Yellow Rose B-25 News - GET YOUR NOSE ART CAP NOW!!

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:36 am

OK, the mechanics won the fight! I had hopes of starting on some paint
work this Sunday, redoing the gray under the horizontal and at the inside
bottom of the verticals. Found out that we were having some mechs working on a few little things Sunday, and I didn't want to slow them down in ANY way!

It's looking like we are still on track for a first flight this coming
Saturday! Hey, she can fly with ugly paint. I will give way to the
maintainers anytime!

Be sure to welcome our Maintenance Officer, Ray Clausen, to WIX. He has finally been able to find enough time to stop lurking and start contributing to WIX. His first post is about the CenTex Wing, CAF's P-39 and some fantastic news about the project I hinted about above...the CAF's P-63F will be returning to the CenTex Wing's "Cobra Den" hangar so that the same excellent maintenance team who has done such amazing work on the Rose can get the P-63 back in the air!

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

Mike,

I was able to take a few minutes to read through this thread and the work which is being carried out on the Rose is terrific and the levels of care being taken are monumental. I look forward to seeing the Rose back in the air. Perhaps a photo op flight with Maid in the Shade one of these days?

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:22 pm

That's a great idea Matt!!! I'm sure we can make that happen. I'm going to check around some of our long-time members and see if anyone has a photo of the two girls sitting together after John Stokes brought them to San Marcos. Be nice to have family before and after pictures!

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

bluehawk15 wrote:

That's a great idea Matt!!! I'm sure we can make that happen. I'm going to check around some of our long-time members and see if anyone has a photo of the two girls sitting together after John Stokes brought them to San Marcos. Be nice to have family before and after pictures!

Excellent! Now, if you don't mind making it happen in S/E PA all the better!!

I like the before and after idea very much, that will make a great display. I'm eager to see if once Texas Raiders gets airborne she does not wind up with some visiting sisters. :cool:

That would be too cool!

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:19 am

Another slight push back for the first flight date. We are just two or three working days away from the first flight, provided all goes well, but we are going to lose a day this week. Something about some of our maintainers going to check out a certain P-63F one day this week!

So, instead of Saturday, we are looking at Monday now at the earliest. We'll keep you posted.

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:15 pm

OK, yet another push back on the first flight day. This time it was my idea. I thought it would be better to have the first flight on a Saturday, instead of a Monday, so that more people could be there for this important event. (Besides, it makes my monthly report to CAF HQ easy, all I have to do is check the box that says the aircraft did not fly this month!)

Plan now, which seems to be pretty firm, is to fly on the 5th of September. This will give the maintainers a couple of extra working days to give a final looking over before flight.

Then, if the first flight goes well, there will be a lot more over the next couple of weeks to break in the new engine. One of these flights will be over the city of Windcrest, located in the San Antonio metro area (northeast of the intersection of Loop 410 and I-35). That sortie will be 19 SEP at or just before 1000. We will kick off the 50th anniversary of the town's founding parade. Dick Cole is to be the Grand Marshall of the parade.

We will also be checking out two new copilots during these maintenance flights. Guess who one is?

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:43 pm

bluehawk15 wrote:

OK, yet another push back on the first flight day. This time it was my idea. I thought it would be better to have the first flight on a Saturday, instead of a Monday, so that more people could be there for this important event. (Besides, it makes my monthly report to CAF HQ easy, all I have to do is check the box that says the aircraft did not fly this month!)

Plan now, which seems to be pretty firm, is to fly on the 5th of September. This will give the maintainers a couple of extra working days to give a final looking over before flight.

Then, if the first flight goes well, there will be a lot more over the next couple of weeks to break in the new engine. One of these flights will be over the city of Windcrest, located in the San Antonio metro area (northeast of the intersection of Loop 410 and I-35). That sortie will be 19 SEP at or just before 1000. We will kick off the 50th anniversary of the town's founding parade. Dick Cole is to be the Grand Marshall of the parade.

We will also be checking out two new copilots during these maintenance flights. Guess who one is?

Right near my neighborhood! Do you know if they want any more aircraft?
Shoot me an email if you get a chance.

Ryan

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

bluehawk15 wrote:

OK, yet another push back on the first flight day. This time it was my idea. I thought it would be better to have the first flight on a Saturday, instead of a Monday, so that more people could be there for this important event. (Besides, it makes my monthly report to CAF HQ easy, all I have to do is check the box that says the aircraft did not fly this month!)

Plan now, which seems to be pretty firm, is to fly on the 5th of September. This will give the maintainers a couple of extra working days to give a final looking over before flight.

Then, if the first flight goes well, there will be a lot more over the next couple of weeks to break in the new engine. One of these flights will be over the city of Windcrest, located in the San Antonio metro area (northeast of the intersection of Loop 410 and I-35). That sortie will be 19 SEP at or just before 1000. We will kick off the 50th anniversary of the town's founding parade. Dick Cole is to be the Grand Marshall of the parade.

We will also be checking out two new copilots during these maintenance flights. Guess who one is?

That sounds like a great way to kick off the parade. I hope some Youtube footage appears.

Ray Clausen · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:19 pm

Hello,

Ray Clausen, Yellow Rose Maintenance Officer, here. As Mike (bluehawk15) said earlier, I decided to quit lurking and became a poster.

We've been struggling with a logistical dilemma between the Rose and the incoming P-63 but I made the decision myself and the Yellow Rose should return to the air on Saturday, September 5th.

Mike and I set that date a few days ago but then the plans to bring the P-63 back to San Marcos began to snowball out of control. Our volunteer with a large truck capable of the move could only do it on Saturday. Ezell's is closed on Saturday but he's a great guy and agreed to let us come get it on Saturday anyway. We needed to send people up during the week to prepare for the move to minimize the time Ezell would be open on Saturday. It just keeps on going...

To get control again, I simply made the call. We will send a team up to get everything but the fuselage of the P-63 (probably) this week. Once the Rose is flying, my maintenance team can turn their attention to the P-63 project. Well, after we sober up, anyway. There WILL be a celebration after a successful maintenance flight! We will retrieve the fuselage as soon as possible after Nelson returns from Reno.

For the next few workdays, the Cobra Den maintenance crew will focus on preparing the Yellow Rose for her long awaited return to flight! I can't hardly wait to see some air under her, but man, have I got a lot of paperwork to do!

Holedigger · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:42 pm

Make sure there is a camera or two and some video rolling for her flight, I and a few others here would sure like to share the experience with you all.....once you sober up!! :wink:

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:41 am

The new engine had a little trouble getting up to the power setting, but it looks like it could have been a loose intake tube. Cross your fingers, they are running it again today. If the problem is fixed, we are still on for a Saturday flight!

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 am

Here's an update on the status of the Yellow Rose from Maintenance Officer Ray Clausen:

"Hi Everybody!

I know you have all been wondering about the Rose flying this weekend and I wish I could give you a definite 'yes' on it. Sadly, I can't at this
time. We are working hard on a VERY frustrating manifold pressure issue on the new, left engine. Right now, we just can't build full power on the engine.

We've tried the simple and the obvious and are being as methodical as
possible in the elimination of each possible cause. The engine runs smoothly and we've been in regular contact with the builder since the first start. We've checked in with him almost every time we've taken her out to run her, getting his input and making sure we weren't risking damage or wear. Aircraft engines are made to fly and a lot of run time on the ground, especially for fresh engines, isn't the best thing for them. We've been repeatedly assured that we are doing everything correctly and should be good. We have a couple more possible causes to eliminate before we begin to consider the worst.

The rest of the work is almost complete. We put the flap in the left wing
and the right one is ready to install. We have been making sweeps of the
entire plane, looking for tools, parts, debris, and any work left undone. As soon as a volunteer makes a sweep, we have another go through and look again. Boring but necessary work. Jim Liles and I will make the last sweeps. We do have a retract test to perform, too.

In the coming weeks, the Rose will be getting a touch-up of her paint and
she will be getting her "tramp stamp". The HOG Rally is coming up fast and we need to have five or more hours of flight time on her before then, so we can sell some rides.

I try to be an optimist, as much as reality will allow me to be, and I
hope to be emailing out good news soon. I still hope to fly Saturday morning, but will let everyone know if that changes. Either way, I'll get a status report out Friday evening to let you know where we stand. We appreciate any prayers, positive wishes, words of encouragement, or crossed fingers you might send our way.

Thanks!

Ray"

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:19 am

We are breathing a collective sigh of relief here! We have power!! It seems the prop governor was the problem. After returning it to the shop and them going through it again, it was put back on the left engine. The engine run-up went well, with both engines producing equal full power!!!

It looks like we are on track for a first flight tomorrow!!!!!! Retraction test, and the last flap to install, then sometime today the Rose will get another engine run and high-speed taxi. If all goes well, sometime tomorrow (in the morning?) there will be air under the wheels, without jacks being needed!

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:26 pm

Looking good Cuz. Will be great to see her back in the air. We have Spirit of Hondo/Working Girl C-47 all back together, annual done and ready to go. Last hurdle...........drivers! We will be in Midland if we can get maintenance flights done and find driver(s) that have that weekend available.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:47 pm

Fingers crossed! Good Luck and be careful!

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