Warbird Information Exchange

Are you kidding me? I love the AirTruk!!! It's one of my favorites, and I'd love to have one someday. As a matter of fact, there's one at the Ardmore Airport in Auckland, NZ that I even tried to get my hands on at one point. He was a little too proud of it though...asking waaaay too much money for it at the time.

Hmmm, and Air Truk with a "dirty-three-filthy" on it. Hmmm.........



Gary

Whyever would we encourage you...cheeky monkey!

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The Airtruk at Ardmore is still there and is rumored to be still for sale.
And here's a story to annoy you, late last year I was working in the Hawkes Bay and did a bit of airfeild noseying around (as you you do when you are somewhere you don't go very often) and I got chatting with a Fletcher (another type of dung dropper, developed from a coin a/c) pilot and we got onto the subject of Airtruks (I like them too) and he told me how he was offered one 6 months earlier (April'06) for nothing as it was just taking up space in the offerers shed, he said "no thanks" and it was scrapped.
Arrrrgh.

_________________
Wow, has it really been that long since I last visited?

Ditto here as well Gary & Hairy! I figured fit float hull under her and you'd
have the perfect Flying Texas Pick-up Truck/Camper Thingy. With sponsons
jutting out both sides you'd have a shady spot under the wing for your
lawn chair and cooler!

Really,really sorry to hear a freebee got scrapped. I read the prototype airtruck was cobbled up from a Harvard fuse, IIRC.

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

You still flogging our old design about Hairy? That is soooo last year. Play
your cards right big boy and I'll sell you my new technology Napier Sabre Mk7's with ADI
boil-off cooling and graphite contra-props(4500HP each @ full-tilt)...for
NEXT years race!

PS
Would you like a set of swingwing outer panels with that order Sir?

Good to see you around Hairy!

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

You read right, part of a Harvard fuse, canopy, wheels, engine, prop and cowling.
The Bennett company who built the original PL-11 at Te Kuiti in New Zealand was scrapping surplus RNZAF Harvards at the time.

_________________
Wow, has it really been that long since I last visited?

A grifffon powered Bronco is a dream worth chasing.

And talking of engines how about ressurecting the aborted Napier Nomad Diesel aircraft engine with modern technology, (it would keep the tree-hugging, sandal-wearing, bearded women and cordoroy wearing "men" happy, they seem to like diesel). An improvement that you would HAVE to include, because it is diesel, is an exhaust brake (a jake) like they have on large diesel trucks for aerodynamic braking purposes using the prop...............imagine the noise
WHOOM BAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Alternatively, how about large Wankel (Snicker,snicker) engines, lets say twin-turboed peripheral ported quad rotor with roughly 10 times the displacement of your average Mazda rotary.............
Burp,burp,burp,burp,buuuuuuuurp,burp,burp,burp

Orrrrrrrrrrrrr, how about a 5 row Gnome type rotary "corncob", with each row rotating in the opposite direction to the adjacent row.....................
......................Oh look here come the nice men with my special white huggy jacket......................

_________________
Wow, has it really been that long since I last visited?

For starters a R-4360 with a slightly lengthened carbon fibre Bearcat fuse, combined with a clipped carbon fibre P-51 H wing. That should do the trick. Then for phase 2 fit the 4360 with a direct fuel injection system and some titanium internals.

I am still going with the Defender, painted all black.

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

if my dh mega horet isnt enough how about a westland whirlwind with dwight thorne mouse merlin's
paul