Other maintenance persons started to replace the firewall. For one reason or another the work stopped and the aircraft sat for several months . The owners contacted SAS to remove the aircraft from Smithville and take it to the SAS facility @ Kittie Hill (77T) and complete the repairs.

This was the quality of the work when we got it ..

A little hanger rash to the horizontal stabilizer tip .

With a little more time and effort the tail surfaces were removed and the fuselage placed in the holding fixture.

The panel was already butchered apart but we had to remove a bit more to gain access to all the firewall from the inside.

We removed the firewall and repaired the surrounding areas as needed. Cleaned the contacting surfaces and re-fitted the firewall back in place.

Now we have fitted up a service kit to beef up the firewall and transfer some of the stresses to the upper engine mounts & longerons.

Here we fitted up the fixture attachment and picked up the engine mount positions and we can bolt the fuselage in solid and hold it in place while we drill off the left side of the "boot cowl" .

Left boot cowl skin off and the stringers & longerons cleaned up .

Right side rivets in place..

New replacement skin fitted up and drilled in place .

New skin installed !

Pilots pedals and brake master cylinders installed. New sound / heat shield installed on firewall and side panels. New scatt hose installed for cabin air/ heat.

Out of the fixture and sitting on it feet ! The nose strut was cleaned, inspected and resealed, The main wheels along with the nose wheel were cleaned and powder coated , new tires & tubes installed. The main axles were dye checked for cracks.

Firewall is ready for the engine as soon as the painting is complete. We replaced the wiring as needed with new .

Horizontal stab. tip repaired with new components.

All tail surfaces are clean , etched and alodined . Ready for prime and paint.

Epoxy primer is on ..

Aerothane is the top coat we are using in Juneau White .

More repairs to do before this can get painted.

Left wing is stripped ! A day's job of repairs to do and then to the paint room !

Left wing and the ailerons in the paint room ready for primer.

Epoxy primer is on !  WIll top coat in the morning .

20 mph winds out of the north today so we are stripping paint in the shop.

Top coat applied to left wing and both ailerons .

Taking off two paint jobs !  Used a lot of stripper and elbow grease !

Needed sheet metal repairs to the cowling holds progress a few days.

New oil access door fabricated and installed .

Checking the fit  and making adjustments .

Almost ready for prime & paint.

Epoxy primer is ON !

And now it's white !

Cowling , fairings and other parts in primer on Saturday !

Came in and painted the top coat on Sunday !!

A few modifications to the jump step and painted to match the lower airframe and gear legs with a little bed liner paint and glass beads for texture for a non-slip surface.

The last of the parts to be primed and painted are ready and in the paint room. WIll get started on them in the morning ..

Masking for the lettering under the right wing .

The crew hard at work ..

Engine is ON !

Almost ready to install . 

Wings are on !

Horizontal & Vertical are on and the graphics are going on .

Logo being applied

Jump door latch installed and tennis balls used as the bumpers.

Interior installed !

Finished airplane !

The SAS crew from the left: Joe Sills , Carl Shropshire & Kyle Weiss :
 Then the Texas Skydiving owner / operator Gindy Gibson & staff Kyle "2" :

Delivery to the Texas Skydiving Drop Zone !

Our ops check pilot and IA : Carl Shropshire