Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Some pics of wondrously restored Navy aircraft. My father flew many of these types in his career. A great way to pass some time. Pensacola Naval Air Museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 That's a great museum. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I love that museum. That is one of the places I'm thinking of having my retirement ceremony in 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunClick Rick Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Any folks like aviation stuff check out http://www.x-aviation.com/catalog and http://www.x-plane.com my nephew does those,flight sims,he started with x-plane and now does the other he creates the plug ins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Buscadero, SASS #73085 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Good job composing the photographs - you've a lot of good shots there. I went there prob 15 years ago - impressive place. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunClick Rick Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Jesus!Great pictures,your pop had cahones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uno Mas SASS #80082 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 . I'll see your Pensacola, and raise you a Seattle Air Museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 .I'll see your Pensacola, and raise you a Seattle Air Museum Very cool! And that U-37 speedboat is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I live close to the Air Force Museum and love visiting there. I need to make the trek to Pensacola one day when visiting Florida, it seems. Great pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooky Joe, SASS #24061 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 The 12th picture down is a Curtiss Flying Boat. Formerly owned by George Waltman. While he worked rebuilding the aircraft, I rebuilt the Hispano-Suiza V-8 liquid cooled engine. Many parts for this monster engine (720+ cubic inches) were, surprisingly, still available. Many, however, had to be fabricated. George was very meticulous in restoring his antique and race cars and this carried over to the aircraft. If a bold or clevis pin was removed, it was tagged as to where it came from so it would go back to the same place. Manyh parts were upgraded to modern material. Instrumentation in the aircraft was minimal at best. Aside from th normal engine guages there was a magnetic compass and a turn and bank indicator. No radio or other electronic gizmos. When we flew it was old fashioned IFR. I follow roads. or railroads as the case may be. A road map was the basic navigation tool. When the Navy bought the plane we offered to fly it from Long Island to Pensacola. For reasons unknown to George, the turned him down. The wings were removed and it was trucked down on a flat-bed. A shame. It would have been a fun trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 The 12th picture down is a Curtiss Flying Boat. Formerly owned by George Waltman. While he worked rebuilding the aircraft, I rebuilt the Hispano-Suiza V-8 liquid cooled engine. Many parts for this monster engine (720+ cubic inches) were, surprisingly, still available. Many, however, had to be fabricated. George was very meticulous in restoring his antique and race cars and this carried over to the aircraft. If a bold or clevis pin was removed, it was tagged as to where it came from so it would go back to the same place. Manyh parts were upgraded to modern material. Instrumentation in the aircraft was minimal at best. Aside from th normal engine guages there was a magnetic compass and a turn and bank indicator. No radio or other electronic gizmos. When we flew it was old fashioned IFR. I follow roads. or railroads as the case may be. A road map was the basic navigation tool. When the Navy bought the plane we offered to fly it from Long Island to Pensacola. For reasons unknown to George, the turned him down. The wings were removed and it was trucked down on a flat-bed. A shame. It would have been a fun trip. Wow, great story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuma Devil Dog Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I spent more than 6 months aboard NAS Pensacola, never went to the museum until the lat week I was there, I did however run past it at least 2 or 3 times a week at about 0430 for our unit PT. It really is a great way to spend a day though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASS# 23321 Canelo Kid Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Great pic's, thanks for sharing. I would like to see them in person as well. What is #57? Does it fit underneath a plane or wing? Safe trails, CKid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Wonderful tour...many thanks. Curious...are these cosmetic restorations, or are these full mechanicals, restoring the planes to functional condition? If you ever feel inclined to put together a short ID or description of the planes, it would be a great read with the images.... LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Great pic's, thanks for sharing. I would like to see them in person as well. What is #57? Does it fit underneath a plane or wing? Safe trails, CKid It's a PBY Catalina fuselage with sections of skin removed to show the interior of the aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Wonderful tour...many thanks. Curious...are these cosmetic restorations, or are these full mechanicals, restoring the planes to functional condition? If you ever feel inclined to put together a short ID or description of the planes, it would be a great read with the images.... LL Wish I could take credit for the pics, but they aren't mine -- the link was forwarded to me. I can identify most if not all of the aircraft shown, so if there are some that you're wondering about, lemme know. As for the restoration, it's my understanding they're fully restored inside & out to the minutest detail like the ones at the Smithsonian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetwater Jack SASS28885L Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 It's on my "bucket list". There's an L-19/O-1 Birddog there that has a history. When Saigon fell in '75 and everyone was "gettin' out of Dodge", a VNAF Major by the name of Bung Ly flew out to the USS Midway, which was receiving LOTS of helos and because of limited deck and hangar space was tipping them over the side to make room for more evacuees. Major Ly dropped a message written on his torn shirt that he wanted to come aboard, and that in that 2-seat Birddog he had himself, his wife and their two small children. The deck crew made room and he made a "No-wire" deck landing with that fixed-wing Cessna. When the family got cleared, the Navy guys thought that what he'd done was so cool that they struck the O-1 below to the hangar deck instead of shoving it overboard, and brought it back home. It's hanging in the museum today, rstored to the Major's full markings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Was there an SB2C in that collection? didn't notice it if there was. Believe I saw a TBD-Devastator, though( midway torpedo bomber, obsolete at the time. Shown terribly true by the Japanese)........Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Was there an SB2C in that collection? didn't notice it if there was. Believe I saw a TBD-Devastator, though( midway torpedo bomber, obsolete at the time. Shown terribly true by the Japanese)........Buck Aircraft List Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Was there an SB2C in that collection? didn't notice it if there was. Believe I saw a TBD-Devastator, though( midway torpedo bomber, obsolete at the time. Shown terribly true by the Japanese)........Buck I didn't notice a TBD in the photos and don't see one on the list Bob provided. Perhaps you're thinking of photo #63 or #64? (Torpedo bombers of the era look remarkably similar.) #62 is a Vought SB2U Vindicator and #64 is a Brewster SB2A Buccaneer. Like the Douglas TBD Devastator, they were obsolete when the war began. A couple of TBDs have been located under water, but to my knowledge, none have been recovered. Perhaps someone else knows their status? TBD Devastator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uno Mas SASS #80082 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 More Wingnuttery: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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