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A Look Back

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Bob Parks, Jan 29, 2010.

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  1. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #1 Bob Parks, Jan 29, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    When I was a free lance photographer I took this photo of this 1926 Wright J-4 engine that antiquer, Jack L. built from 4 different engines and put it on a 1929 Travel Air that he rebuilt from a wreck found in a swamp in Williams, California. It was a flying museum piece and I was privileged to have been able to fly in this beautiful airplane many times in the mid 70's. It now resides in the Aero Museum of Port Townsend, Wa. The torque, power, and sound of this old engine was astonishing and the climb out angle of the Travel Air was almost scary.
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  2. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #2 Bob Parks, Jan 29, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  3. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

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    #3 snj5, Jan 29, 2010
    It must have been a torquer - look at the bite (pitch) on that prop!
     
  4. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #4 Bob Parks, Jan 29, 2010
    FInding those old photos made me think of the trip down to the Evergreen Antique Fly-in in 1974. I flew with my friend Phil Taylor in his 1929 Travel Air, Jack in the J-4 Travel Air , and Jim H. in a 1930 Travel Air. After cruising down I-5 to Longview we dropped down to about 150 feet over the Columbia River that courses north-south in this area and as we continued south we set up a three plane formation and traced the shoreline through the backwaters and twisties. It must have been a beautiful sight to see a three plane vic of old Travel Airs clattering along at 100 MPH or less skimming over the water.
    That night after a good barbeque and vino rosso we slept under the wings. The next morning we were gently awakened before sunup by a Cessna 185 in flat pitch and 50 feet altitude blasting over us. Nothing else to do but get up and crank up. The dew must have been 2 inches thick on the top wing because it came off like a water fall as we accelerated for take off. At 2000 feet we were delighted by a warmer layer of air that helped to rid us of the cold dampness of the grass.
    later that day we had a gaggle of Travel Airs flying in bright sunlight. The J-4 was to our right. I noticed the nose go down and the smoothly come up into a barrel roll over us. I can still see the image of Jack in the cockpit, hand on the stick, as he went over.
    When my wife asks what I'm thinking about some times I just say, " Stuff."
     
  5. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    #5 Gatorrari, Jan 29, 2010
    And I had no idea that there was an aero museum in Port Townsend......
     
  6. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #6 Bob Parks, Jan 29, 2010
    Yes, it's fairly new, run by Jerry Thuotte. Impeccable building, impeccable airplanes and decorated with 300 aviation pictures and prints. very well done. This part of the country has some outstanding aviation collections as well as, what I'm told, the biggest collection of antique sports cars in the country.
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  7. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    #7 Gatorrari, Jan 29, 2010
    To which could be added Paul Allen's magnificent collection at Paine Field, and it's just a stone's throw (literally) from the Me 262 Project.

    I don't know about the antique sports cars, but mention could also be made about the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum in Kent, also the biggest collection of its type around.
     
  8. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #8 Bob Parks, Jan 30, 2010
    I won't mention names but there is multi millions here in Microsoft money and cell phone money as well stock brokers and legal moguls. The concourse d'elegans ( sp) at Kirkland has cars that cannot be seen anywhere else...one of a kind Ferrari's from the 50's and beautiful stuff from the turn of the century. Some of the owners also display historic hydroplanes, GP,F1, and dirt track racers. Great stuff to see.I had a really nice 1987 Volvo station wagon but they wouldn't let me show it.
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  9. Tim Wells

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    #9 Tim Wells, Jan 31, 2010
    Jerry used to live on our field there in Buckley. He always brought out that old C3 and flew it around at the annual fly in. I think that was the oldest plane on the field at the time.

    I have never made it up to his place as he built it after I moved away. I did however take my wife up there one day in june to the Spruce Goose restaurant at the airfield and spent our anniversary "fogged in" in the back of a 172 with the seats out. Most uncomfortable night's sleep I ever had!

    The original intent was to fly up to Friday Harbor and ride bikes around the island, spend the night someplace nice and return the next day. The island was covered in IMC and being a man with no instrument rating I turned around and decided we'd ride around Pt. Townsend instead.

    We rode around on the bikes we had crammed into the back where the seat normally was, and looked for a place to stay the night. It was getting dark by now and there was "no room at the inn" so to speak. So we spent the night in the back of that damned plane and it sucked!

    Next day there was a wall of clouds surrounding the airfield so I made repeated attempts to fly around and check for a break toward Seattle and on the last attempt, my frustrated wife said she was going with me this time. I pointed it toward Seattle and said I'll time this and if we don't break through we'll turn 180 and land and call someone to drive up and pick us up and come get the plane when the WX clears.

    Not 30 seconds into the cloud we broke through and there was a crystal clear image of the space needle dead ahead. That cloud formation was like a donut just sitting over the airport. That was some anniversary! I told her when we were dating that life with me would never be dull...
     
  10. donv

    donv Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #10 donv, Jan 31, 2010
    Don't forget about the Evergreen museum in McMinnville, and the more rustic but still impressive Tillamook Air Museum in, naturally, Tillamook. Rumor has it Evergreen is in the running to get a shuttle.

     
  11. MarkPDX

    MarkPDX F1 World Champ
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    #11 MarkPDX, Jan 31, 2010
    I have been wondering if they were in the running, it would really be a fitting addition to their collection. Was at Marshal Space Flight center last weekend and they wouldn't say too much other than the various centers (Kennedy, Marshal, Johnson) were trying as well.
     
  12. Bob Parks

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    #12 Bob Parks, Jan 31, 2010
    I wouldn't count The Museum of Flight out of the running. They seem to have a lot of pull lately.
     
  13. aseweepay

    aseweepay Formula Junior

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    #13 aseweepay, Jan 31, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2010
    Bob,

    Oh man....you are feeding my round engine addiction....more pics and stories please...you are right,
    the Wright engines have a very unique sound...the J6-5 has a hollow tinnie sound...nothing better.....
     
  14. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #14 Bob Parks, Jan 31, 2010
    That J-4 had the sharpest crackling sound of anything I every heard and you had better be wearing ear plugs when you were behind it. As much as I don't trust them, the Kinner is the next best for noise, 'specially the 160HP. It's always fun to run up to a Ryan PT22 pilot and say, " Hey man, that thing sounds like it's only running on five!" Wide open they sound like a fast idle. An R985 with straight stacks is nice, too.
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  15. Tim Wells

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    #15 Tim Wells, Jan 31, 2010
    I'm turning about 1625 rpm when I check the mags before take off on that PT-22. It don't sound right at all but it works. Ahhhhhhhhh nostalgia!...

    I flew one of those around the state of Washington during one of the Puget Sound Antique Aircraft Association tours with about 50 other vintage planes. Best time I ever had in a plane. Love the smell of that oil!
     
  16. aseweepay

    aseweepay Formula Junior

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    #16 aseweepay, Feb 2, 2010
    My J6-5 is only pulling about 1600 static on the ground and in flight about 1750...should be higher than that, when we annual it we are going to check the prop pitch etc...I think it's improperly set....but it sounds sweeeeeeeeeet.....
     

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