Hillman Hornet - is it worth saving?

Hillman Hornet - is it worth saving?

  • No scrape it out.

    Votes: 14 66.7%
  • yes, save it.

    Votes: 7 33.3%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .

animal

Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
5,933
Location
Deleon Springs Florida.
Aircraft
Hillman Hornet N8063D
Ok I am taking a Poll, I have really lost interest. but I hate to see a part of History disappear for ever and that is the fate of this aircraft that is in my hands right now.

As of this week I just bought a Pallet rack and now have everything safely stored in my shop.

Now I am just wondering, should I even try and rebuild this thing or just dump it and put the money into my new Hobby of Hovercrafts.

I already know that even if I could get it back flying I won't be flying it.

So the big question is. is it worth saving? N8063D the last Hillman hornet known to still be left in the world.

there are very few photos to even go by for details to restore it.

That said I have tracked down the late designer Doug Hillman's Son Jimmy Hillman, and he said he might can track down the plans for it.

honestly it look from the pole so far it's not worth saving.

But it's not eating anything sitting up on the storage racks now.


looks to me like I am the only one cares about homebuilt Aviation history anymore? was thinking about donating it, but since no one seems to care then I may just part it out .
 

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Last edited:
Since it's the last of it's kind, how about contacting the Smithsonian to see if they are interested in it? They have the funds available for at least partial restoration and you can write it off as a charitable donation. That way, you can at least offset some of the financial loss.
 
Give it to a museum.

You screwed the pooch, You tried to do it on the cheap, on other peoples graces and you didn't invest the time to have better employment but traded tit for tat.

From air boats to hovercraft to helicopters and sponging off others.

You bit off more than you could afford and went from one flying helicopter to a yard full of junked toys.

Seen it over and over.

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.
 
A Hiller Hornet, absolutely, but a Hillman Hornet, probably not.
 
I'm of the loan it to a museum opinion. If you find the interest and funds and parts to do a rebuild then recall it.

Will it ever become air worthy (officially) to fly again. There is NO point in spending if not.
 
Any project that I ever thought was worth doing, where I come from..it takes a four letter word to accomplish my task....that word is WORK. You would be amazed at how much more one can accomplish with that word. Work brings in money to do things.
 
Here a solution, offer it FREE to anyone who will come pick it up!
That way it won't cost you anything.
If it goes to a person or museum that can restore it, perfect.
If it just goes to a scrapper, you will have had the distinction of owning and destroying the very last of its kind.
Does the locust who eats the last grain feel remorse?
 
Actually Ben , locusts do feel remorse, I can communicate telepathically with them using the same wavelength that cockroach , laweryer and politicians use, of all of these the locust is the only one capable of feeling remorse.
Norm
 
"Your killin me Smalls!"
 
Actually Ben , locusts do feel remorse, I can communicate telepathically with them using the same wavelength that cockroach , laweryer and politicians use, of all of these the locust is the only one capable of feeling remorse.
Norm
So you're the one. It's been so loud around here in my head lately, I wondered what was up, but couldn't trace the source.
 
You got me, I try to be as quiet as I can but a few of the voices in my head got into a heated argument over which way a rotor should turn and it got kinda noisy.
Norm
 
I think you should give it to Jake, probably he'll get it running
 
I have no vested interest in this, but would donate to the project if it were given to Jake.
 
Animal, If you still have the Hillman for donation I living in Miami Florida , I can pick up.
I will appreciate
786-712-1052.
 
Take a inflatable raft and flip it upside down and then mount the heli frame to it. Take one of those 22hp vertical shaft engines and mount a prop to it to pressurrize the cavity of the raft and there you go! Your main drive engage should be a lever you can throw down that has a skull on it with eyes that light up red.
 
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