This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
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Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:21 pm

Hey Todd,

check the ramp in Hamilton on Sunday if you want to see a T-34. (weather permitting.)

Glenn

Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:21 pm

Hey Todd,

check the ramp in Hamilton on Sunday if you want to see a T-34. (weather permitting.)

Glenn

Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:13 am

taigh, post pics...........I am in knoxville now and unfortunatly I am working a day trade this weekend. I tried to get my uncle to bring the H-18 but gas is to expensive.

Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:42 am

Here are some more shots from yesterday:

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Pete Quartrup's awesome SNB-5. You need welding goggles to look at it!

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I got to go up with Rand Siegfried in his Beech for the formation practice. He was flying lead in a formation of four Twin Beech's and one Cessna Bobcat

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I am heading out early this morning as Paul Minert has arranged for me to get a ride in a Staggerwing with the dawn patrol. I have never been up in one so I am pretty excited.

More later.

Thanks,
Taigh

Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:54 am

Staggerwings... :heart: :heart: :heart:

Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:45 am

Taigh, Maybe you will like your ride so much that you will want one. My uncle has a project in his hangar. Been there since I was a kid. My cousin and I did a few bomber missions in it. A year or so ago, he asked me if I wanted to take it on as a project but the wood work is a bit scary to me.

In the late 50's ( I think). The master rod broke in flight, an emergency landing was made in a field. Just as the mains touched, 2 fence posts went through the lower wings.
The airplane was bought from Beech by the John Deere Tractor company.

Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:48 am

Hey, I see Christine made it down! That is great. Is there a Mystery Ship in the Beech Museum.

Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:04 am

Check it out! http://www.beechcraftheritagemuseum.org/

Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:59 pm

Well I got to fulfill another dream; flying in a Staggerwing. What a nice one it was too! I didn't know until after we got back that the pilot was Stephen Dyer, owner of Univair Aircraft. She was a beautiful D-17S and flew as beautifully as she looked. Stephen did a masterful job of flying a bunch of low passes and close formation.

Here is Stephen flying his beautiful D-17S:

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Sadly it has been way too long since I enjoyed a good dawn patrol. Boy have I been missing out. Waking up a 985 in an aircraft still covered with morning dew, flying around with a bunch of friends in the still morning air; it doesn't get much better!

Here are some shots of the Beech party over the nose of the 985:

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Hey Toddb here is a shot of one of the T-34's:

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Hey 6trn4brn these are for you:

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We were flying next to Robert Parish's georgeous G-17S:

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Here is a link to a low res video of some air to air:

http://www.twinbeech.com/images/tullahoma/Staggerwing.wmv

Here is a bigger one:

http://www.twinbeech.com/images/tullahoma/MOV09786.MPG

There are some great maintenance seminars and round motor lectures here as well as a good bunch of folks to talk to. The museum has come a long way from a few type clubs to a world class museum. It keeps getting better each year. You all should stop by. The museum is a well kept secret so pass the word.

I hope you all like this stuff. There are a few warbirds in there if you look close.

Thanks,
Taigh

Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:59 pm

Gorgeous pics! That Staggerwing sure is a thing of beauty! :D :D

Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:29 pm

Those Staggerwings are simply gorgeous.............

Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:25 pm

Great pics!
Thanks for posting them Taigh.
Looks like it was a real fun event.
Jerry

Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:29 pm

Some Beeches! :wink:

Or as stated in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" "Beeches! I don't got to show you no stinkin' Beeches!" :lol:

Actually, dumb question. In photo #9, it looks like from the props, not counter rotating? How's the full power torque?

Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:26 am

The Beech 18's engines turn in the same direction and the torque at full power is quite manageable. I will lead with the left engine on the takeoff roll to help maintain neutral rudder. That’s the nice thing about a twin; you can use the engines as you would the rudders for directional control both on the ground taxiing and in a cross wind situation on landing.

The Twin Beech is a wonderful aircraft that makes a great Warbird. It comes in a variety of different models; bombardier, gunnery, navigation, radar, photography, instrument, drone controller and general hack.

I especially like the AT-11 as it is a miniature bomber with ten 100 pound bombs, a twin 30 powered gun turret, Norden (or Sperry) bomb sight, C-1 autopilot (or A-5 for the Sperry), cool old radios and a hand held flexible 30 cal gun.

While at Tullahoma there was a beautiful formation flown almost every evening. The Siegfried family flew together in an awesome display; Old Bob flying the Stearman, Bob flying the Bonanza, Rick in the T-6 and Rand in the Beech 18.

You can’t swing a dead cat at an air show these days without hitting a Siegfried. They are all over the place!

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There was a lot of formation flying with about 8 Bonanzas, two or three Staggerwing’s, five Twin Beech's and a UC-78.

It was a beautiful gathering with a lot of rides being given (see Paul Minert he is your travel agent for free flights). I highly recommend going next year. The museum is certainly worth the trip all by itself. They have the very first Staggerwing (serial number 1) and a Staggerwing without any covering which is facinating. There are several Beech 18's on display, a Starship and a bilding full of Bonanzas and other Beechcraft products. The factory is getting behind this museum and it is certainly getting better each year.

Thanks,
Taigh

Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:16 pm

Taigh,

Thanks for the tech info on throttle use. That's definitely informative. The plane is beautiful and looks like a great time.

My Pop once was asked to fly the Bamboo Bomber on a booze and egg run in Burma during the war and had never flown a twin. It was assumed that any pilot could fly any aircraft. Unfortunately, he had navigational issues with beacons that were not operational and belly landed on a sand bar on the Ganges River. Cool story when the rest of the blanks are filled in.

Your images are beautiful and surely exhibit the love you have for this plane and the joy of flying it . Thanks for sharing!
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