Around North Dallas

Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:14 pm

Had to run around North Dallas this afternoon. Was off on an errand from work to pick up some simulator equipment and slid up to Addison airport for the Parade of Planes event put on by FLYING magazine. Really not that interested in the new airplanes on display. Ended up visiting with the owner of a shop that restores vintage aircraft. Since I was there I contacted the owner of a Spartan Executive and visited the hangar where it is kept. Pics below. The ramp next door at Cavanaughs was full. Their DC-3 and Mohawk were outside. The B-24 '927 was also outside.

Spartan s/n 26 - UC-71 42-38266 - flew with the USAAC from 1943-1945.

This Fury was displayed by Corky Fornof. Wanted to talk to him about Bearcat flying but he was busy the time or two I swung by to talk.

On my way home I ran across this interesting find! A construction consulting company has this radial engine mounted on a pylon outside its "laboratory."

All in all a fun afternoon.

Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:04 pm

Dan, I'd always wonder what they did with that engine setup? I can't you how many times I went down Luna Road just to see it...

Lynn

Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:34 pm

An old friend of mine, Neal Elve, is the one that set that 3350 up years ago. He set it up to test windows in "high wind situations." He said that the businesses of Ft. Worth (where he was at the time) didn't like the noise he was making with it in the afternoons, right in the downtown area, so he was told to start doing the engine runs at 2 a.m. He said what was funny about it is that one night, he had trouble getting it started, but when it did, he had a stack fire going pretty good out of the PRTs on the engines. When the engine finally caught, it shot a flame about 15 feet in the air, out the exhaust stacks. :shock:

He said he was incredibly embarrassed, as there were twenty or thirty executives there to see these special windows hold up to the wind the engine was generating. Nonetheless, he continued with the engine run and all went well. However, to his surprise, once the engine was shut down, the gaggle of potential customers for the windows came over to him and said, "Do it again! That was cool!!!" :lol:

So from that point on, Neal said he'd be sure to overprime the engine for each start...just to get a "little extra fire out of her." He added, "Man, we sold more windows with those night runs than you could imagine!"

Sadly, Neal passed away in July 2007. I got the word as I was doing a pre-flight on Ol' 927 for our flight to present it at Oshkosh for the first time. Neal really was a neat ol' guy. I sure do miss him.

Gary

Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:49 pm

Fighter Rebuilders built a similar setup in Chino back in the early 80s, also with a 3350.

Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:01 pm

Looks like a DC-7 QEC on that wind machine.
Jerry

Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:05 pm

Not to hi-jack you thread Dan but was wondering if you know where to purchase Corkys auto-biography, does Cavanaugh museum have them or Frontiers of flight?
Thanks. Great pics by the way

Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:12 pm

I didn't know there was a Spartan in Addison...very cool!

Thanks for the pic.

Last time I was down Luna road there were two wind machines there...

Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:51 am

steve dickey wrote:Not to hi-jack you thread Dan but was wondering if you know where to purchase Corkys auto-biography, does Cavanaugh museum have them or Frontiers of flight?
Thanks. Great pics by the way

His and Bill Lear's book would be a nice read and then there is the BOB set I always looking for...

Lynn

Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:01 am

Thanks for some history behind the wind machine, Gary. Funny stuff about the extra prime!

There are a lot of rare machines around the North Texas area! Thats why I go to the smaller fly-ins to see them and avoid the bigger airshows.

Steve... what is the title of Fornof's book? Didnt know he has published one. Now that you mention it... I WANT ONE!