Kermits N3N

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:59 pm

Well I still dont know the bureau number of this airplane!!!!! Been there twice and still have not seen it or got the info on what I want. I did get close the last time, I got there late to miss the restoration shop tour but got to see the storage lot. I begged to just peak in but was not allowed. Well they probably have not seen these yet but here it is. I wonder if he got the floats????

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:32 am

Hey Jeff,

How big are the floats on an N3N in total buoyancy, any idea? The Stearman's were operated on Edo 4930's which would have given them almost ten thousand pounds.

Dan

Fouga23 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:37 am

Nice!

JBoyle · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:26 pm

When/where were the photos taken?
What are the ships...they look pre-war?

Nathan · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 3:09 pm

N3N's look better on floats. :twisted:

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 5:54 pm

Dan Jones wrote:

Hey Jeff,

How big are the floats on an N3N in total buoyancy, any idea? The Stearman's were operated on Edo 4930's which would have given them almost ten thousand pounds.

Dan

Could not say but the center float is pretty dam big. I can definatly say that its longer than a early 80's Buick LeSabre!!!!

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:00 pm

cooper wrote:

Thanks for the pics of our N3N, we have never seen those pictures before and it is great to see what it looked like all in one piece. When I have time I will try to research the Bu. no.

PLEASE DO!!!!!!!! Been asking for a number of years now. Also when your looking at her, when looking at the firewall facing the tail. Near the upper left engine mount on the original firewalls is a metal plate the shape of a dog tag that is installed with 2 rivets. Can you write those numbers down for me!!!!! This is what I believe to be a NAF construction number. This will have no relation to her bureau number in a direct way

Thanks!!!! I really do appreciate the help!!!!! who knows I may have some Wartime pics of the airplane to post next!!!

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:01 pm

JBoyle wrote:

When/where were the photos taken?
What are the ships...they look pre-war?

Pics were taken in the Mid 60's

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:05 pm

Nathan wrote:

N3N's look better on floats. :twisted:

Your comming around Nathan!!!!! Now take that little girl of yours to a airshow like MAAM and teach her right!!!!! Point to the stearman and say "Junk".....then point to the N3N and say "Pretty biplane". Thats being a responsible Parrent!!!

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:18 am

N3Njeff wrote:

Nathan wrote:

N3N's look better on floats. :twisted:

Your comming around Nathan!!!!! Now take that little girl of yours to a airshow like MAAM and teach her right!!!!! Point to the stearman and say "Junk".....then point to the N3N and say "Pretty biplane". Thats being a responsible Parrent!!!

Ahem...

SaxMan · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:28 am

Nathan wrote:

N3N's look better on floats. :twisted:

I just saw the N3N at Udvar-Hazy tonight as our band played for BAE's holiday party where they rented the whole place out. I couldn't get close enough to measure the float, but by my judgment, it was "big".

You don't realize how big that building is until you drive around the back of it, as we were allowed to. I also got a peek in the restoration shop. They had what looked like a Grumman Bearcat in there sporting what appeared to be a new coat of paint. It was the only plane in there that I could see from the taxiway, which is what we had to drive on to get to the north side of the building, where we were loading in. We set up just in front of the P-61 and were facing the SR-71 all night.

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 7:31 am

Yea its big!! When we found our float back in the early 80's. It was sitting next to the T-28 at fall river mass. under a tarp. At like the age of 10, I was the one that noticed it. Its nose peaking out just enough. I went under and uncovered it just enough to find the NAF Data plate to confirm it. We started to ask the museum staff and one said it was a wingtip float to a PBY and we asked what was to become of it. One member said that he wanted to cut the top open and make it a canoe. Well thats when dad asked if they would sell it and they took our offer of $100.00 donation to the museum!!!!!!

We then went to the U-haul and rented a luggage rack and attached it to a 1982 Buick Le Sabre and headed back to the museum!!! Once there we loaded our "PBY tip float" like a canoe on top of the car and tied it down and on our way back to vermont we went!!!!

I remember all the looks we got every time we stopped, most questions were "is that a submarine?"

old iron · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 3:15 pm

Quote:

I just saw the N3N at Udvar-Hazy tonight as our band played for BAE's holiday party where they rented the whole place out. I couldn't get close enough to measure the float, but by my judgment, it was "big".

You don't realize how big that building is until you drive around the back of it, as we were allowed to. I also got a peek in the restoration shop. They had what looked like a Grumman Bearcat in there sporting what appeared to be a new coat of paint.

I assume that was the Helldiver, which I think is the only plane presently in the UH Restoration building.

SaxMan · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:59 am

old iron wrote:

I assume that was the Helldiver, which I think is the only plane presently in the UH Restoration building.

Yes. That must have been it. I forgot that Grumman and Douglas weren't the only companies that made carrier aircraft :twisted:

It was a bit tough to recognize from the taxiway behind the museum, which is a good 100 to 200 yards from the building. They only had the fuselage section in a jig, without the Helldiver's distinctive tail attached. I forgot that late-war Helldivers came in the overall blue paint scheme and that threw me off, too.

Based on what I was able to see, when the Helldiver goes on display, it will be magnificent.

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