Warbird Information Exchange

I was just driving home after running some errands today and happened to notice a neat lookin' ol' piece of equipment next to an abandoned building. I think it's an old time industrial air compressor (as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure of it), but what caught my attention right off the bat, was the aircraft wheels that it was using. (The grille on the thing is pretty cool too. )






They are 30x7.7 tires, so it's nothing real popular, but I'm thinkin' maybe early jet of some sort? It looks a lot like the P-80 wheels that Nelson Ezell uses on his Sea Fury brake conversions. I just can't recall off the top of my head if it's the same size or not.






It uses an old Continental flat head, six cylinder engine, which is started via the hand crank at the front of the unit.......






Here's the air compressor end of the unit. This thing is a monster!




So anyway, I just found that to be interesting. I'm going to try to find who owns the property and the unit and see about obtaining it. Why? I dunno. It just seems like it would fit right in with some of the other "junque" here at my place.

Gary

get it, and fire-er-up, pretty cool

It's got Aux. Power Unit for the Stratolina written ALL over it!

That's it! A Cal Worthington Special!

Great Find Gary!

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Man, the things you come up with out there west TX Gary...

You mean it doesn't reside at Austin Acres already? Are you slowing down in your advance years?

Pretty neat piece of machinery. That would be great if you could save it and find out some history.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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I think your right on the wheels. Sure look like the wheels on the T-33/P-80

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

it is amazing what one finds on wagons and such. We had a guy call us up that bought a hay wagon at an auction. It had aircraft wheels on it and he knew they were old and offered them tous.
Turns out they were 4 Spitfire wheels! Complete with spindles , backing and bladders.

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Mike

Ah yes, There we were, left engine on fire, right engine feathered...ahh yes,...there we were, ..Screwed! No Kissing!

Wow....That's no compressor! That's the super scarce Napier Cub!! The ultra rare 6 cilinder version (1/2) of the more common senior 12 cylinder Napier Lion W-type engine shown here......



You MUST salvage this rare and obscure aviation artifact! It's so powerful the Continental is just the pony motor!!
I have a bridge for sale too.....

That's pretty funny, Wheels up.

And you would be right.


"old time"?..its not any older than a bunch of airplanes discussed lovingly here...

It wasn't that long ago that I had to start one of those suckers several times a day.

Just don't be hangin' on to the hand-crank when she backfires or your arm will look like a pretzel!

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Cheers,

Craig

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uhh.... mr president we need a cash for clunkers extension for gary!!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Yeah, don't curl your thumb over the crank handle or she'll bite you!

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.
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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

Visit Django Studios online or Facebook!

They look a lot like the Mallard main wheels that can be used on the Goose per Grumman Service Bulletin 23, except the Mallard wheels have straight "spokes" and the ones in your photos have nicely curved "spokes". Other than that little detail, they look like they could have been manufactured by the same company - Goodyear.

The Mallard (and SB23-modified Goose) main gear wheels were 9.50 x 16 wheels (Goodyear p/n 9530113) and they mounted 32 x 8.8 tires.

And I agree with the comment "you mean it's not already at Austin Acres?" It looks like a wonderful accessory restoration project that would go over well at tractor pulls as well as airshows!

I was finally able to find and speak with the owner of this air compressor. He said he got it at an auction at the old Webb Air Force Base (Big Spring, TX), about 25 years ago. It was used to air start the jets they had there, so my guess is those wheels came off a T-33, P-80, or similar. He said the data plate on it says the compressor will put out 105 cubic feet per minute! Wow!

The good news is he said he'd sell it to me. The bad news is that he wants what he paid for it 25 years ago, when it was still operational. I may end up getting it eventually, but likely not.

Gary