HANGER

Just thought this was a neat pix.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Sparky, you know how to live, man !

 

Took a lot of hard work to get here Bob. You know that more than anyone....ya dont get something for nothing. Busted my Arse for 40 years. Hows things up north. Going to be 98 here Thursday. I have been here for 12 years and have never seen it that hot. See the kid wants a Maser. Nice auto. Going down to Santa Rosa anytime soon? Let me know if you do and I'l meet you at the hanger. See ya. ss
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

We will be going down to Santa Rosa on or about Aug. 27-28 for a family reunion over the Labor Day weekend. I would sure like to see No. 34 and what is going on there. My brother would be interested also. He is 89 years old and a real lover of good machinery. Like me !
Switches

 

Stay in touch and perhaps I may also be there at that time. Vacaville in August....charming place.

 

I'll keep in touch.
Switches

 

very nice, the p-51 have a merlin engine in it?

 

Packard built Merlin 1650-7 with -9 heads and banks.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

beautiful... simply beautiful.. i would love to have one some day... it must be a blast to fly

 

Great fun but a handfull.

 

As a Piper and Cessna guy - I just flew a B-25 last month (hell with the vacation, this summer) and the next week, a T-6/SNJ,

The B-25 was serious work in roll and the T-6 felt like a "vacation", it was so effortless.
My B-25 "instructor" reminded me that it's all non-power assisted, just slightly older than my Piper, twice the wigspan and 10 times the weight of what I'm used to.

Does the P-51 really feel somewhat like the T-6 (except for way more power and quicker and faster and wider and heavier?)
or was that an urban legend.......

Marc in San Anselmo

 

Good question on the T-6!

I'm lucky enough to be joining, a US Naval Flying Club this coming week,
and will soon have access to a squadron of T-34's. ( not this one though)

......well one at a time.... ;-)

Always liked the P-51 'specially "The Red Tailed Devils",
not many of whom, are still around! To any of you, that might
be reading this I can only say..... Thank You, so very much!


Back to the topic,
How does the T-34 stack up, as a P-51 trainer? I'm speaking of flight characteristics like roll rate, V speeds, climbs, acrobatics, etc
Sparky I guess you'd be the expert here.... Or mebbe Switches?

Charlie
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I'm no expert on the T-34 or P-51 although I have flown in a P-51 ( Worry Bird). I have flown a Bonanza and it was light , smooth, and fairly sensitive. Quick due to its light weight. My ride in the P-51 was startling. The huge power and the immediate response from the airplane when thrust was changed was amazing. Torque was scary but once up and traveling the control response was absolutely beautiful. The T-6 is the proper airplane to tranisition to a P-51. Flown from the rear seat is a good start on learning to live with that 10 feet of nose in front of you. I believe that the T-34 is way too light and a nose dragger to give anyone the feel of the weight, power, and having that little wheel in the back that wants to go everywhere but straight.
Sparky is the guy to talk to on this and also SNJ5. They are the experts not me.
Switches

 

Never flown a T-34 so I do not know. 51 is much different than anything you will ever fly. I started tail dragging with a 115 hp Citabria for 10 hours...next 4 years and 300hrs in a 300hp N3N...on to a T-6G for 700hrs over an 11 year peoiod then on to the 51. Much easier on the ground than the rest but the approach speed and roll-out can prove to be interesting at times. Air work in the 51 is much lighter on the controls than the rest, but higher g loads in the turns due to the increased speed and weight. I would say that in the air flying is flying and you adapt to whatever type of airplane that is at hand, but the 51 can get you into a corner really fast and that is not a good thing. I had my kid at Stalion 51 for 5 hrs dual after he allready had 30hrs in the 51. Lauderback wanted to know what airplane had best trained him for a 51 and he thought the Pitts S1A. Attributed it to fast landing speed and sink rate.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Was I too far off the centerline with my comments re transitioning to a P-51?
A friend of mine flew a t6 from the back seat for quite a few hours before jumping into a P-51
Switches

 

Me too Bob. Hadnt flown anything for the 3 year ohaul period. Put in 2 or 3 hrs from the back seat of a Slug (T-6) and thought it to be a waste of time. The 51 lands much easier and has great vis all the way down. Thought your comments to be very good. A tail dragger is a tail dragger and they all feel just about the same to me.