The
mold shop. L to R are molds for nose bowls, wheel pants and wing tips.
Aviat Aviation
Afton, Wyoming
Afton Wyoming is home to Aviat Aviation. The company manufactures Husky aircraft, a Piper J3 looking plane and Pitts aerobatic aircraft. We visited late on a Friday afternoon after racing down from Yellowstone National Park and they were kind enough to show us around and let us take lots of photos and ask a ton of questions.
There are always a number of planes in various stages of construction and one is ready for its maiden flight every five and a half days. The operation is very well organized and I was very impressed.
The
mold shop. L to R are molds for nose bowls, wheel pants and wing tips.
In the fabric area fuselage is covered and prepared for the paint booth
R is a Husky wing painted and ready for installation
Vent ducts out of the paint booths
Part of the extensive stock of publications for new aircraft owners
In
the assembly area an engine is mounted on a Husky
These Pitts are waiting service
A CNC router for cutting parts is sheet aluminum and plywood
A view into the stock room
A Pitts under assembly
When the prop tips look like this there is an expensive engine tear down to be
done
L to R the machine shop, a large forming brake and a bend brake
L to R welding fixture, finish welding being done, and an assembled
fuselage. The fuselage is assembled and tack welded in the fixture then
removed for finish welding.
Left are fuel tanks awaiting assembly and right a wall of jigs and fixtures used
in assembly work.
Wing assemblies for Husky aircraft
The first three pictures are new Pitts wing, the right most is from a Pitts that got caught in hurricane Katrina. It was more economical to build a new wing than to try to repair it.