Warbird Information Exchange

When I worked for Curtiss-Wright in the 1990's (they are still in business making commercial and military flap drive systems based on the old prop rotary gear systems) I started the process of donating over 1000 roles of engine microfilms to NASM. The film contained every Wright, Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright engine part from about 1915 on, including all of the X-job stuff. After I left the company there was a press release from NASM stating that they had accepted the donation and would co-locate the collection at NASM and Wright State Univ in Dayton. I cannot find anything about this collection now on either the NASM or WSU sites. Are there any WIXers that frequent these institutions that could give me an update. If the films are not digitized soon, they will degrade to the point where you will not be able to read them at all. FYI while I was at C-W I also witnessed the destruction of their remaining engine parts inventory (a 20,000 sqft warehouse filled floor to ceiling with later generation R1820 and R3350 parts. The refused to donate them to anyone because of lack of manufacturing traceability and the perceived liability.

My goodness! That engine story is quite the tale of woe--and just before Christmas no less! Let me guess, you spend your free time telling kids there's no Santa Claus or Easter bunny, right?

Now really, Brian: How much of that engine stuff did you sneak out in the trunk of your car? (It's ok, your secret's safe with us...)

_________________
It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Now really, Brian: How much of that engine stuff did you sneak out in the trunk of your car? (It's ok, your secret's safe with us...) [/quote]

I do have several sets of very attractive bookends that resemble R3350 Turbo Compound pistons ..... I like to think that I also prevented a serious problem at the scrap yard by stopping the sodium filled valves from being torched or sent to the smelter. We mounted about 100 of the valves on walnut plaques and gave them to customers at Lockheed and Boeing. The rest (about 2200 brand new exhaust valves) are now under the floor slab of a building expansion that C-W undertook in Shelby, North Carolina several years ago.

A friend of mine was just lamenting the other day that he may not be able to afford the Skyraider of his dreams because R-3350 overhauls are now in the $100k range. I guess that all the R-3350 powered Sea Furies out there have dried up the supply.

I went all the way to the CEO at that time (an accountant by trade) and pleaded the case to save the inventory, to no avail.....

An interesting story about C-W from the early 1950's. Boeing offered Curtiss-Wright the chance to put their J-65 military turbo-jet engine on the KC-135/707 series if C-W would fund the development effort to modify the engine slightly. The CEO of C-W declined and stated in writing that the public would never fly on acft that did not have propellers. Keep in mind that C-W's majot products at that time were radial engines and propellers. Of course P&W did invest and C-W faded away.

I'll be moving back to Dayton in July. I live 10 mins from WSU. If they can hold out until then I'll be more that happy to help.

Shay