What constitutes "vintage?"

[Eric Marsh]

I've been building an RV-6a but when we recently came into some money my wife allocated some money to purchase an airplane while the RV comes together. She gave me two requirements - four seats and high wings. After looking at a lot of 172s I ended up with a '58 Tripacer.

The airplane is over 50 years young. Does that constitute "vintage" in aviation circles? It most certainly would in automotive circles but it seems that aircraft just fly forever.

[Joda]

Hi Eric,

The answer depends on who you ask! But from an EAA standpoint your airplane definitely is vintage. The Vintage Aircraft Association has judging categories for aircraft built in 1970 and before, so yours definitely fits. Check out the info at this link:

http://www.vintageaircraft.org/events/judging.html

[FlyingRon]

Yes, note it's not a fixed number of years. The VAA haunchos periodically decide when they're going to extend the later date for Contemporary Classic eligibility. When I started at Oshkosh 20 years ago it was 1965 and has moved forward over the years.

[Joe LaMantia]

Hey Eric!,

If your TriPacer is as nice as our clubs' you'll get a lot of ramp visitors. What engine do you have? We've got a 160hp O-320 and it's a fun flyer!

Happy Flying,

Joe

[Eric Marsh]

Hi Joe,

My Tripacer isn't a bad looking airplane but her paint is a little faded.

Evidently I've got a 160 hp engine. How that happened is a little strange. She' a '58 and in 1960 her 160 horse engine was replaced with a 150. But the guy I bought her from rebuilt the engine and replace the pistons with 160 hp pistons, which I guess (and he says) makes her a 160hp Tripacer again

I've had her out three times now. Yesterday we did stalls. Well, sorta. She doesn't stall, she just sinks with the nose up.

Eric


http://www.ericmarsh.info/Flying_With_Eric/Piper_22-Delta/Piper_22-Delta.html

[Mike Switzer]

Nice plane. I occasionally think about rebuilding a pacer instead of doing a homebuilt.

[Eric Marsh]

Thanks - actually I've got one of each. I decided that I wanted to learn to fly and since I wanted something sporty on a budget I started on an RV6a project and began taking flying lessons. The RV is coming along but it's going to take a while and I was worried that if I got my certificate and didn't fly when the RV was ready I wouldn't be. So when we came into a little money my wife said that I could get another airplane but there were two rules - it had to have for seats and it had to have high wings. I looked at a lot of older 172s and then started looking around to see what else was out there. My Tripacer had a good price and a fresh engine. I've had to do a little work on her but the more I fly her the more I like her.