Wicks Aircraft Supply

Wicks Aircraft Supply has bought out a favorite supplier, Dillsburg, and has added literally tons of new 4130 to its existing stock of American, German, and low-cost Chinese steel products. Of particular interest is the instant availability of a giant variety of 4130 seamless round tubing, in full lengths and cut to order.

Wicks is even offering deep discounts on full mill runs, for OEMs, designers, and motor-racing industry customers.

Eric Cleveland, General Manager at Wicks, says, “With Dillsburg gone, let Wicks be your new Dillsburg.” With inventories of virtually all the 4130 tubing in popular use, this is a great time to get what your project needs for completion.

Wicks Aircraft Supply, of Highland, Illinois, has signed with aviation engine manufacturer UL Power to be the exclusive North American distributor of spare, warranty, and replacement parts for the full line of UL Power (www.ULPower.com) experimental aircraft engines.

“We are pleased that UL Power has chosen Wicks to support their parts business,” said Scott Wick, President of Wicks. “Their lineup of engines can power a great portion of the most popular kits and homebuilts, so carrying parts for the UL Power engines seems like a natural fit for us.”

Robert Helms, who runs UL Power in America, said, “With our increasing customer base, we felt that having Wicks handle the parts business would be best for both our customers and our expanding business. The Wicks reputation for understanding what they’re selling, and for their great customer support, made this arrangement natural for us.”

Kitbuilder Dave Ferrell, whose Zenith CH 650 is powered by a 130hp UL350iS, said, “It’s especially reassuring and convenient to know that Wicks will be there for me with parts, when I’ll need them.”

The broad line of UL Power four-stroke engines has simple installation requirements (e.g., no external oil tank or radiator), standard configuration (no clutch or gearbox) and traditional operation (further simplified by FADEC). These advantages, coupled with 21st Century technology and design, are feeding the rapid acceptance of UL Power engines across the industry.

UL Power produces 8 models of traditional-layout (horizontally opposed, direct drive, aircooled) engines, in 4 and 6-cylinder configurations from 97 to 200hp, for a huge variety of experimental aircraft. With features like multi-port fuel injection and FADEC, and better power-to-weight, footprint, and price than comparable engines, these modern powerplants are now installed in some 1000 airplanes around the world, including an increasing number of OEM applications.

Wicks Aircraft Supply now offers Polyfiber practice and repair kits (PFK-001) that will introduce aircraft builders or restorers to methods for cutting, attaching, and heat shrinking the most durable fabric on the market. There’s also a painting manual. The kits consist of a reusable metal frame, a yard of P-103 fabric and enough dope to cover the frame at least two times, brushes, and sandpaper. A calibrating thermometer is also included to teach the skill of proper heat tautening which is a key element in using Polyfiber. The kit is also ideal for making small repairs to a fabric-covered airframe. 

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