the plane was licensed I sold it to a gentleman in So. Texas, later he sold it to to a friend of mine who converted even more, He installed an O-360, did a wing tip conversion, put those fences on the wings, repainted it and set it on floats.
I did an N number search and found that it's now located way up in Maine.
I thought I'd tell this story at this time since there seems to be a sort of chill on the site. At least there hasn't been to many topics posted. Jim Swayze
