This Sedan was manufactured in 1950 and has been based in the Fairbanks area, Alaska, USA, all of its life.
The current owner, Richard "Dik" Holdaway, recounts: "I had heard that there was a Sedan somewhere in the area and kept a look-out for it for over 20 years. N1441H had been sitting in a hay field about 25 miles east of Fairbanks, Alaska, for 37 years, when I finally discovered it! Its original owner, a miner who ran a radiator repair shop in Fairbanks and had a mine about 100 miles east of here, purchased it, in 1950, and put floats on it almost immediately. When he got too old to fly it, his son took over the plane and continued to fly it mostly on floats. I bought the Sedan from the son's widow and their son, the original owner's grandson, in July 2012. We moved it out of the field, the first week of August.
From what I can see of the spar caps through the tank and aileron holes, there isn't any appreciable corrosion in the wings. The plane has only 860 hours on it and the panel is almost completely stock 1950 Aeronca. It still has all the original equipment, except for the radio, which is about ten years newer than the plane. The radio needs to be replaced as it is an old NARCO coffee grinder and is not legal, anymore. N1441 had been recovered, once before, but that job was not done well and the fabric was in tatters, when I acquired it. I got the EDO 2000 floats with it, too, but they are missing the struts for one side.
I am a retired USAF navigator and retired from selling auto parts, right after I bought the Sedan. Now, I spend my time skitouring and working on the plane. I am doing as much work as I can myself and hope to have N1441H recovered and painted by late spring 2013."
Dik has named his Sedan the "Queen of the Berry Patch". In early September 2014 he sent us photos 10 and 11 and wrote: "This evening we cranked the Queen up for the first time in over 40 years. After a lengthy warm-up period and some of the normal pre-takeoff engine checks, I taxied her about 250 yards from a friend's hangar to the A&P, who will give her the first annual inspection she has had in 40 years. I hope to get her airborne, soon."
Dik, all the best from our side for a successful and safe maiden flight!
(This page last updated: 10/2014)
Click on the thumbnails to view the pictures in full size.
Photos © Richard Holdaway
