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Navion made beautiful again

By General Aviation News Staff · July 11, 2017 ·

Samuel Sarns found this 1947 North American Navion in Ohio in 2013. After taking her apart, he trailered her back to Traverse City, Michigan (KTVC), and made her beautiful again.

Before.
After.

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Comments

  1. mark adams says

    July 14, 2017 at 8:51 pm

    Sam, that ‘before’ propeller looks unreal – like a cartoon?!!

  2. Dick McSpadden says

    July 12, 2017 at 7:10 am

    Charles , this one appears to be a 185/205 as well. If it was an E225 it would require cowl flaps. As a 35 year owner with 4,800+ hours in Navions I corresponded with Sam during his ordeal which many folks would have given up on. For Sam this was a labor of love and sheer determination against a lot of odds got him through and he ended up with a beautiful example. He did make some usefull modifications with the one piece windscreen and the flush mounted windows. The exhaust has been moved to exit out the cowl and looks like Cleveland brakes have been installed. Don’t know where those high backed seats came from but they are probably comfortable.
    Pretty original with no gear doors installed.
    Dick McSpadden

  3. Charles Bowser says

    July 12, 2017 at 4:43 am

    Former Navion pilots are impressed. Which version of the Navion is this one. I have flight time in a 205.

    • Sam says

      July 12, 2017 at 7:30 am

      Thank you for the compliment

      She is a North American A model
      Her test flight was 3 March 1947
      I kept her as original as possiable , steam gauges and the E series engine .

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