Texas Airplane Factory - Herb Tischler & Ki-43 Jigs

[John Dupre]

I heard a story once that when Fairchild bought Republic Aircraft, dumpsters were filled with P-47 (and other Republic aircraft) info. Someone who worked there at the time understood the significance of the info and managed to salvage some of it, but the rest lies in a landfill somewhere!

Bill

Hughes Aircraft made sure to use bulldozers to grind the H8 Hercules (Spruce Goose) plans into the dirt after knowledgeable dump pickers began to recover the stuff from a landfill while they were still dumping it.

[Rocketeer]

I can confirm that Herb and George Tischler are alive. The Texas Airplane Factory was open at Meacham Field until around 2007 or so. They had a very unique and impressive business, and I enjoyed seeing it. They built 4 Swearingen SX-300s, 4 Grumman F3Fs, 6 Me 262s + plus 1 practice Me 262 fuselage that was incorporated into a static display, 4 Ki-43s as y'all may know - and much else in the previous years - including many of the components for the Curtiss P-6 Hawk at the EAA's Museum. I believe much of the tooling from the F3F, Ki-43, and Me 262 projects eventually went to Doug Champlin.

I hope this helps clear things up.

[Chris]

Then whats the story behind this one at Paul Allens place

[mike furline]

Then whats the story behind this one at Paul Allens place

It's a "real" one.

Preserved Axis Aircraft http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/
"Flying Heritage Collection, Washington Recovered after WWII and given to Australian War Memorial. Sold in 1954. Previously at Wanaka NZ, airworthy but not flown. Will be restored for flight."

[43-2195]

Captain Texas, Thank you very much.. Do you have any idea as to how I might contact them?

[oz rb fan]

it's unlikely that the fhc Oscar will ever fly,in an story in classic wings theyt stated it wouldnt be flown because of it's rarity,the restoration in nz was'nt to airworthy condition(though i did fly accidentally at warbirds over wanaka) be cause to bring it up to airworthy standards would mean replacing most of the airframe so it was bought upto taxiable condition.
it one of only three complete original aircraft.
Paul

[old iron]

The other two being at NASM (loan to Pima A&S Museum) and one in Indonesia. There are also various pieces and hulks scattered about, but I agree that none of these have much prospect of ever becoming a complete bird with mostly original parts.

Shame that there are so few as this was essentially the Army equivalent of the "Zero" in terms of high production and use.

[262crew]

I can confirm that Herb and George Tischler are alive. The Texas Airplane Factory was open at Meacham Field until around 2007 or so. They had a very unique and impressive business, and I enjoyed seeing it. They built 4 Swearingen SX-300s, 4 Grumman F3Fs, 6 Me 262s + plus 1 practice Me 262 fuselage that was incorporated into a static display, 4 Ki-43s as y'all may know - and much else in the previous years - including many of the components for the Curtiss P-6 Hawk at the EAA's Museum. I believe much of the tooling from the F3F, Ki-43, and Me 262 projects eventually went to Doug Champlin.

I hope this helps clear things up.

Some of your information concerning the ME262's is off. TAF did restoration work on VERA, built 5 2/3 fuselage's, parts for 5 "complete" A/C, and one set of wings.

[The Inspector]

And the first repopped Oscar from TAF suffered a gear collapse due to 'metal fatigue' on it's second taxi test-HMMMMMMMM

[Heatreatnbeat]

A big Texas howdy this is my first post.

just an FYI at that,

Herbert Tischler should be alive and well,

George Tischler last I heard was looking for his old job with the target acquisition system of the F 22.

Wife and Mother Tischler as of last year was very sick.

The drawings we used were Japanese and had absolutely no numbers or words. there is an unworthy ki 43 in South Africa . We used pictures to build those planes and the one in Paul Allen's possession is not the one that's been wrecked twice.

[DH82EH]

Thanks for the info.
Welcome to WIX.

Andy Scott

[DaveM2]

there is an unworthy ki 43 in South Africa .

Is there? Can you elaborate?

TIA
Dave

[Heatreatnbeat]

I remember walking into Herbs office several times and he had some pictures of what I thought to be the iib type on his desk, I asked him where they came from?, he said South Africa...
I then asked him why we were building copies., He said,
" this is the only one, it is unairworthy"

I maybe confusing that one with Mr.Allens. IIRC there was an inquiry for us to build a set of working cowl flaps, it was probably him.

It is a Ki-43ii...a or b. ? in private hands.

As for Oscar jigs and fixtures they were usually cut down to make the next smaller piece in line. The important wing shapes were, rib numbers 1 & 2 for the fuselage to bolt onto. The ribs 8 and 9 had the landing gear trunnion between them. The flanges on the important ribs were extrusions, the rest of the plane was hammered on maple blocks in a freehand translation of sorts.

Herb often accused me a building 1 in my backyard, looking back I think that was his way of giving advice.

The Me 262s didn't really need jigs, everything on 'em was an 1/8th inch thick...

P.S. If the pilot off the plane you just finished tells you to let the air out of the struts, argue with him for more than 5 minutes, . Whether or not you let the air out, he will still flop the thing back to the ground like a fish and ask if the plane is "okay"? With the plane's owner now standing directly behind him you reply back, " If you didn't see that hydraulic fluid blowing down the side, everything's fine".

[lmritger]

The Me 262s didn't really need jigs, everything on 'em was an 1/8th inch thick...

The German habit of overengineering everything can be both a blessing and a curse.

Welcome to WIX!

Lynn

[DaveM2]

HB

There are three preserved original survivors ( FHC, Pima (NASM aircraft) and Indonesia). There is one mostly complete in private hands (Harada san, Japan) and a large amount of wreckage ( Hunt brothers, Greinert).

The only example capable of taxi is the FHC aircraft ( shots taken at Wanaka when it got off the ground for a few seconds) This machine went to Australia postwar, to NZ in the mid nineties where it was restored, and then to FHC.

AFAIK none have ever been in Sth Africa. I did a major article on the type in #90, PM me your address and I will send you a copy.

Dave