Bob Pike Transports N4138 by Trailer

Bob Pike bought N4138 as a project in northern lower Michigan and recently towed it home to Adams, Wisconsin. He has sent us these photos showing how he loaded the Mite on the trailer. They were taken in his yard at Adams when he arrived home after the 10-hour trip. [Click on photos to enlarge].

The trailer is normally used to transport a pontoon boat. Bob built a plywood deck on the trailer and used padding to protect the wing.

Sheldon Sundsmo, a friend of Bob's and EAA Chapter member, went along on the trip to pick up the plane at a farmhouse in St. Helen, Michigan from the seller, Robert Farr who with his dad helped them load the trailer.

They drove northwest from Houghton Lake, across the Mackinac Bridge, through the UP of Michigan and south west down to Adams.

Bob says he picked the northern route to avoid the Chicago traffic. They observed the speed limits and took normal precautions when towing. There were no problems or enroute damage.

N4138 is an M-18C, serial no. 305. It was built in 1954 and exported to Canada in 1956 by K.R. Hillman of Calgary and registered as CF-IYQ. It went to William Porter of Edmonton, then was flown back to the USA in October, 1957 where it  became N6192C.

In 2001, then-owner Robert Farr wrote to say that he had acquired the Mite in 1998 after it had been out of service since about the time he was born. It was already disassembled and registered under a non-original N-number. He checked with the FAA, and learned the original N-number was still available, so he re-registered it as the original N4138. Robert said, "College tuition and airplane restorations in an apartment do not mix well, so it patiently waits in my hangar for restoration." It looks like educational expenses finally got the upper hand, and he decided to sell the airplane.

Bob Pike had to buy a few parts from Fred Schmidt in Ohio, otherwise the Mite is complete. Bob is a retired airline pilot and has been an airplane nut since the age of four. He says he will farm out a little wood work, such as the scarf joints, but as a qualified A&P with IA, he will do most of the work himself. Good luck, Bob!

2004-09-15