A Few Interesting Pics

[GregP]

Thought I'd post a few intersting pics from times semi-recently past:

1) Here is the first startup of a newly-restored P-39 in 2004:

2) Here is first taxi:

3) Here is the first time we pulled the Bell YP-59A out for public view. Note the guys are wearing Bolo hats and we fitted the fake propeller just as they did in 1942:

4) Here is the P-59 mounted on a pole at Edwards AFB:

All for now.

 

[GregP]

1) Here is the Laird-Turner Racer Replica:

2) Here is a cutaway R-4360:

3) Here is the cockpit of a flyable Spitfire we had there in 2007. It has since flown home to the owner. It was a D-Day veteran with 2 victories to it's credit.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Awesome!

 

[fubar57]

Nice shots Greg.

Geo

 

[GregP]

Thanks. More to come.

These things are for sharing ... most of the time, unless the owner says no.

More to come.

 

[bobbysocks]

nice! i love that kind of stuff..thanks greg

 

[Capt. Vick]

Greg,

Is that the same P-59 in both pictures? If so, that's sad as I thought they were gonna make it a flyer.

Jim

 

[BiffF15]

Greg,
Thanks for the shots! I especially like the convertible P39! Any updates on the P59?
Cheers,
Biff

 

[GregP]

The second P-59 is, indeed, a P-59B, and is on a pole at Edwards AFB. The first one belongs to the Planes of Fame and is on the short list for return to flight. The P-39 turned into Brooklyn Bum and went to the UK for a time with Steven Gray, and has since returned home to Texas where it is currently based. It occasionally flies today.

Will add a few more tomorrow. Have lots of off-the-wall strange pics like these.

 

[GregP]

1) Here is a cut-off shot of our 100% full scale replica Heinkel He 100D:

Not much good as a shot but you CAN see what it is.

2) Here is a shot of our 100% full scale Bachem Natter (replica):

3) Here is a good shot of a Dowty-Rotol 5-bladed prop on a Spitfire XIV. It has since flown home to Texas and flies there on occasion.

4) Here is a shot (before it was cleaned up) of our Walter RATO unit. The Germans used to attach these to overloaded planes, sill them with C-Stoff and T-Stoff (Calcium Permanganate and Hydrogen Peroxide), and use the rocket thrust for an assisted takeoff from short field or to zoom-climb over trees at the end of a runway. When they burned out, they would drop off, parachute down, be collected and refuled, and reused.

 

[nuuumannn]

Very cool Greg. I saw that P-39 in the first pic at Duxford in 2004. It made the trip over the pond for Flying legends that year. I like the YP-59A and its fake prop! Awesome!

 

[GregP]

Hi nuuumannn,

Yah, the P-59 has some really interesting stories. When they were first flying it, the jet base was on the south side of nwhat is now Edwards Air Force Base and a P-38 base was at the North side. Naturally they saw each other, but the P-59 was Top Secret. The P-38 guys would say in debrief that they saw a strange plane with no propeller leaving a smoke trail and it got back to the P-59 base commander who, in turn, chewed out his pilots. The Chief Pilot, Jack Woolams, said, "I'll take care of this!", requisitioned a Jeep, drove into Hollywood, and bought a Gorilla mask, some Gorilla hands, a derby hat, and a couple of cigars. He came back and the next day, took off in a P-59, found the P-38's, flew up beside them with the mask, hands, hat and cigar in place, waved and flew away.

When they landed they said they saw a strange plane with no propeller, leaving a smoke trail, very close this time,flown by a Gorilla, wearing a Derby hat and smoking a cigar. The base Phschiatrist said they could file that report and be grounded or shut up. In the end, the P-38 guys kept seeing the P-59's but stopped reporting it. VERY strange but also true.

In the early days there was little jet fuel and EVERY single former P-549 pilot we have had give a talk at the Museum told of running out of fuel, gliding in to some airfield, walking into the nearest bar (they had phones), calling for fuel and getting a few drinks. Then the fuel would show up and they'd go on from there with a better attitude and looking forward to running out of fuel yet again!

Go figure ...

 

[Snautzer01]

Nice!

 

[GregP]

1) Here is a Spitfire cockpit. This one is a Spitfire IX:

2) Here is the fuselage of our Hispano Ha.1112 before we started the restoration after the "Pearl Harbor" film. While filming Pearl Harbor in the year 2000, the Hispano experienced a right brake failure on takeoff. Once the plane started a slow turn to the left against full right rudder, there was nothing to do but close the throttle and wait out the inevitable groundloop. The wing has been repaired and it is now back on the gear, but we uncovered a lot of things that were needed, and it is turning from a repair into a restoration.

3) Here is the Franklin flat 8-sylinder engine out of the Northrop N9M-B Flying Wing out of the plane for maintenance. There is a torque converter mounted on the prop flange to help eliminate shaft vibrations.

4) Here is a visit by the P-38 "Glacier Girl" in 2007. My restoration partner, Bob Velker, is on the left and the the fellow on the right is Bob Cardin, who headed the project to dig Glacier Girl out of the ice on Greenland.

 

[herman1rg]

That's nice work there

 

[GregP]

Thanks. Been at the Planes of Fame for some 8 years now and, almost inevitably, see some things that happen. Sometimes I have my camera, but not as often as I wish I did.

If anyone else has a few interesting pics, please post them so we can see some besides mine. I was trying to start a post here where the pics you don't usually see get posted. You know, the ones that aew interesting, but maybe not the best ones ... anything a bit off the beaten track.

 

[bobbysocks]

i never thought i would be happy i had a camera on my phone and once thought it was a waste and that i would never use it. i find i capture more stuff that way than with a regular camera. last time i got a new phone i went with one that had better resolution. i am not longer a technical caveman...i have progressed up to the dark ages...lol

 

[GregP]

1) Here is a cabin Waco:

2) Here is front quarter shot of a beautiful Lockheed Electra:

3) Here is a shot of a runing German WWII aircraft tug:

4) Here is a shot of the instrument panel in our Hispano Ha.1112 before we disassembled it for renovation. It will look like a genuine Bf 109 panel when it goes back in. This panel we done by the former owner, Bubba Beal, not by the Planes of Fame and, as I said above, we are re-doing it authentically at this time except. of course, for the required US instruments. We DO fly in an airspace where you are assigned an altiutude in FEET, not in meters, the speed limits are in knots, not kph, and the altimeter settings are in inches of Mercury, not millbars.

 

[nuuumannn]

Sweet Greg, always pleased to see your pictures here. I bet the wartime Germans would have loved the uncluttered look of the modern instrument panel in the Buchon. That Electra is a beaut. Who owns her?

 

[GregP]

A very nice guy named Les Whittlesy. This was the plane used in the recent movie about Amerlia Earhart. It is beautiful but, alas, flies only infrequently ... though it IS airworthy.

How about you posting a few pics? If you're in here, you've been to an airshow or some museum where you took pics. Post away!