Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Larry and Ilse Harmacinski's DH.60 Gipsy Moth

We at CAP are continually amazed by the gorgeous work being done by our customers.  Larry and Ilse Harmacinski just recently got their beautiful Gipsy Moth back in the air after some major refurbishment.

We love to hear from our customers, especially when they pass on testimonials:  Larry wrote,

"Terry,  thanks again for saving the day and helping us get the Moth back in the air in time for summer. We would have missed the season without all your extra efforts.Below is a short summary of our Moth, and Moths in general, use or discard as you see fit. My most favorite photo is of Ilse as we head into the sunrise.  Lucky shot!
Catch you around the patch sometime.
Cheers,  Larry & Ilse"


We enjoyed helping with FAA approval of the following alterations.
  • Hydraulic Disk Brakes and wheels by Grove Aircraft Landing Gear Systems, Inc. 

  •  Replacement Propeller under FAA rules for Owner Produced Parts.  Prop fabrication by Hercules Propellers.

  •  Gascolator by Steve's Aircraft.
 Larry also added, "The past 18 months Ilse and I dedicated ourselves to improving our example of The Moth, and upgraded the aging bladder brakes with Grove products, and replaced the low confidence vintage bale gascolator with one from Steve’s Gascolator. New windscreens, fresh mahogany panels, and some new paint were other added details, but of course some of these items need blessings from the FAA, and as most FSDO’s run in the opposite direction when seeking support with your antique biplane, after several false starts, my good friend said that I should call Terry Bowden at CAP. This was the best call I ever made, and as fast as I could accomplish the work and supply the supporting evidence, Terry came thru and I am very indebted to CAP for getting us airworthy in time for summer flying. While I have no plans at this time to fly the Moth to Australia, I do intend to share this delightful little ship with anyone interested, as it provides a glimpse into the past with all the sights and sounds of those interesting years when aviation was truly in it’s Golden Age. "
Maintain Airspeed, 
Larry Harmacinski

 They sent some more photos too...






For some reason, none of the photos show Larry doing any of the work!!  Whats up, Larry? Just kidding!  Ilse certainly does seem enthusiastic.  You guys make a great team!




What a beautiful job they've done!!