Warbird Information Exchange

Congrats!!

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

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Dang Cuz, sorry to hear about Working Girl's troubles! I had just written Karl about how we must have made history, two WWII heavies making their first flights, post major (over a year) maintenance, in Texas within an hour of each other.

In that first photo Ray posted of the Rose, you might notice all the yellow lettering missing. I think it looks better! Plan is, between now and Midland, and between crew qual flights, to repaint the OD on the tail, put new Commemorative Air Force and N25YR decals on the tail (in a more subdued color), and repaint some of the tan, especially behind the cockpit glass so the CAF "brand" wings can be applied.

For those of you who know him (like Cuz Ober), Ray Harper's grass strip is under the Rose in the first photo!

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Mike

The Yellow Rose flew again today for just less than an hour. Ron Dietes flew as PIC to get re-familiarized with the plane as he hasn't flown it in almost 16 months. Grant was SIC and I did F/M duty. The plane performed well though we had some odd readings from an ammeter. I'll investigate in the morning and possibly replace the meter. Tomorrow we hope to fly again to get Mike Renck checked out in the right seat!

Found the last squawk from yesterday's flight - the intercom switch in the rear of the plane was turned off... D'OH! I'll take problems like that any day! We still can't get used to not having to use a couple of rolls of paper towels to clean the left engine nacelle after a flight.

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Ray Clausen
Maintenance Officer
Centex Wing of the CAF

Yeah boy, it's GREAT to see THAT bird in the air again!!!

Now to get Raiders back in the blue, and we'll have two good old workhorses back doing what they did as well as or better'n anyone.

Congratulations to Mike Renck (bluehawk15) on his successful check flight for co-pilot of the Yellow Rose. He did a great job today! Now if we can get him some time so he can move to the left seat...

We put 2.0 hours on the Rose today bringing our total up to 4.0 hours since we got her back in the air. All squawks corrected but one - I need to read up on adjusting the carbon piles in the generator circuits. The left engine is clearly settling in and I need to raise the idle speed by about 150 rpm. Oil consumption is almost exactly what we expect. We're happy with the performance so far.

From the left waist gunner's seat, I got a shot of our new Second In Command in the making.

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Ray Clausen
Maintenance Officer
Centex Wing of the CAF

Yehaaaaw, still going strong and getting the bugs out. Congrats to Mike! It's been a long time coming!

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SAVAGE!!!! Congratulations all!!! Now we are one step closer to the family reunion photo op, Mike!

Congratulations to Mike, Ray, and the hard working crew! Thanks to Gary for getting the ball rolling and these guys to carry through! Ok, Ray she flew..... but how WELL? Did she handle a little more sporty? A little more responsive on the controls??????????????? Well done... Alan

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Just call me Al.

Well,

Four different pilots have flown her and Al Maxwell, Ron and Grant each commented about the positive handling and tight feel of the controls. Mike didn't have much time on her before the work, but he seemed pleased. I just get to fix her and I have to wait for the lucky guys who pilot her to give me some feedback on how she performs. I suppose I don't feel like the one who should say how well she flew, I'm a little biased...

Gary did us a HUGE favor when he grounded us. Admittedly, it was a tough pill to swallow. I was just starting as MO and I thought at the time it was a really lousy way to start. But he taught me to look far deeper than the inspection checklist and I can't tell you how much better off we are for it. Gary has had a profound effect on how I maintain an aircraft and most all of the owners and pilots of planes in the Centex hangar seem pretty happy with how we do it now. The Rose had been getting pencil whipped for years and was getting basically just the maintenance it took to get to the next air show. That's painfully clear to anyone who looks at the work we've been doing for the past 15 months, fixing long neglected issues. Airshowitis SUCKS! Watching the problems that the Devil Dog has had has shaped our maintenance work, too. It is responsible for my mantra that "if the plane isn't safe and ready, it isn't going anywhere." Oh, well enough of that...

We didn't fly today, with all the rain, so we hunted oil leaks and found two pushrod tubes that we tightened up. We installed the side panels in the aft end of the plane after a very thorough vacuuming out. We'll put the rest of the flight gear onboard Monday and I hope we can get one more good flight under our belts before we leave for Midland Thursday morning. We have one more new co-pilot, Calvin Allen, to qualify and I did say that I wanted 5 flight hours on the plane before we left the San Marcos area.

Thanks to everyone for all of the kind words, encouragement, and support. Come see us in Midland!

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Ray Clausen
Maintenance Officer
Centex Wing of the CAF

What our humble MO Ray didn't say is that he is also a new member of the flight crew, having been checked out as Flight Mechanic on her first day of flying! It really makes you feel good when the guy who just did all the work on the plane, including pulling a wing off, is right there with you with his backside strapped to the same metal as yours is.

Now that I'm a copilot, is this what I have to look forward to? I think it's from the old prop liner days, but I like it!

THE CO-PILOT LAMENT

I'm the copilot, I sit on the right.
I'm not important - just part of the flight.
I never talk back, lest I have regrets,
But I have to remember, what the pilot forgets.

I make out the flight plans, study the weather,
pull up the gear and stand by to feather.
Fill out the forms and do the reporting, and fly
the old crate when the pilot's a courting.

I take the readings, adjust the power, handle
the flaps and call the tower.
I find our position on the darkest of nights, and
do all the bookwork without any lights.

I call for the pilot and bring him cokes, then
have to laugh at his corny jokes.
More than once in a while, when his landings
are rusty, I'm right on the spot with a "Gosh,
but it's gusty".

All in all I'm a general stooge, as I sit on the
right of the man I call "Scrooge"
I guess you think it's beyond understanding,
but maybe some day he'll give me a landing.

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Mike

Just remember three things Mike...............always carry the bags, say nice landing Captn', and I'll take the ugly one.

Uh WAIT! You mean I gotta ride on that thing?!?!

Jus' kiddin'!

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Ray Clausen
Maintenance Officer
Centex Wing of the CAF

Well, we got the battery problems resolved by replacing them. Fixed the generator problem by replacing it, too. That fixed the last of the known squawks. Then we flew the Rose for an hour or so to get the check ride done for our new co-pilot, Calvin Allen!

Wednesday we will put in the flight gear and give the ol' girl a bath. Thursday morning, we leave for Midland!!! Hope to see you there!

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Ray Clausen
Maintenance Officer
Centex Wing of the CAF

Congrats !!!!! to all people involved in this effort and to the new co-pilots Have a safe squawk-free flight.....see y'all on Friday

Great news! Congrats

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager