Morning Pr0n

By lex, on March 2nd, 2010

T-28 Trojan was an outgoing primary trainer when I started flight school. It hosted a Wright R-1820-86 Cyclone radial engine with 1,425 hp under the cowl, and was thought to be a real handful for your first flyer. You could volunteer for T-28s, but I went with the simpler T-34 as more sedate and “jet-like.”

Photo Courtesy of FlightAware.com

Trojan students told us that if you reached the airplane for preflight and it wasn’t leaking oil, the machine was down.

It could only mean that there was no oil left.

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A Ride In A Ford Tri-Motor

Two days ago, I had an interesting flight. The EAA has been flying 2 of these around the country, stopping at various cities and offering rides to the public.

For $75, I got a ticket. I thought that was quite a bargain, considering the cost of flight these days.

We took off from Sacramento’s Executive Airport for an 18 minute flight around the city.

I think the Trimotor was historic for being one of the first true airliners (not a mail plane that could haul passengers). But between the Depression and the coming DC-2 I think it had a pretty short service life.

They built 199 of them.

BTW I thought it looked very similar to the German Junkers JU-52 . I learned that the main designer, William Stout (whose company Henry Ford bought) – copied German Professor Hugo Junkers ideas for all-metal aircraft. 

I asked one of the docents where you get parts for a 90 year old engine – and he said that they were P & W Wasps – (I think even the venerable Stearman had them) – parts were readily available.

So thanks to my trusty iPhone 6 SE you can ride with me – from start up to the 18 minute flight. 

 

 

Pelican Leads A Three Ship………………………………

From Beautiful Morro Strand State Beach on the evening of Friday, 4 September. This was mostly luck……………….Of which I will take as much as I can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some Nice Plane Pr0n

Who knew they did airshows at NIGHT!?!

(Cross-posted from EIP)

Cutaway Thursday: Convair B-36J Peacemaker

Cutaway Thursday: CH-53K King Stallion

Since xbradtc blogged about this earlier in the week, I’m thowing up a cutaway for the latest incarnation of the western world’s (i.e. non-Russian) largest helicopter (that’d be helo to the NAVY/USMC team and “chopper” to the Army). This done is taken from the King Stallion’s website at Sikorsky:

Infographic: U.S. Navy Fighters 1917 – 2010