mexicanbobI don’t know if the Duck had already been there on display at the Sun N Fun museum along with the P-63 and Tempest or not. I saw Kermit briefly on Saturday afternoon but never saw any more of his planes. So, either he brought something I didn’t see, or he arrived by other means. It’s only about 20 miles from his place to Sun N Fun. On Friday, there was a Flying Tiger reunion at his museum and there were several of them in the Warbird area during the airshow, so he may have arrived with them.
mexicanbobThe warbird attendence was down, but it was still worth the trip. I had intended to stay Saturday and Sunday, but ended up coming home on Saturday night. I should have just stayed, as I ended up getting a $233 dollar ticket coming back through North Georgia!!
There were more T-28’s and Yak-52/CJ-6’s than anything else. Four P-51’s, 1 Skyraider, 1 Corsair, 1 P-40, two or three L-39’s, three T-33’s,a whole slew of L birds, a handful of T-6’s, one J2F Duck, a few PT-26’s and a few T-34’s.
Seeing the new paint job on Gerald Yeagan’s Corsair and seeing his P-40 for the first time made it all worthwhile. I visited with him a few minutes about Hispano/Messerschmitt manuals. He seems like a pretty nice fellow. I’m going up to see his place in a couple of weeks.
mexicanbobThat’s the first picture I’ve ever seen of this Spitfire in the air. I does look a little odd with the canopy in the wrong place. I was told that it could be put back in two seat configuration in just a couple of days time. Apparantly most of the back seat is still intact and the cover is just screwed over the cockpit. Personally, I’d rather see it as a two seater.
As far as it being in flying shape now, I still doubt it. That’s not to say that with a couple of weeks work it couldn’t take to the sky again. But I don’t think it’s a matter of just filling the tanks and cranking her up.
Airworthy or not, I think her flying days are over. I hope I’m wrong.
mexicanbobI doubt that she will be flown while in the care of the EAA. The EAA retired their P-51 from flying late last year and as far as I know, the only flying warbird they have anymore is the B-17. That’s most likely because they can make money off selling rides.
I don’t think MJ772 is even airworthy in the strictist sense of the word. No matter what was said by the Champlin museum. After it’s landing accident several years ago, it was restored but never flown more than a couple of times, if at all.
mexicanbobI don’t have any further info at the moment. But, I guess it depends on what your wanting to know. My source is people that I know at both museums. If you let me know what specifics you are hunting for, I’ll do what I can.
mexicanbobWhat a beautiful airplane! I’ve watched this project with great interest over the years. I may try to make it out to Breckenridge this next week to see some of the test flying before it goes on to Montana.
I’m glad to see the Feather button in the middle of the panel. I would think that a gearbox failure leading to two sets of flat blades( like the Red Baron) would be bad news. I think Precious Metal and the Planes of Fame Spit have the same system.
The quality of product that Ezell Aviation turns out never ceases to amaze me. On top of that, they are just dang nice folks.
About six years ago, I took a one way P-51 flight with Nelson and I called my VERY pregnant and Very unhappy bride to come pick me up at a different airport than she had originally dropped me off at. I knew I’d be in trouble with her before I left and Nelson even warned me but I figured it was easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. Besides, I won’t turn down a ride in a Cessna, much less a P-51.
Thanks for sharing the pictures Steve!
mexicanbobOriginally posted by dhfan
I shall resist commenting on my views regarding the IQ of the average American.
Ok, Now you’ve got me interested. I’m curious to hear your views on our average IQ. Do you mean average American civilian? Or are you talking about military folks?
mexicanbobRe: Duxford Messerschmitt Queries
Originally posted by Dave Homewood
I visited Duxford in December 1993 (the only time I have been there…yet!) and took loads of photos.
Dave,
We must have been there within a couple of weeks of each other. We ferried a broke C-130 from Saudi Arabia to Mildenhall in December 93 or Jan 94, I can’t remember for sure. Anyhow, I went over to Duxford and took a couple of pictures that are pretty close to yours.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/130239902/131669253yXctBN
http://community.webshots.com/photo/130239902/131669421DoYPsT
mexicanbobI think I would feel safer in a Sea Fury with a jump seat than a Corsair thanks to that bubble canopy (MexicanBob, insert comments and experiences in the Corsair here please).
I can’t resist an invitation! There are few places I can think of that are more dangerous than the back seat of a Corsair. I say that for a couple of reasons. I’ve heard that a few owners couldn’t get insurance for a passenger because of a few of these reasons.
There is a production break in the fuselage that is right between the front and back seats. In nearly every wreck I can think of the plane split in two right at that break. If that happens, the pilot will very likely fall out backwards and the passenger will then have a front row seat for the carnage. Your most likely gonna get hurt.
The OFM Corsair still has the upper half of the armor plate in place, blocking the forward view for the passenger. If you have to get out of the plane in a hurry, you have to wait for the pilot to get out, remove two pins from his seat, fold it forward(it stops when it pushes the stick all the way forward. Bad news if your in the air) then crawl under the armor plate and jump out of the cockpit. One other option is using the crash axe two destroy the two windows in the back seat and crawling out. The last option is using the air stair door on the right side of the fuselage. It can’t be jettisoned and I don’t think the slip stream would tear it off. In fact, you’d probably be lucky to get it open in flight. On top of that, if your over about 5′ 6″ tall or 160 pounds, your gonna have a very hard time getting in and out of that door. And that’s without a parachute!
I think Ray Diekmans FG1D has panels in the passenger windows that are oversized and easily knocked out. From what I heard, they were built that way so that a bigger person could get out.
Most of the other two seat Corsairs that I can think of have the armor plate completely removed and if the pilot gets out, the passenger can crawl over the back of the front seat, like you do in most mustangs and Sea Furys. Even if the canopy is jettisoned, you still have to crawl forward, over the seat to exit the plane. If the canopy is gone on a mustang, all you have to do is stand up in the back seat and jump out.
I’ve already flown in them, so I can come up with all the reasons in the world to avoid the back seat of a Corsair. That being said, I still think it’s worth the risk! If you ever get the chance to ride in one, I promise you’ll think it is too!
mexicanbobThere’s a really nice B-36 sitting in a hanger in Ft. Worth, Texas that desperately needs a home. At this point, I think anybody with a hanger big enough to house the beast could get it.
My favorite airplane is a little hard to pin down. Do you mean fighter? Ok, then it’s the P-47. Unless you mean Navy fighter, then it’s the Wildcat. But my favorite Navy fighter with bent wings is the Corsair. My favorite bomber is the B-17…unless you mean two engines…then it’s the B-25….unless you mean twin engine and single pilot, then it’s the A-20…..unless…..well you get the picture.
Actually, the C-130 is where my heart will always be. Followed in no particular order by the Wildcat, Corsair, P-47 and HA-1112.
But for pure fun and just a great plane to have, you can’t beat a T-6 Texan.
mexicanbobhttp://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com/hawker_1.html
Magnificent Obsession hasn’t flown in many years. In fact, I don’t think it’s even been cranked up in a long time. It sure is a nice plane though.
If your ever around El Paso, the War Eagles Air Museum is definately worth a visit. The man that Started it, the late John Macguire, bought a lot of really nice airplanes and was flying one his P-51’s up until a couple of days prior to his death in 2001 at the age of 80! Heck of a nice guy.
Brad
mexicanbobAt least I don’t fly in cut off shorts and a t-shirt (I know some guys who do this)
I definately think it’s worth the risk for photos and such. Chris Avery flies the CAF Corsair and he has been known to wear the entire uniform of a WWII Marine pilot. It looks sharp!
Oh yes, the t-shirt crowd. It scares me to death to see some of these people. Although I guess I have been guilty of it myself a few times.
I have a Canadian friend that spent the day flying his Harvard at an airshow up in British Colombia several years ago. At the end of the day, he was going to ferry a small aerobatic plane (extra 400 or something like that) home for a friend of his. He took off his flight suit and gloves and threw them back in the Harvard because it was “too hot”. He had a parachute in the plane to use as a cushion but didn’t fasten the straps. Like alot of aerobatic planes, this one had the smoke tank that could be used as a gas tank for ferry flights. This one was full of gas and at about 2500′ the cockpit filled with flames. They never did figure out what sparked the fire, but he got the plane back on the ground without killing himself. Because he had on a t-shirt and blue jeans, he had 3rd degree burns over 80% of his body. He lived, but doesn’t look so good now. The bad part is that as recent as last August, I saw him fly his Harvard with a t-shirt and blue jeans.
Around 1996, I was doing a airdrop mission with a C-130. Anytime the plane is at low level and you are out of your seat, you are supposed to be wearing a helmet. I didn’t always do it, but I had a student with me so I put on my helmet before I got out of my seat to inspect the humvee and howitzer that we were going to drop. As I climbed over the top of the humvee to check the parachute release, we hit turbulance. I flew up about five or six feet and hit my head on a piece of the roof that we call the hog trough. I came down, hit the top of the humvee and fell off onto the floor. I sat down and put on my seat belt. When I pulled the sides of my helmet to take it off my head, it split in two. The only thing that held it together was the binding on the neck roll, the straps for the face shield and the com cord for the earphones. We had to abort the mission and fly back to base so I could get seven stiches in my head.
Two or three days later, I got bit on the right leg by a rattle snake. And I have the medical report to prove it. But that’s a different story!!
Someday, I’ll have to tell you how I got the name mexican bob!
mexicanbobSteve,
I think a helmet is just as important as gas when it comes to flying. But, I do love the original look. The best thing going so far is the Campbell Original Hard Shell Leather Flying Helmet. All the safety of a modern helmet, with the look of the old style. They are pretty expensive, but I think they are worth it. I had one for a while and really liked it. Their websight is :
http://www.campbellaeroclassics.com/
As for getting an original helmet, besides ebay there is also
http://www.garciaaviation.com/
Converting an old one to modern avionics is a pretty simple deal. I’ve done it a couple of times and may have enough stuff to do another one. (except the helmet) O2 masks are easy to convert as well.
let me know if I can help
Brad
mexicanbobOk, fair enough. I read all the threads also. I just don’t understand why people view three or four threads that go badly as the down fall of civilization.
mexicanbobI’ve got to ask this question. I mean nothing by it, I’m just asking for curiosity’s sake. I’ve often wondered this same thing about other forums.
Why do people continue to read the message threads that bother them?
If somebody doesn’t like the way a thread is heading, then don’t look at it anymore. If it moves back to the top of the list, then somebody has added to it. If you didn’t like the tone of the original message, then you probably aren’t gonna enjoy what comes next. But if you read it and are offended, then you have nobody to blame but yourself.
Just wondering.
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