Aircraft

Started by Arcey, January 05, 2009, 12:14:00 PM

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Texas Lawdog

The folks out at the Planes of Fame are doing another restoration job. They have a P59 Bell Airacomet, the first US jet fighter, built in 1942. It is to be a complete job and to make airworthy again.
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Texas Lawdog

There is a story about the testing of the P59s at Edwards AFB. Some P38 pilots reported that they saw a fighter plane without a propeller fly past them. They said the pilot of this strange aircraft was wearing a Gorilla mask and a Derby hat, and smoking a cigar. The testing was supposed to be top secret. They put a wooden prop on the front of the jet and threw a tarp over it when it was towed to the runway for take off.
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Steel Horse Bailey

I've seen photos of the plane half-tarped and with the wooden props attached.  Interesting.

I think the gorilla suit/derby/cigar thing is real - I've heard it from many sources.  But I doubt it'd be in any official records!  ;)   ;D
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Texas Lawdog

The group of guys at POF Museum that are working on the project have Derby's that they wear.
SASS#47185  RO I   ROII       NCOWS#2244  NCOWS Life #186  BOLD#393 GAF#318 SCORRS#1 SBSS#1485  WASA#666  RATS#111  BOSS#155  Storm#241 Henry 1860#92 W3G#1000  Warthog AZSA #28  American Plainsmen Society #69  Masonic Cowboy Shootist  Hiram's Rangers#18  FOP  Lt. Col  Grand Army of The Frontier, Life Member CAF
   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

Steel Horse Bailey

 ;)  No cee-gars or gorilla suits?   ;D
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Four-Eyed Buck

The gorilla suits are probably too warm ::) ;D
I might be slow, but I'm mostly accurate.....

Texas Lawdog

The picture of the volunteers that I saw, they appeared to be in their 70s and 80s. They probably don't need to be smoking cigars.
SASS#47185  RO I   ROII       NCOWS#2244  NCOWS Life #186  BOLD#393 GAF#318 SCORRS#1 SBSS#1485  WASA#666  RATS#111  BOSS#155  Storm#241 Henry 1860#92 W3G#1000  Warthog AZSA #28  American Plainsmen Society #69  Masonic Cowboy Shootist  Hiram's Rangers#18  FOP  Lt. Col  Grand Army of The Frontier, Life Member CAF
   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

Steel Horse Bailey

"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Queasy Dillo

Not too terribly long ago I hit the Pueblo-Weisbrod Museum.  Spent two or three hours roaming the grounds and taking pictures.  They had a decent number of aircraft and vehicles inside, most of them in pretty good condition though few - if any - are airworthy as far as I know.  Some of their fleet's outside awaiting restoration work, including several of particular interest to me (the Flying Banana, an HC-131 in USCG colors, and a USMC C-119). 

I really wanted some detail pictures of that -119, but...no dice. 

Lots of good stuff otherwise, though.  Most of their displays are aviation paraphernalia; uniforms, weapons, all manner of odds and ends.  Also, they have a goodly amount on the B-24 Liberator in general and the Ploesti raid in particular.  No actual B-24s on hand, though. 

Our tour guide was a retired USAF light colonel.  Schultz, I think, or something similiar. 

It was a worthwhile six bucks. 
"Get it together?  Lady, last time my people got it together we needed most of Robert Lee's backyard to bury the evidence."

Texas Lawdog

I am a member of the B29/B24 Squadron of the CAF. I received an e-mail from the HQ that the new engines on "FIFI" have been tested sucessfully and she should be airborne for the 4th of July. She will be hangared at the Cavanaugh Museum of Flight in Addison, Tx., along with the B24, "Ol 927" formally known as "Diamond Lil".
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   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

theirishguard

speaking of the Skyraider...one friend while in the Navy flew Skyraiders his whole career, even with atomic bombs on the racks another friend had a completely restored Skyraider he flew in the movie " flight of the Intruder".  ;D   Tom

Four-Eyed Buck

Ah yes, the old "Spad"............. ::) 8)
I might be slow, but I'm mostly accurate.....

Queasy Dillo

Mmm...Skyraider. 

We have one that crops up now and again on the airshow circuit.  Done up in USAF colors I think, but I'd have to check my pictures again to be sure. 

On the matter of B-24s, I got to see the Collings tour last time it came around.  They brought their B-17/B-24 pairing along with two Mustangs (one of them razorbacked) and an H-model Huey.  Lots of good picture opportunities on the Liberator.  Especially since I mean to build one someday. 
"Get it together?  Lady, last time my people got it together we needed most of Robert Lee's backyard to bury the evidence."

litl rooster

Here's a virtual tour of Evergreen's...there's some good shots of the Hugh's H4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKbQSYcHNjo&feature=related
Mathew 5.9

Texas Lawdog

I got to take a tour of the Spruce Goose when it was still in Long Beach, Calif., in a dome hangar next to the Queen Mary. I have also been to the Evergreen Museum to see it again about 10 or 11 years ago. They also have a collection of WW1 fighter planes.
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   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

Texas Lawdog

I just received an e-mail from our squadron Public Information Officer that "FIFI's first flight test is scheduled for Tuesday the 29th at CAF HQ in Midland, Tx.  Hopefully things will go okay.
SASS#47185  RO I   ROII       NCOWS#2244  NCOWS Life #186  BOLD#393 GAF#318 SCORRS#1 SBSS#1485  WASA#666  RATS#111  BOSS#155  Storm#241 Henry 1860#92 W3G#1000  Warthog AZSA #28  American Plainsmen Society #69  Masonic Cowboy Shootist  Hiram's Rangers#18  FOP  Lt. Col  Grand Army of The Frontier, Life Member CAF
   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

Texas Lawdog

The flight test for "FIFI" has been postponed. The FAA folks had to reschedule their visit. I hope to get further info next week.  This may mean that she may not fly on July 4th.
SASS#47185  RO I   ROII       NCOWS#2244  NCOWS Life #186  BOLD#393 GAF#318 SCORRS#1 SBSS#1485  WASA#666  RATS#111  BOSS#155  Storm#241 Henry 1860#92 W3G#1000  Warthog AZSA #28  American Plainsmen Society #69  Masonic Cowboy Shootist  Hiram's Rangers#18  FOP  Lt. Col  Grand Army of The Frontier, Life Member CAF
   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

Steel Horse Bailey

Too bad - but better safe than sorry.
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Texas Lawdog

They lost the only flying B26 Marauder on a test flight near Midland a few years ago and a crew of 6.
SASS#47185  RO I   ROII       NCOWS#2244  NCOWS Life #186  BOLD#393 GAF#318 SCORRS#1 SBSS#1485  WASA#666  RATS#111  BOSS#155  Storm#241 Henry 1860#92 W3G#1000  Warthog AZSA #28  American Plainsmen Society #69  Masonic Cowboy Shootist  Hiram's Rangers#18  FOP  Lt. Col  Grand Army of The Frontier, Life Member CAF
   Col.  CAF  NRA  TSRA   BOA  Dooley Gang  BOPP  ROWSS  Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society Great Lakes Freight and Mining Company  Cow Cracker Cavalry   Berger Sharpshooters "I had no Irons in the Fire". "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie"?

Steel Horse Bailey

Quote from: Texas Lawdog on July 03, 2010, 01:29:29 PM
They lost the only flying B26 Marauder on a test flight near Midland a few years ago and a crew of 6.

The Widowmaker ... or the Playtex: no visible means of support.
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

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