Background: Vintage Aerofab
My name is Tim Ryan and we are located in Wichita, KS. I have been in aviation as an A&P and Private Pilot since 1996 and intend on adding an IA to my ticket in the near future. I started in aviation turning wrenches on prototype business jets here in Wichita and worked vintage aircraft and warbird restorations part time. Working prototype aircraft through FAA certification was great experience. To hand build a prototype aircraft, support it through flight testing and FAA certification was good experience that most people don’t get to experience. From there I moved on as a technical representative in customer support working with our flagship aircraft.
After seeing a demand for parts due to lack of support from the OEM or OEMs that were no longer in business, I determined there was a need to address this parts obsolescence issue. I started with the Beechcraft Staggerwing. This airplane has beautiful lines, a wonderful history and a round motor on the front. I have a real soft spot in my heart for radial engines. On the Staggerwing I began making dual control columns and casting new control wheels. This quickly led into repairing and re-barreling Staggerwing landing gear legs. Other aircraft we have supplied parts for include Wacos, Lockheed Electra, Grumman Duck, North American P-51 and Curtis P-40. We also supply parts to aircraft overhaul shops for hydraulic power packs, hydraulic actuators, electric motors, etc. for current Cessna, Beechcraft and Piper singles and twins. We continue to make new items as people request them to be built. Being in the Air Capitol we have a lot of resources at our finger tips that would otherwise have to be taken out of town or out of state. This allows us to monitor the parts as they are processed for plating, heat treat, or NDI and address any issues directly with the vendor instead of across the county over the telephone.
We are currently working on adding STCs and PMA parts to parts that will be reproduced for multiple aircraft. We also continue to build parts for owners who may want to reproduce parts under FAR 21.9, Owner Produced Parts.