VFM: A beehive of activity!

[K5DH]

There is a lot going on at the Vintage Flying Museum these days!

Here is a selection of random photos from Saturday, March 6:

Airplanes, airplanes, airplanes!



Maintenance on B-17 Chuckie continues. #1 engine is getting a new ignition wiring harness:



Karen (LadyO2Pilot) has her slick black O-2 in our hangar for its annual:



This C-47 joined us recently (yes, it was flown here!) and will be receiving a full restoration. It's a documented combat veteran from the Pacific theatre, and records indicate that the father of the Dak's current owner flew as navigator on this ship in combat! Before being rescued, this C-47 was working as a freight dog at San Juan, PR.




The Pacific Prowler folks are always up to something. They just acquired these two former Mexican Air Force T-28A's, which I was told had been sitting disassembled in a field near Laredo, Texas. The tentative plan is to build one flyer and one static. They have two complete airframes and three R-1300 engines.





They also recently acquired an awesome ex-military fuel truck! This is a working rig, which they use to gas up the Prowler and their C-49J Southern Cross.



How's this for a "vintage photo":



Here's our very own Hawkeye installing some much-needed new light fixtures:



Of course, all work and no flying makes for a dull existence. Pacific Prowler was flying today, so some of us went along for the ride!

Here are three young members of the Pacific Prowler maintenance team. . .



And me! (still in my dirty coveralls; I literally climbed down off a maintenance stand and walked straight out to the Prowler when Jim hollered out that there were empty seats and they're about to start engines)



Here's a "Mitchell rider's eye" view of Meacham Field. . .



. . .and Texas Motor Speedway:



Lots of great stuff going on at VFM these days! If you're in Fort Worth on a weekend, please stop in and see us!

Cheers!

Last edited by K5DH on Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

[The Inspector]

Find that lad on the left a WRIGHT AIRCRAFT ENGINES cap and have him quit wearing that silly bird hat, thats like cheering for John Force while wearing a NAPA hat-

[Steve Nelson]

Cool pics! I notice the Gooney Bird has Wright engines..does that still make it a C-47?

SN

[Glen]

Awesome pictures ! I miss being around The Hospers & friends . Is there a Chance that Chuckie might make it to Thunder this Year ?

[Steveo05196]

the c47 came with wright 1820's but the owner want us to put 1830's on it just like in wwII

[Second Air Force]

Awesome pictures ! I miss being around The Hospers & friends . Is there a Chance that Chuckie might make it to Thunder this Year ?

We're certainly working hard to make Thunder happen, Glen. You can keep up with the progress on '543 here if you'd like: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=29083

Scott

[K5DH]

Is there a Chance that Chuckie might make it to Thunder this Year ?

I think we stand a great chance of having the B-17 flying again in time to make Thunder. We have a talented crew of volunteers working on our beloved ship every weekend, and sometimes during the week as well. The biggest obstacle we face is MONEY. Between the fuel and oil for the airplane and the food, lodging, and car rental for the crew of ten, this is going to be a VERY expensive trip. Cash donations and offers of corporate sponsorship would be most welcome!

[Obergrafeter]

Say O-2 Lady what happened to the ordanance on board placard? Nothings on it. Are you running around unnarmed now that you left the underground secret complex? See my listing under new events and let me know what might have to happen to see you and Brian again.

[valdez25]

To the Inspector: AFTER LAST YEARS SHENANIGANS IN THE FUNNY CAR POINTS CHASE, NOBODY ROOTS FOR JOHN FORCE!!!!!

[LadyO2Pilot]

Say O-2 Lady what happened to the ordanance on board placard? Nothings on it. Are you running around unnarmed now that you left the underground secret complex? See my listing under new events and let me know what might have to happen to see you and Brian again.

The placard is still there...light is just shining funny on it. Never unarmed, ya know....

I see the event announcement....will contact you back channel to discuss.

[bdk]

Never experienced anything as loud as the back of a B-25. Hope y'all had ear protection (or at leastr switched off your hearing aids)!

[The Inspector]

Should I have said Little Jeffie 'letting' JJ 'catch' him in the SAMECAR race @ Las Vegas last week instead?

[Rajay]

Karen (LadyO2Pilot) has her slick black O-2 in our hangar for its annual:



They also recently acquired an awesome ex-military fuel truck! This is a working rig, which they use to gas up the Prowler and their C-49J Southern Cross.



Lots of great stuff going on at VFM these days! If you're in Fort Worth on a weekend, please stop in and see us!

Cheers!

Very nice pix. Looks like a very "happening" place to be. The fuel truck also is very cool!

I have to comment on the jacks on which the O-2 is sitting - they don't look like they're capable of picking it up, at least not high enough to swing the gear. The shop I used to work in had jacks like that plus several other types, too. My recollection from working on a couple of Cessna 337's was that a taller jack with much longer extension legs was necessary to pick the 337 up high enough to swing the gear. IIRC, it was also necessary to pick it up halfway without the extension legs on the jacks, block it somehow, and then install the extension legs and finish the lift. Up that high with two wings jacks, a shorter jack under the nose, and with a fixed stand under one of the booms, the darn thing was still pretty unsteady. The need to jack it that high to swing the gear, with the high wing and all, was one of the most "inconvenient" aspects of maintaining that series of aircraft.

Finally, it is my understanding that R-1300 engines are not very common. There used to be an old T-28 based at BUY when I working at a repair station there and the owner had upgraded it to have a R-1820. Would that be more practical/convenient than restoring a R-1300 for the T-28's you mentioned?

[LadyO2Pilot]

We later got a longer entension for the borrowed jacks and had an engine hoist with heavy strap around boom to go up in concert with the jacks.....not an one-man job . I had the "privilege" of pumping the gear which is always the scary time....but this is my eighth time doing it this way and guess the a/c jacking gods are looking after me. Luckily with lots of help it went fairly quickly. Only one time in another place with other wing jacks did I have to leave the plane up for an extended time. I was also living in another town and could only work on it on weekends.......I had heart palpitations all during the weeks until I could go back and still see it on the jacks the next weekend.

[LadyO2Pilot]

The annual's finished, the plane flew for short time today, washed, waxed and ready for first show next weekend. Would like to thank the VFM volunteers who helped from time to time especially Bill Gorin who made my nose strut legal again with nitrogen...that was kinda of a "challenge." Let's say possible design flaw by Cessna. And thanks to Steve Swift, Pat Mahaffey and the Prowler Boys for their help, conversation and good company during the week. This will be a fun and nice place for the black bird to nest.