Found a cheap Aeronca 11 Chief Tailwheel Airplane from the 1940s.

[@MikeD-jb1jd]

She's a beauty! I've got a 46' Champ and love it! Enjoy and hope to see more of it!

[@SirDrifto]

@@MikeD-jb1jd how does yours do with the 65hp?

[@MikeD-jb1jd]

@@SirDrifto It does fine even on a hot August day at gross here in FL. Mine was up in a barn for over 27 years and was fully restored to like new in 2010. Won an Indy award at Oshkosh and it took me 2 years of searching before finding the right one. She's a cream puff!

[@SirDrifto]

@MikeD-jb1jd she sounds incredible

[@HeavyMetalHorizons]

Hey there! I own and fly a Chief. The starter you saw is the "McDowell" starter, rare but very cool! As to your other question, no these planes don't do well at high altitudes. I've had mine up to 9500 but it was just mushing around. 5000 - 6000 would be reasonable but above 8k a takeoff would get sketchy in my opinion.

[@SirDrifto]

That’s great information from an owner, that’s also quite impressive you got it that high!

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

👍

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

Founder and inventor Vincent Bendix filed for a patent for the Bendix drive on May 2, 1914. The drive engages the starter motor with an internal combustion engine and is still used on most automobiles today. Bendix initially began his new corporation in a hotel room in Chicago in 1914 with an agreement with the struggling bicycle brake manufacturing firm, Eclipse Machine Company of Elmira, New York. Bendix granted permission to his invention which was described as "a New York device for the starting of explosive motors." This company made a low cost triple thread screw which could be used in the manufacture of other drive parts.

[@SirDrifto]

Wow I didn't know that, that's super interesting!

[@CowboyGarage]

I saw that plane listed for sale recently. I'm up in Casper and in the process of buying a '46 Chief up here. It has an engine upgrade, but that one in Centennial looked amazing in the ad.

[@SirDrifto]

It looked even nicer in person.

[@dandunlap8638]

Seems like a smoking deal on what looks like a NEW 75 year old plane.

[@SirDrifto]

@@dandunlap8638 I'm very new to these, but for how nice and new everything was I felt it was a great deal aswell.

[@ritchiethorup]

Wow lots of cool stuff in that hanger

[@SirDrifto]

@@ritchiethorup absolutely 👌

[@MemphisBBQ640]

Yeah! Was that a Mercedes Gullwing I saw behind the Chief?

[@SirDrifto]

@MemphisBBQ640 sure was!

[@MemphisBBQ640]

@@SirDrifto Wow!

[@yellowcubdriver9545]

Everyone should learn to fly these old birds. It’s a rudder plane. Stay on the rudder. Put more horsepower on it and you’ll have a hoot!

[@SirDrifto]

@@yellowcubdriver9545 absolutely spot on

[@tomdchi12]

Great classic looks! But you’re definitely asking an important question of how a plane with only 65hp does with high DA.

[@SirDrifto]

I hear 50/50. That it can be done. The other 50 says it's terrifying or nearly impossible at this altitude. So I'm always curious.

[@alanparker7012]

Tandem setting is not side by side. It is either tandem or SXS.

[@SirDrifto]

Yeah that was me having a brain fart. My red plane is tandem. I didn't choose the right word usage for the Chief 🤣

[@dcmflydude6320]

Drifto….A-Ron-ca. Not a-Ron-a-ca. no big deal 😅

[@SirDrifto]

@@dcmflydude6320 see. I already screwed up the name 🤣👌

[@wingnut8a]

"Aeron-a-ca" 😂 "Tandem" 😂 "1940's tail-draggers are rare" 😂. First time at an airport?

[@SirDrifto]

We don't see many of these up here so it was new to us. 🤣

[@MemphisBBQ640]

Inform, don't ridicule. We all learned as we went along.