For All Aircraft Nut's.....a Hemi counterpart...the Incredible Howard 500

[71airgrabberRR]

BTW Blade cutter, I'm not trying to highjack your thread by any means brother............. I just REALLY like the old Warbirds.

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LOL .. I just didn't want someone to read this thread and go out and destroy a rare and valuable WWII radial engine !!! ROTHFL

I hear ya !!!!!!!

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Here are a few pictures of the Corsairs that our friend Harry Doan owned back when I was a kid............. He started this one up on occasion and made a LOT of neighborhood friends with the noise (I call it music) from the P&W R2800.

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This was early on in the restoration phase of this plane. If you look close you can see the residential homes in the back ground.....................

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This is the same plane several years later...................... At the Spruce Creek Fly in on Thanksgiving weekend in 1982.

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[tallhair]

Why was it dismantled later one?

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Yours truly as a scrawny kid standing next to Harry's F4U-1C Corsair. This plane ended up in Texas after Harry was killed in an air show accident in the early 1990's.

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Why was it dismantled later one?

It wasn't. That's another Corsair. Harry owned 3 of them at one time.

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The first plane I pictured is an early build Vought F4U-1A which is currently on display in Brazil. It is the second oldest Corsair left in existence today.

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The "dismantled " one is a rare F4U-1C version. They only made 200 or so of them, and they had 4 X 20 MM cannons in place of the standard 6 X .050 caliber machine guns.

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The last Corsair he owned was a "Corncob" powered F2G "Super Corsair" It was raced as #57 back in the day. Unfortunately I can't find my pictures from back in the day on that one. But it has been restored to fight worthy condition. This is how it looks now.

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[tallhair]

Yours truly as a scrawny kid standing next to Harry's F4U-1C Corsair. This plane ended up in Texas after Harry was killed in an air show accident in the early 1990's.

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It wasn't. That's another Corsair. Harry owned 3 of them at one time.

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The first plane I pictured is an early build Vought F4U-1A which is currently on display in Brazil. It is the second oldest Corsair left in existence today.

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The "dismantled " one is a rare F4U-1C version. They only made 200 or so of them, and they had 4 X 20 MM cannons in place of the standard 6 X .050 caliber machine guns.

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The last Corsair he owned was a "Corncob" powered F2G "Super Corsair" It was raced as #57 back in the day. Unfortunately I can't find my pictures from back in the day on that one. But it has been restored to fight worthy condition. This is how it looks now.

Ah .. I thought that caption was on top of the last pic ... I should have waited until you finished updating

 

[71airgrabberRR]

http://ratomodeling.com/references/f4u_bu17995/

Here is a link to my friend who lives in South America. It shows how the first Corsair ended up in the museum down there. It also has a cool article on the history behind this rare plane too. Check it out.............. You won't be disappointed.

 

[tallhair]

Awesome read and more cool pictures ... I really liked the part about the mystery man who came to the rescue with missing information about the man and his planes

 

[Bladecutter]

Outta Sight You Guys...way to keep this puppy scootin' along.....Thank for the new images Grabber.....if i'm not mistaken the F2-G Super lived @ CNO they were badass w/ 2800's....can't begine to imagine the 4360's performance....5000 fpm? You know the last Me/Bf - 109 variant had an initial climb rate of 6500 fpm!! that's almost comprable to a Lear 24 w/ dash 8's, they climb like raped angels....i saw angle @ 50 dgrees and rate of climb was pegged on pin past the 6500 mark...we were @ 41000 in less than 10 min. Grabber, i remember You mentioning the FW-190 project..... BMW radial or a Daimler 601 inverted V-12?

Hey R,C. Thanks for sticking around and playin....keep postin You Guys i bagged some web images of Marauders and potos of Phillipis Flying Yacht grumman albatross. have em up b4 too long stay tuned....oh Grabber, i saw the S-58 Sikorsky fuses sitting on lawn behind F4U......here in Corona Ca. i used to keep all the acrylic glass clear for Heli-Flite on their S-58 & a Hughes 500....rode on the S-58....i do NOT like helicopters....give me a wing please. Grabber, what was Harry flying when He went down?

 

[Bladecutter]

All radial engined A/C have trays slung under nacelles for post-flight.....they do shed a bit when static....i know of people that will pull through in reverse SLOWLY to to turn pumps opposite direction to relieve pressure and pull some oil from bottom cyls., but plug removal before attempting to turn over is best bet.......the Curtiss Wright 1320's that were on Gulfstar my Dad flew(3 Lodestars were converted in 50's for Gulf oil..very similiar to Learstar's/ a mining outfit my Dad flew for bought one from Gulf when they Hired the Old Man for whatever reason they pulled the P & W's for the C W's)were notorious for pooling in bottom cyls.. Here's some potos of Phillipi's Albatross and web images of Martin B-26's.....war production got so compressed that Dad was doing A/C shakedowns in B-26's while on delivery run, taking A/C to their designated outfits.the last one is a Baron pressurized 58...just a job that i'm fond of...can't see in pic but de-ice boots were like patent leather they had so much gloss...plane had NO reflection before i started onit, full glass pkg w/ 1/8" black seal 0n 1/2' satin black trim. windows polished in & out, 4 rear cabins are dubble pane so they were split and all surfaces massaged, de-crazed windshield & kept the optics real close on this one...those 'speed slopes are a muther being all compound curve...it is an arduous deal....satin black in door jambs and all the naca ducts, scoops , in behind the gill louvers on engine nacelles...@ LGB across ramp from Gulfstream Paint facility(those guys are AMAZING) G Boyz loved this little Bird, they gave me respect....always mutual..... watching the m take a bird from rigging and start their process, running 24/7 shifts, they would turn birds like clockwork every two weeks...i watched the do Nike's G-V or 550 which had a layout to look like a hi-top basketball shoe...it was a skosh longer, but was an extremely complicated layout and a G-V is a lot of real estate that you are usually stretching to get too. The Baron 58 was 2004 in 90's @ Orange County we did one, put a Colemill winglet kit on it and the detail pkg in c Glass plus Props & spin'rs polished....wish i had pics of it. i'm trying to source them right now.

Grabber...2nd B-26 poto is Kermit's Bird. Those Propellers just kill me....testosterone....total testosterone....Light Them Up!!

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Those are some great stories BC !!!!

I knew the Bf-109 had great performance but a climb rate like that is incredible !!!

Late in the war, the Germans had to climb to altitude in a hurry to intercept the bomber streams.

The same idea was one of the reasons for the Navy's request to have Vought / Goodyear build the F2G Super Corsair. They needed a point interceptor that could climb to meet the incoming Kamikazes. But few people know the project was started way before this ever happened. Vought converted an early "bird cage" Corsair and installed the 28 cylinder monster in it early on during the war.

5,000 FPM sounds about right for the F2G.

Yes you are correct. I mentioned a German FW-190. It's a BMW radial engine variant. It was recovered in Russia and is now in New Smyrna.

Harry Doan was killed in this actual plane. It's a 1954 Skyraider and is listed as an AD-4. I'm pretty sure the plane has been restored again by another owner.

These pictures I found on line.

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From what I remember of the incident, he came in for a hot landing and nosed the plane over. Some said he was crushed in the cockpit, but I later heard he unfastened his harness and suffocated from his own body weight when he hit on his head.
What a shame. He was a good man, and is still missed by many.

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These photos were taken shortly before the fatal crash.

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I recognized Kermit's B-26. I have some pictures of it that were taken during that time frame somewhere. It was stored outside for a short time.

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Here are a few pictures of the FW-190. Believe it or not, they are making some killer progress on the plane. Didn't have too much to start with, and they have been searching the world for parts. These guys are incredible !!!!

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Man I love that sea plane !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cools pics.............. thanks for sharing.

 

[Bladecutter]

AirGrabber....pray tell us, what warbirds You've gotten to go up in....l haven't strapped into a fighter since bery young....Friend of the Old Man had a two hole P-51...yeah i wannan hear bro!!

 

[Photon440]

Those FW-190s had some American heritage in them too. The BMW 801 radial engine was a good design, but a lot of the initial engineering came from the Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine that BMW was building under license in the 30's.

These are all great stories, keep them coming!

 

[tallhair]

Those FW190's are cool .. not nearly as widely known as the 109's but an excellent plane

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Those FW190's are cool .. not nearly as widely known as the 109's but an excellent plane

They were a very cool plane. With the wide track landing gear they were probably a lot easier to land than the BF-109. They had the fastest roll rate of any WW2 plane to my knowledge. That says a lot considering the numerous planes it went up against.

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This is a FW-190 F8 that is on display at the NASM. The one being restored in New Smyrna is the same version as this plane.

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AirGrabber....pray tell us, what warbirds You've gotten to go up in....l haven't strapped into a fighter since bery young....Friend of the Old Man had a two hole P-51...yeah i wannan hear bro!!

Ok you dragged it out of me.......

You got to fly in a real warbird in the Mustang !!!

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I'll have to find some pictures. I flew mainly in trainer planes.

 

[Richard Cranium]

On our honeymoon, my wife & I took a seaplane trip from San Juan to St. Croix and back in an old Grumman Mallard that was converted to turboprop. That was a cool trip.

 

[71airgrabberRR]

On our honeymoon, my wife & I took a seaplane trip from San Juan to St. Croix and back in an old Grumman Mallard that was converted to turboprop. That was a cool trip.

Going for a trip in a sea plane is on my bucket list. I'll bet that was a blast for sure. Thanks RC.

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I found some photos online that very closely resemble some of the planes I have been fortunate to go up in. Ended up with about an hour of "stick time" in each one.

Unfortunately I never was able to follow through with it and get my private license. Maybe someday............

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Waco UPF7. One very similar was my first open cockpit biplane ride. The one I flew was painted red like this one and had German Iron Crosses from WW1 era painted on it !!!!

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This one is a Boeing Stearman PT-17. I've flown two of these. One painted just like this one in pre WW2 Army Air Corps colors. The other one was red with cream and black checker boards under the wing and a sun burst on top of the wings. It was aptly named "Master Piece".

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Flew one of these too. It's a Ryan PT-22 trainer. Just like the one Harrison Ford recently "landed" at a golf course ...... He was lucky.

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This one is a Navy SNJ trainer. The Army called them AT-6's. some call them Texans or if its a Canadian plane it was called a "Harvard". This was the last step before you went on to fighter training.

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This one is a two placed Pitts Special. This plane was a blast to fly in when the pilot was performing aerobatics. I know it's not a Warbird, but it would turn on a dime, and you haven't flown until you've been upside down !!!!

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The Pitts was so maneuverable all you had to do was "think" about turning in it. Snap and barrel rolls were amazing in this one !!!!

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I've been VERY fortunate to have been up in these planes.

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So there you have it Bladecutter. That's a list of the memorable planes I've had the opportunity to go up in. Id still love to go up in a Mustang someday. The misses and I will be headed to Lakeland for the Sun N Fun fly in.

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The show starts on Friday and winds up on Sunday. It's been many years since the last show I've attended.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Looking at that Skyraider brought back memories as a kid!
"There I was, `1965...11 years old, Quonset Point NAS, Quonset Pt, Rhode Island"
My "cousin" (much older than me) was in the NAVY and he took me to work one day..
Yup, he was a mechanic on the Skyraiders and he let me sit in the seat of one...

One noticeable thing of the NAVY birds...they were "Colorful"!

Yeah, for the past 36 years I have been with the Air Force...
Seen a lot of Birds...
I can NEVER get enough!

 

[Bladecutter]

RR.....Veeerry niiicce!! The Old Man had several Wacos, they are sweet sweet aeroplanes...thats a hell of an inventory You have goin, PT-22's are pretty.....the Pitts! S-1 or S-2? It's a two holer isn't it? I've not flown or ridden in any of these, way to go Bro!

Ski. que pasa Mano? Did You look @ Trophy Cups? Skyraider was a big assed single.....i don't know what engines they used, was it same for AD-1-AD-4? R-2800' or bigger....i should know this, but i don't. RR?

Tallhair, RC, & above Howdy, Great job of keeping this thread awake Everybody

 

[tallhair]

I always wanted to go up in an old biplane personally .. never did and probably never will now

 

[Bladecutter]

Ski.......have You gotten to sit in an X-15, even being a recip lover, X-15 stirs me, crazy bird. I would sure love to sit in one....You must get next to a lot of historical air force birds.....way cool Skister...way cool. You familiar w/ Newspaper Pacific Flyer....i remember an article back in 90's on a Macchi i think it was , turbine pretty sure it was the highest horsepower P & W Pt-6 @ time.....i remember this thing turned in something close to a 7500 fpm climb rate........that is a Lear 24's best, firewalled a turbo-prop single....just a factoid that was idelibly imprinted in the grey box

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Tallhair........buy a ride....there's gotta be someone around You with a Stearman, Waco, Fleet....yeah You want to do it...kinda like being on motorcycle in the air.......sailplanes too Bro....that is really peaceful, graceful. just the sound of the slipstream.....final keeps you on Your toes, don wanna get flat....flew a 27 Fleet, like the author Richard Bach used to have(Jonathan Livingston Seagull)I propped that bird....one & only time for that exp......sailplane was just a rental ride....three of us in there, ...i was thinking of the weight the whole time, but the sensation of flying w/o the noise is surreal......on final, my eyes were right over pilot's shoulder.....he may not have known it, but he had a co-pilot that day....on final at least......a very smooooth rush settling in. A motor sailer would be a gas. More sailplane time is bucket list.

 

[Bladecutter]

Photon....nice to see You over here Main. The old birds are my soft spot.....i have to admit to being impreesed on a balls out climb to 41,000 in a 24 Lear...i know i awready said it, but it WAS a very impressive pea shooter. less than 10 min....but i'd rather luxuriate in the cabin of a 500...350 would do in a pinch. I'm gonna post what i think was the airplane that killed the Howard, not that it was a better air[plane, was a very good airplane, a turbo-prop, but it could not out perform the Howard nor would it go near as high as the Howard was capable. My Dad ended his career flying one