Swift Airframe - General

FOUR PLACE SWIFT???
From: Geoff Crawford <swift88k@pacbell.net>
Subj: Four Place Swift
Jim, I've been meaning to tell you about this for ages and you probably know about it already, but the Volpe Swift, 3793K, is a four place airplane. I saw it at the Nationals, but don't remember if it was in '81 or '86. He put a vertical bulkhead in just aft of the windows, extended the floor aft and put in seat belt anchors. He said the 337 didn't say much more than that. Ah, the good old days. The seats are pads on the floor and on the bulkhead, held in place with Velcro. At the time he had a couple of 5-8 year old daughters and it worked OK then, but I'll bet they don't ride back there any more! -- Geoff

Geoff,  Yes, I've seen N3793K and it is a very nice airplane. I had an almost identical setup on N80539. (now N28AG) I had it at Kentucky Dam in 1972 and it is still around. The rear seat is STC'ed. I don't encourage this mod, I feel it is not well engineered and kind of ruins the whole character of the airplane. Having butchered up several Swifts in my younger days, I hope I can talk folks into restoring to factory original! -- Jim

(Editor's note: If you have, or can ever dig up, the April 1986 issue of AOPA PILOT, there is an article on Swifts that features N3793K. One of the photos in the article is the rear seat installation discussed above. It is a clean looking installation but it is also easy to see from the photo that they are seats suitable only for children or very small people.)

GC-1A vs GC-1B...  (10399)
Subj: Questions
From: Larry LaForce <LaForce55@aol.com>
Jim.... My question is.... from what I can gather.... this one is... or started life as a 85hp which will mean it is a Globe GC-1A.... right? Is there any reason to shy away from these birds if they are mostly mechanically sound? I assume that the Globe GC-1A and the GC-1B are the same other than the engines. Thanks ...... Larry

Larry, The earlier s/n's required quite a few changes, but if properly converted there is nothing against a GC-1A. The later s/n's (approx. 300 to 409) are identical firewall aft. -- Jim

FRESH AIR...  (10499)
From: Pete King <peetking@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Fuel and air
What is considered to be the best place to pick outside air for cabin venting ? -- the best type of inlet?

Pete:  Many locations have been tried for venting the cabin. I believe in the original look, so I use a 2 1/8" hose hooked to a 2 1/16" aluminum tube which picks up air behind the grill of the cowling. I have seen NASA inlets on the side skins and holes cut in the leading edge fairings, I'm not convinced these work too well. Some of these areas are low pressure areas and of course won't work. N80824 picked up air in front of the windshield, you might try emailing Paul Barnett and asking him how it worked. -- Jim

THERE GOES THE RESALE VALUE...  (11299)
Subject: Re: Crack in Aluminum Angle on Fuselage
From: Steve Roth <StevenRoth@aol.com>
Today I found a crack in the heavy duty aluminum angle that runs along the bottom of the window opening (pilot's side). It is what you hang your arm on when you have the window down and your arm hanging out. It is about three feet long. Lots of rivets in it. This piece is essentially a 90 degree angle with a bend to conform it to the fuselage. The bend is just behind the side window, where the fuselage "break" is. The crack is at the outside radius of the bend and propagates from top to bottom of the metal at a slight angle. The crack is about half way through the horizontal element of the 90 degree angle piece. To get the bend in the piece, was the horizontal element cut, the bend made, then welded? Is it heat treated? Can it be welded to repair it? Ever seen cracks in one?

Steve,  The aluminum angle is an extrusion and is non-weldable. I believe it is 2024-T4. The early 2000 s/n airplanes used a bent piece of approx. .125 2024 (it was 24ST in 1946) for this item, they must have ran out of the extrusion at Temco. I believe a repair doubler could be installed, but that would require engineering so it may just be easier to replace it, if you can find one. Are you SURE its cracked? No, I have never seen one of these cracked, although I remember Ed Gorney changed one for some reason. -- Jim  

(Steve Roth also made the following post on the "Yahoo!" Globe Temco Swift Club site <http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/globetemcoswift>...)

FYI: I found a crack in the horizontal portion of the 90-deg aluminum angle that fastens to the fuselage at the top of the skin on either side of the cockpit (1948 Temco SN 3697). This is the piece of aluminum angle that you hang your arm over when you have the window down, and ties together the fuselage between the windscreen post and the rollover structure. Lots of rivets in it.  The crack is at the outside radius of the bend at the rear which forms this brace around the fuselage "break point". The crack is about half an inch long and jagged. From top to bottom, it is at a 45 deg angle.  I first noticed it when I saw a crack in the paint. I have stopped drilled it.  Swift Parts has replacements, reportedly made during last few years. Talking to Joe and Monty, there were two types -- ones with a sharp angle at the bend on the horizontal edge and others with a rounded appearance, the rounded ones appearing in my series of Temcos. Mine is the rounded type. Neither Monty nor Joe has heard of one of these cracking. No other cracks or indications of stress are apparent n this area which would have led to this crack. Perhaps when the piece was cold bent, the conditions for the stress crack were formed in the metal.  Just wanted to pass on this info. Also, has anybody replaced one of these? Steve - N2397B

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