Deviating around a cell.

Scott Johansson flies Olde Style Aircraft's Waco RNF "Roy Timm Special".

     Scott Johansson took up Olde Style Aircraft's Waco RNF, the "Roy Timm Special" Saturday morning.

The airplane was heavily modified for aerobatics in the 1950's, including a bigger engine (Cont-220 off a Stearman), extending back the leading edges, doubling of all the flying wires and most interestingly the adding of a Cessna spring-steel landing gear.

Scott said, "It climbs like a RNF, flies like a UPF and lands like a Cessna 180."

Wayne Muxlow visits and Making Airplane Noises!

I had the day off, it was raining. So I chose to go out to Creve Coeur Airport (cc) and see what how my friend Glenn was coming along on the Curtiss-Wright Air Sedan and to see our (mutual) friend Wayne Muxlow who was on his way home from Sun 'n Fun.

Wayne got there a little after 11 and after giving him a quick update on our status, we went to lunch.

Getting back from lunch, the clouds and drizzle had given way to clear, blue skies. Glenn wanted to "shake the hangar" to he could turn the Air Sedan around to work on the front end.

Getting a little stick time while the Air Sedan was outside.

The Curtiss-Wright (Travel Air) Air Sedan sees sunlight for the first time this spring.

View of the front office.

"Their sandwiches are this long!"

I taxi the St Louis Cardinal!

     I lucked out by going to the airport this morning. I went to visit Glenn and see how he was coming along on the Air Sedan. I pulled up and noticed that John's crew had the 1929 St Louis Cardinal pulled out, sitting shiny and pretty in the sun. I asked if they were going to run the engine or if they had run it already. They told me yes and said they were getting ready to take it back to the hangar.

I asked Jimmy Johnson if I could have the honor of sitting in it when they started it up. He said, "yea, as long as you taxi it over to the hangar."

I crawled into the tiny, cramped cockpit and waited for directions. The airplane is undergoing an annual and it took a while for us to get it started. Turned out the mixture control was not hooked up. Once that was fixed, a quick flick of the blade and the Kinner hummed along in its characteristic sewing-machine way. They wanted to check the tach, which wasn't working. Another thing for the list. They handed me an electronic tach and I measured the rpms for them. Good enough, off to the hangar.

What an honor and privilege to sit in this rare aircraft and to be able to taxi it.

Thanks Jimmy.

Prototype Curtiss-Wright (Travel Air) Air Sedan Restoration.

Went out for my weekly visit to my friend Glenn Pecks hangar yesterday. This old dinosaur is just a few months from taking her first breath in several years.

The fuselage is basically finished except for painting the cowling.

He had the wings on to align the strut fittings and to make the fairings between they and the fuselage.

Classic wood and chrome on the instrument panel.

We go to Dayton

The Wright Family Plot in Woodland Cemetery.

Sky standing in front of the Wright (Brothers) House in Dayton.

Woodland Cemetery.

Little 5-year old Johnny fell into the Erie Canal. 

His trusty Lab jumped in, grabbed him and brought him back to shore.

However, it was too late. Poor Johnny had drowned.

Sky gets ready to go for a Rearwin Sky Ranger ride with Andy Heins.

On final to the grass at Moraine Air Park.

Embraer Lineage Engine

   

     The fan section of an Embraer Lineage engine. 

Stare at it long enough and it starts to turn!