Planes of Fame Update

[GregP]

Hi,

I revived this old thread to stop from continuing to hijack the "What's the Deal with Russian Wing Design?" thread. To continue from there, go to post #8. If you haven't seen this thread before, you might like the pics before post #8.

OK, I went back and re-loaded some of the pics. Hopefully they stay this time!

- Greg





Thought you might like to see a brief update from the Planes of Fame.

We have an F-86F that used to be painted, but it was stripped and the fuselage was polished, and the wings were repainted. They are now in the process of applying markings. When the unit markings are done, the last step is all the stencils. I am amazed at how many stencils there are.

Here is a shot of applying paint and unit markings.

Steve Hinton's shop is also restoring a Canadair Sabre Mk 6 for a private owner. This Sabre started out as a solid leading edge, short wing Saber and is now a slatted, long-wing aircraft. Here is a shot during polishing. Still has a way to go, but its looking pretty good.

The wing is back on Voodoo now:

Our Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero is on track for December flight:

All for now.

 

[drgondog]

I like the Mark VI best of all the Sabres. The so called 'next gen' F-100 was faster but dared not engage the Mark VI given equal set up and pilots.

 

[GregP]

Hi Bill,

This one had sat outside for 15 years. It is a former Luftwaffe Sabre and then spent time in Canda towing targets. It came in with the short wings and solid leading edge, but it is a 6-3 winG. Steve's shop fitted the wingtip extensions and swapped the solid leading edges for slats. They had to reskin about half of the slats we got, but it's going to be a good Sabre whan it is completed. The engine is an Orenda ... can't recAll just now whether it is a 15 or a 16, but it has about 2,500 pounds mnore thrust than a USAF F-86F.

I'm not quite sure what you would call it now, but it basically an F-86F with more thrust. Technically, I suppose it is still a Mk VI since that is what the data plate says. Interestingly enough, we managed to find a new set of slat bearings for it and the slats look and operate like brand new.

I'll post a few more when it gets closer to being done.

We found drop tanks for it in a strange place. We located a set being used as a pontoon boat!, acquired them, and had to remove the dents from beaching using an English wheel ... but they look pretty good now. We had a few interesting moments trying to mount the US slats on the Canadian wing. Since the Canadians weren't using the slats, they had plumbed the hydraulic lines right in front of the slat pockets, and all those lines had to be re-plumbed. They were going to replace them anayway. Also, there were a couple of tabs that had to be cut away to get the slats to fit right. Everything was removed from the leading edges except what is needed now, so considerable weight was removed from the LEs.

Here it is when I was working on it:

We had just finished cleaning the trailing edge and it was all nice and Amuminum in color.

Looks better now that its polished, huh?

I'll get shots when all the marking and stencils are done on ours, and also when this Mk VI is completed.

 

[Wildcat]

Excellent post! Thanks.

 

[Gnomey]

Great shots! Thanks for the update.

 

[GregP]

You're welcome. I can get some more, but it will be next weekend.

 

[GregP]

That Sabre Mk 6 that was being polished last weekend certainly looks better.

Getting there ...

 

[GregP]

Hi Everybody,

I was a bit embarrassed to realize I had hijacked a thread unintentionally. We were in the "What's Up with Russian Wing Design" thread. Corrosion came up, and I posted a pic of the pulsejet we restored and forgot what thread I was in ... and it turned into the pulsejet / Zero thread.

So I thought I'd revive THIS thread and stop hijacking the other thread. If you go back and look at the "What's Up with Russian Wing Design" thread I showed some pics of the Zero as it was a awhile back. This is an update of both the Zero and the museum.

First, the Zero as it is right now (Oct 2015). Here is the main fuselage looking in from the nose. You can see the interior was primed and painted after corrosion control procedures were done, and we are now in the process of re-assembly.

Next you saw some older pics of the inside of the rear fuselage. Here it is as it is today. Hopefully a change for the better ...

Again, I hope you can see the progress. Here is the starboard side of the cockpit with some detail. The little crank is the manual cowl flap handle:

All for this post.

 

[GregP]

Here is the port side of the cockpit with some detail. The blue handle is the throttle and the little handle that looks like a motorcycle clutch or brake lever in front of it is the cannon trigger. You squeeze that to shoot only the two cannons. If you squeeze the trigger on the stick, you shoot all weapons at once ... or did when the guns were armed and operational.

You can see some items have been refitted but there is a long way to go before the December first post-overhaul flight.

I told you that when you find Japanese planes that have started to corrode, the Aluminum is mostly beyond help. Here is a shot of an A6M5 Zero wing spar that has intergrannular corrosion. It LOOKS like badly-weather plywood but is, in fact, an Aluminum spar. Hopefully you can see the damage:

Fortunately we aren't trying to fly or repair this particular wing. It is an example of corrosion for all to see. Here is a shot of the hortizontl tail attachment on the Zero rear fuselage:

Here is an example of WWII Japanese radial engine as-recovered from an old airfield near the beach. Hopefully you can tell the extent of the corrosion:

All for this thread.

 

[GregP]

Here is our Fieseler Storch:

And here is a nose-on shot of the Arbus AS-10 inverted V-8 engine:

Note we pulled the left front cylinder. The As10 is rated as 240 HP but only turns about 2100 rpm! The Pilatus P-2 has an inverted Argus 410 V-12 that is actually of slightly smaller displacement, but is rated at 465 HP because it turns about 1500 more rpm than the As10 does:

I forgot I turned the camera sideways ... soory about that.

Here is a shot of our Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" as it was recovered:

And here is a slightly closer look into the front fuselage of the G4M:

All for this thread.

 

[GregP]

Here is out TBM as it taxied in:

And here he started to fold the wings:

Still folding the wings:

All folded!

 

[GregP]

We just got a new static aircraft. Our founder, Ed Maloney is a big fan of WWII hardware and early jets in particular. He likes the Heinkel He 178 but it was lost in the war. He decided to have a static replica made. It got here last week and has not yet been assembled, but here is a pic of the fuselage as it arrived:

Here is a cutaway Pratt Whitney R-2800:

Here is a cutaway Pratt Whitney R-4360:

Everybody in here has seen a STearman and I daresay some of us have flown them. We had a really nice visitor this wekend ... it's a Stearman Speedwing, with NACA cowling, wheel pants, and streamlined fairings over many round pieces:

Here is a WWII German Flak 88 shell:

I know its not an airplane, but maybe some people haven't seen one before.

 

[Crimea_River]

Pics aren't showing for me.

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent shots! Thanks for the updates.

 

[GregP]

You're welcome.

 

[Crimea_River]

Got them now. Good stuff.

By the way, do you know if that Saber ended up at the Military Museum in Calgary, Alberta? I saw it today and suspect it's the one in your earlier pics.

 

[Von Frag]

Greg,
What can you tell us about the Bf-109 in the background of post #12?

 

[GregP]

It was recovered from the botttom of a deep Russia fresh water lake (never heard which one). It is now privately owned and the engine is being restored. A new nose case was made by Ross Engineering. The owner is not sure whether to restore this one or to use it for templates and simply make a new one. I suppose we'll find out when we do.

Sometimes owners request no informaiton be passed on until the restoration is done. Rod Lewis did that when he restored his A-20, and the locals abided by his request even though we have some access as we drive past and didn't post any / many until after the restoration was complete.

When the owner decides to "go" on this one, we'll probably find out one way or the other. If the owner wants it to be secret, it will be. If he doesn't care, then we can post updates.

In case anyone doesn't recognize it, it is a Bf 109E. It was bellied in on a flat field and left there. It turned out to be a frozen lake and, when the spring came, it thawed and the aircraft sank with little "extra" damage other than the few cannon and bullet holes and/or lack of fuel / oil that caused the energency landing to start with. There is no evidence of fire. The surfaces still move freely.

 

[GregP]

Hey Biff,

Maybe post some of your shots from your service flying? That would be great!

That assumes you aren't the only service pilot to never bring a camera on a flight ... and that it might not be illegal to post it ... if so, I'd still like to see your phtot album sometime at an airshow sometime.

 

[Wildcat]

Great thread Greg! The zero is looking great, and that's a nice looking Avenger too.