Warbird Information Exchange

Fun is my middle name!

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

I can tell

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Fun is my middle name!

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

What's next?, you going to make a 5th wheel out of a fuselage? Hey!...

Funny you should mention what sdennison is doing next...I'll let him tell.

So, what does a Wright 1300 weigh? What does it weigh without internals? What would it look like as a coffee table? What would you like made from pistons, connecting rods, rockers...no valves, sorry sodium filled. Fourth of July only... Might be retail ops here if you know someone on the inside, he he he.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

IMAGINE THE ROULETTE WHEEL @ 24 ft. in diameter

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

An outfit on KPAE next to the 262 project has a chromed R-985 coffee table with a tempered glass round table surface. If I had a fireplace I'd be all over that Master rod.
What did you do with the exhaust valves? They need to be buried deeply (between the runways at an airport used to how it was done) so they won't be accidentally dug up like in a vacant lot, or under the foundation of a building where they can go back to nature and not pose a threat. How's the Mop-n-Glo working out?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Haven't tackled it yet. Was thinking about donating the valves to the local tech school.... Ha!

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

That'll work!

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

How do you lite those puppies. Wait, maybe just throw them in the furnace, yeah? Nice safety glasses.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Unless you want the absolutely biggest, hottest most uncontrollable fire you've ever experienced, DO NOT attempt to get them to burn!! Moisture can light them off which is why cracked ones are disposed of, Sodium/Potassium in the valve stems is, with the addition of some aluminum powder, the basic ingredients in the Shuttle SRB's fuel, and we can all remember how much fun those appeared to be to extinguish.
Don't hit them with a hammer, don't heat them with that old blue tip wrench, dispose of them as soon and as safely as you can, and that's as serious as seeing your brother-in-law getting out of a cab with suitcases!!!
'Taint funny at all! It will exceeed your 'here hold my beer and watch this' quotent.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

A fellow mechanic in another place (many yrs ago) cut open several sodium filled valves and scraped out the sodium paste. He rolled it all together into a gum ball sized wad and passed it around the shop, just the moisture on your hands is enough to start a reaction so I made myself busy on the other side of the building. Wasn't long till some genious decided to set this large wad of sodium on a wooden desk and then spit on it! WOW what a fire! Since I was out of danger it was amusing watching the panic set in as 4 idiots tried to stop the reaction

Ya, remember chemistry class 1966-ish where sodium was kept in glass jar filled with diesel fuel to insulate from air. Teach would take the cake out and cut a piece off, then just wait for spontaneous show biz. Friggin great!

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Just for reference, since it's believed these aren't off the L-1011, here are what the L-1011 cowls look like


I was photographing the whole plane, so this crop is a bit extreme for trying to get details

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.