2003 is an eventful year. N724X is FINALLY painted and disassembled to do so. We also upgraded the brakes and replaced the original Matcos with a set of Cleveland brakes which are better matched to an aircraft of this size. We did a lot of cleanig up and rerouting of wires and conduits in the engine compartment too. My friend, Malcolm Hart's, Cozy was also painted. He and I have just about the only canards at SAF, so we turned my hangar into Canard Central. My parents roll up their sleeves and N724X flies again, better than before (and sharper-looking too!)

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N724X is FINALLY painted after flying so long in primer. See the 'Painting N724X' section for the details and pics of the roadtrip back to the hangar. Here we see Malcolm Hart's Cozy III, N296MH, starting her journey to the paint shop after my plane is dropped off. Now, we start reassembling N724X!	Dad unwraps my IO540-C4B5, readying it for its return to its rightful place.	It looks like a terrible mess, but everything is as it was left, carefully labelled and ready to be reconnected. The engine is lowered into position to match the engine mount. After the Barry Mounts (part #94110-02 ) are placed in position, the engine is bolted on with AN7-27A bolts, AN970-716 washers, and AN363-720 nuts.	The engine being bolted to the mount. When we first did this (seen in the 'Engine' section), we had to use a crowbar to coax the mount to fit the engine mount tabs. My ever resourceful father this time simply uses a little nudge from below with one of our hydraulic jacks to tweak things into position. Lining up the boltholes was actually quite easy! The Reiff Hotstrip engine heater is seen on the oil sump top left.
It looks like a tangled mess but it will all go back into place. The engine now loosely bolted to the mount, Dad adjusts the position of the hydraulic jack. We previously had fashioned a metal plate, covered with felt, to place on top of the jack's post which was designed to interlock with points on metal airplanes. This spreads the load and prevents unsightly dents in our plane.	Morning drive to SAF from the Northeast Heights area of Albuquerque, heading towards the I25. Hot air balloons are a common sight here with many seen rising up to greet the rising sun each day. The park from which hundreds upon hundreds of balloons launch during the annual Balloon Fiesta is located roughly dead ahead in the green area by the river.	We decide to replace the nylaflow brake tubing to match the newly installed Cleveland brakes. Malcolm and Dad are seen reflected in the newly painted undersurface of the plane! The tubing easily slides in and out of the conduit built into the gear legs.	Since the last several inches of the nylaflow are exposed, we cover it with a screen door spring, cut to length. This protects the line from UV light and debris tossed up by the wheels.
Fitting the protective spring over the brake line.	Tightening the brake line fitting.	Connecting the now covered line.	Dad starts securing the various lines and wires. See, it did clean up rather well! The pilot side aileron push-pull cable wrapped in fire sleeve is seen at Dad's left hand. The blue wires belong to the Jeff Rose electronic ignition. An EGT probe at the end of a yellow wire is seen entering the exhaust. The Weldon fuel pump is seen on firewall above Dad's right hand.
Things start falling into place as order emerges from choas.		Tie wraps are sure handy!	We reattach the MT Hydraulic prop. It's actually a relatively simple affair, bolting it into position. However, given that its blades travel near the speed of sound and the departure of the prop in flight would cause much consternation and, very likely, result in considerable inconvenience, I ask the guys at the Santa fe Jet Center to come over and help install it.
Lining up the prop. The engine cooling plenum is back in place. The oil-air seperator is seen on the firewall below the copilot NACA duct.	The prop returns to its home. The jacks are in place to prevent the plane from tipping backwards while we await the canard.	Prop nuts being torqued and then safety wired into position. The prop governor, the control cable and the mounting bracket is seen in center of photo.	Dad reshaped a hole in the alternator mounting bracket to allow tweaking of its position. The last alternater's bearings failed because, in retrospect, it was canted ever so slightly off axis, thereby imposing a side load as it spun. A slight tweak lets us rectify the issue.
My mother, Inez, supervises Dad's work. Dad, now retired, is a master mechanic who ran the Los Angeles Police Department's garages for many years. He finds that my airplane engine setup is actually much simpler than the vehicles on which he had worked. And very relaxing, too!	Mom makes sure the alternator is placed 'just so'.	A great day! Malcolm's Cozy comes back from the paint shop! It's parked in front of my hangar which for quite a while, becomes canard central for SAF.	Cozy N296MH glistens in the sun. Some reassembly still required.
We recruit some help from airport locals to reattach a wing.	Detail of the cylinder tops. We later reroute the orane firesleeve covered fuel line underneath the fuel injector lines.	Detail of copilot side cylinders. Prop governor bottom of pic. Fuel injection spider left center. You can see how a cup-like indentation was added to the plenum for access to the oil dipstick. The magneto wires pass out of the plenum through a hole sealed with silicon.	Mom finds a second anthill populated by tiny black ants near the original large-sized anthill. Malcolm found that the ants made it easier to drive a tiedown into the hard dirt. The ants, however, were unhappy and expressed their displeasure by biting him as he worked on the Cozy.
Since Mom feeds the ants, we coexist peacefully. They leave everyone in my family alone! Poor Malcolm still mutters about 'those blasted ants.'	Just to be fair, the first anthill gets a treat too! The view across the desert behind Mom is beautiful and makes working out in the hanger, even in inclement weather, a pleasure. The weather and light shift very rapidly out here in the high desert, providing ever changing vistas.	The canard arrives! Mom helps me reattach the elevators, which had been rebalanced after painting. Even with attempts to go light on the paint, there was quite a difference! Always paint the elevators and ailerons hanging LEADING edge DOWN. Any extra paint dripping towards the trailing edge will make a big difference as any weight there has much more leverage and will therfore require a great deal of weight added to compensate.	The elevators reattach easily with Mom's help.
Dad takes a break. Malcolm's Cozy is now reassembled and looks great!	My poor father falls victim to a devious mischief maker.	The culprit can barely contain herself!	Still barely supressing laughter, Mom has Dad explain what he's doing. You can see the the S-Tec autopilot roll servo behind the orange firesleeved copilot side aileron push-pull cable. Bolted to the front (actually rear) of the engine you can just see the oil filter, the magneto housing and the mechanical fuel pump.
Poor Dad - the sign on his back stays in place until much later when we go to lunch and a good samaritan tells him that 'his kids' have played a trick on him. Dad knows immediately who the perp is!	Mom and Dad set up the safety wire that will bind the plenum tightly to the engine.	Initially, we try a setup with a spring to make it easier to remove the plenum but we ultimately decide even a good stiff spring isn't enough to hold the plenum in place with 200+ MPH air blasting through. We simply use a solid braided length of safety wire.
A true team, Mom and Dad slide the safety wire through small loops in the plenums flanges at the front and run the wire underneath the engine.	Mom guides the wire through nooks and crannies as Dad readies to pull it through. You can see the flange riveted to the end of the plenum to which the safety wire will be attached, pulling the whole unit tight against the engine.	Being very meticulous, Mom cycles the landing gear to insure its proper function.	Mom checks to make sure the main gear is down and locked into position. You can see the fuel lines attached to the throttle body hanging from the bottom of the engine top left.
Mom also checks the emergency dump valve function. The gear drop down and lock smoothly by gravity alone.	After all their hard work, Mom and Dad are deservedly proud.		The canard is reattached and the clean and simple stripes look nice.
We're just about ready to to fire up the engine!	Malcolm's Cozy is reassembled and ready to go! The new paint job looks sharp.	Since N724X is just about ready to test run, Malcolm raises the Cozy's nose and we roll it next door.	Fueling up for the test run.
The plane glistens in the sun.		No leaks! Looking good.	Side by side, our planes look like close relations!
Before our test run, Dad does some final checking of the sparkplug wiring.	But first he takes a break and he and Malcolm start a series of shakedown flights in the Cozy.	Dad and Malcolm go through the checklist.	Ready to fire her up!
Engine is running smoothly.	Thumbs up and they're off!	Taxiing back after a successful flight around the Santa Fe area. Dad did a lot of the flying!	The sleek lines of canard aircraft are always a pleasure to behold. Malcolm has a Roncz canard on his Cozy.
After a few more adjustments, another flight!	All the adjustments are made, everything tightened and rechecked., the plane is packed. Malcolm tops off his tanks. Sadly, he is leaving us. He and his wife, Doris had moved to Kingman, AZ. Malcolm's airplane is the last thing to go.	Dad says his farewells as Malcolm runs through the startup checklist one last time as a resident of SAF.	We step back and Malcolm fires up Cozy N296MH.
With a tip of a hat, Malcolm says goodbye. He has been a great mentor to me and an even better friend. I don't think we could have gotten through all the repairs and upgrades on N724X as easily as we did without he and his wife's generousity and experience. He'll be sorely missed. On the other hand, Kingman isn't that far away and the flight is pretty. (See 'These are the Voyages ...' section for pics of the flight!)	Malcolm soars away from SAF. The tower controllers also bid him a fond adieu. We return to our work. N724X has to get back into the air too!

Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! email: rich@rguerra.com
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