Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:32 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 35 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:26 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 1173
Location: Tulsa, OK
Hello folks!

It is with great excitement that I share here with the WIX community that the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium has acquired the last remaining Spartan NP-1! This aircraft, one of 201 built by the Spartan Aircraft during World War II, was the 47th NP-1 produced. Delivered on November 17, 1941, the aircraft served with the Navy as a training aircraft before ultimately ending up at a trade school as a rigging instructional airframe. It was then used as an engine test bed by the school and then as a test bed by a crop duster, before being rescued by an Oregon family in 1969. The aircraft underwent a 15 year restoration, before being flown again in July 1984. Other than a small pile of parts that exists in name only, this is the last remaining NP-1. The most significant contribution to World War II made by the NP-1 occurred on November 21, 1942, when former President George H.W. Bush completed his first solo flight in an NP-1.

For WIX members, the exciting aspect of this transaction is that it was facilitated by WIX members, with contact being made initially through WIX. WIX hall of famer Jack Cook was immensely helpful. I will let the seller reveal himself if he wishes, but suffice it to say he's a regular here. Cool things do happen here! Thank you to everyone who helped out.

The aircraft was unloaded here in Tulsa this afternoon, coming off of the trailer about 3:00PM. This was the first time this aircraft had been in Tulsa in 66 1/2 years. It will be reassembled and test flown this summer, before being dedicated at an event this fall. Due to its extreme rarity and the fragile nature of the aircraft, it will be well preserved on static display, but will be maintained in as close to flyable condition as possible.

Below is a link to a local news station's coverage of the unloading. The guy in the white shirt is me! Click the video link to see it coming out of the trailer. (hope I don't look like too much of a goober)

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=8212127

Also below are some photos of the unloading. It was a little difficult, but the great folks at Flight Concepts here in Tulsa made it possible!

Thanks again to all. When it is reassembled, I'll be sure to post additional photos and information here.

kevin


Loading it in Oregon...
Image

Image

Image

Image

A tight fit in the trailer...
By the way, Mr. Owner, that's Doug talking to you on my cell about how to get it out of there!
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


Getting the wings off first...

Image

Image

Image

Image


Coming out of the trailer- WOW!

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


And out!!! Yaaaaay!!!

Image

Image

Image


And finally, the data plate- see, it really was built in Tulsa!

Image

_________________
FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:13 am 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:56 pm
Posts: 3442
Location: North of Texas, South of Kansas
Congratulations!

First the FST project and now the Spartan. It's good to see an NP-1 back at it's birthplace. Now if someone would just donate an Executive (that I could use from time to time 8) ) the museum would be set.

Scott


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:59 am 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue May 11, 2004 5:42 pm
Posts: 6880
Location: The Goldfields, Victoria, Australia
Great stuff Tulsaboy.

So it's like, basically a copy of an N2N crossed with a Stearman, then? :hide:

Hey, Check you PMs, too. ;)

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:02 am 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member

Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:36 am
Posts: 7961
Location: Mt. Vernon, WA.
Just GOOGLED the image of it. Danged large beast wasn't it? Must have climbed like a monkey with all that graceful wing out there and what appears to be pretty low loading, any one ever flown one?

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:15 am 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue May 11, 2004 5:42 pm
Posts: 6880
Location: The Goldfields, Victoria, Australia
The Inspector wrote:
Just GOOGLED the image of it. Danged large beast wasn't it? Must have climbed like a monkey with all that graceful wing out there and what appears to be pretty low loading, any one ever flown one?


Great pilot's manual film as a slideshow here:

http://www.tailwheel.nl/s/spartannp1/index.html

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:07 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club

Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm
Posts: 2760
The Inspector wrote:
Just GOOGLED the image of it. Danged large beast wasn't it? Must have climbed like a monkey with all that graceful wing out there and what appears to be pretty low loading, any one ever flown one?


Why not ask fellow WIXer JCW? He can give a first hand pilot report! :D

Congrats, Tulsaboy!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: ????
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:13 am 
Offline
Co-MVP - 2006
User avatar

Joined: Sat May 01, 2004 11:21 pm
Posts: 11468
Location: Salem, Oregon
I miss her already!
She was sure a lot of fun 8) :!:

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:22 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 1173
Location: Tulsa, OK
Thanks for all the encouragement, folks! We sure are excited to have it here. It's a good looking aircraft, and is extra-special to us here in Tulsa as a homegrown product.

Below is the newspaper story on the aircraft. Kudos to Don Stewart of the Tulsa World for getting an aviation story right!

kevin

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/arti ... ancl646653

_________________
FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:25 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 1173
Location: Tulsa, OK
Scott, we're working on the executive. Stay tuned... Our goal is to ultimately have all of the Tulsa-built aircraft on hand. That would include:

Spartan
C-2 (got it)
C-3 (had it, might get it back)
NP-1 (got it!)
Executive
Model 12 (maybe)
C-4
C-5

Built at Douglas- Tulsa
A-24
A-26
B-47 (unlikely)
B-66 (almost impossible)
B-24 (none known to exist, would be a miracle)

So we're making good progress working down our list.

kevin

_________________
FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!


Last edited by tulsaboy on Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:44 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 9:04 am
Posts: 176
Location: Canby, Oregon
no it does not climb very well. wing loading a little more than a stearman. acft is 250 - 300 lbs more than a stearman. 2 , 23 gal wing tanks with 42 usable. (couple less than stearman). didn't fly it to tulsa as it will only get to about 7500' before it hangs up and takes to much fuel to get higher. so no alt or range. hard to get over the rockies. not to mention the risk wasn't worth it. i built it once and didn't want to build it again. it does bore a real nice, stable hole thru the sky..


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: ???
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:57 am 
Offline
Co-MVP - 2006
User avatar

Joined: Sat May 01, 2004 11:21 pm
Posts: 11468
Location: Salem, Oregon
and a whole bunch of fun hand cranking the inertia starter :shock:

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:28 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:43 pm
Posts: 234
Location: KABE
Why no mention of the C-4 or C-5???????????


tulsaboy wrote:
Scott, we're working on the executive. Stay tuned... Our goal is to ultimately have all of the Tulsa-built aircraft on hand. That would include:

Spartan
C-2 (got it)
C-3 (had it, might get it back)
NP-1 (got it!)
Executive
Model 12 (maybe)

Built at Douglas- Tulsa
A-24
A-26
B-47 (unlikely)
B-66 (almost impossible)
B-24 (none known to exist, would be a miracle)

So we're making good progress working down our list.

kevin


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:38 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 1173
Location: Tulsa, OK
Granted, the C-4 and the C-5 would be nice. None are known to exist, and only a small handful were constructed in the first place. They were a marketing and financial disaster for the company, and really didn't make it to any decent level of production, outside of the couple of hand-built examples. Do you know of an example(s) out there? If you do, PLEASE let me know. It would be really exciting to see!

I will edit my list accordingly!

kevin

_________________
FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:35 pm 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:56 pm
Posts: 3442
Location: North of Texas, South of Kansas
Kevin,

Don't forget the connection to the other military aircraft that Spartan built components for--wing panels for Grumman, the flight controls for the B-32 etc. :D I'm sure someone has some B-32 elevators sitting around!

Seeing the Model 12 back in town would be going full circle.

Scott


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:42 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:08 pm
Posts: 1173
Location: Tulsa, OK
Scott-

We've got a guy who flew B-32s here. Does that count? :lol:

Spartan did make a bunch of stuff for Grumman, some stuff for the P-38 (I think), some control surfaces for the B-24... I'd love to find some of those with a Spartan stamp/plate. Does anyone know of any of those out there?

kevin

_________________
FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 35 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Michel Lemieux and 87 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group