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Re: Chino Happenings

Wed Sep 27, 2017 3:44 pm

That's it! Thank you, Thomas.

Re: Chino Happenings

Wed Sep 27, 2017 5:09 pm

Now it makes sense. We were seeing him roll out on landing. Forgot they were landing on 26. Got it wrong.

Re: Chino Happenings

Wed Sep 27, 2017 5:42 pm

I wasn't there, only going by the video :drink3:

Re: Chino Happenings

Wed Sep 27, 2017 6:55 pm

sandiego89 wrote:
bdk wrote:
wendovertom wrote:This roughly fits here - does PoF outright 'own' their B-50 or is it 'on loan' from the USAFM?

Tom P.
AFAIK all the "on loan" stuff has been returned.


Was a KC-97 donor aircraft ever obtained for the mused about mating the B-50 fuselage with? Ex Greybull airframe perhaps donating wings, engines, etc. Now that would be a great aircraft so see with 4 x 4360's all full chat!!! Please!


Yes, a number of years ago, The wings, engines and what is left of the props are in Valle, AZ at the museum there

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:18 am

Matt Gunsch wrote:
sandiego89 wrote:
Was a KC-97 donor aircraft ever obtained for the mused about mating the B-50 fuselage with? Ex Greybull airframe perhaps donating wings, engines, etc. Now that would be a great aircraft so see with 4 x 4360's all full chat!!! Please!


Yes, a number of years ago, The wings, engines and what is left of the props are in Valle, AZ at the museum there

My understanding is that POF has, for all practical purposes, a complete B-50. In actuality, they have only a B-50 fuselage and KC-97 wings, engine/props,tailfeathers. This was discussed many years ago on the now defunct POF message board. Back then, they said it was going to be a very technically challenging, though not impossible, project to mate the KC-97 wings to the B-50 fuselage. They are not a perfect fit, but good enough for static. They basically said it would be cost prohibitive and, maybe near impossible, to make an airworthy aircraft out of that combination. Even static, it was expected to take a lot of time and money to make everything "fit" together. At the time (15 to 17 years ago), that project was considered a very low priority since it was going to cost a lot of time and expense to make a complete static only aircraft.

Since POF rightfully devotes all of their resources to keeping the current aircraft airworthy and not spending a lot of excess time on the non-flyers, I don't expect this project to come to fruition in my lifetime unless they get some benefactor who's willing to fork over a LOT of money to see a complete B-50. You never know, though, there might be a multi-millionaire out there somewhere who crewed on B-50's back in the day, who wants to leave a donation to POF.

Honestly, though, there are 50 other airplanes that are much more deserving to restore than the B-50. So, this doesn't bother me as I can see a complete B-50 at several museums around the U.S.

I want to see the Val, Jack, O-47, Bf-109G, B-17, F9F and Fireball fly before the B-50!

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:53 am

OD/NG wrote:
Matt Gunsch wrote:
sandiego89 wrote:
Was a KC-97 donor aircraft ever obtained for the mused about mating the B-50 fuselage with? Ex Greybull airframe perhaps donating wings, engines, etc. Now that would be a great aircraft so see with 4 x 4360's all full chat!!! Please!


Yes, a number of years ago, The wings, engines and what is left of the props are in Valle, AZ at the museum there

My understanding is that POF has, for all practical purposes, a complete B-50. In actuality, they have only a B-50 fuselage and KC-97 wings, engine/props,tailfeathers. This was discussed many years ago on the now defunct POF message board. Back then, they said it was going to be a very technically challenging, though not impossible, project to mate the KC-97 wings to the B-50 fuselage. They are not a perfect fit, but good enough for static. They basically said it would be cost prohibitive and, maybe near impossible, to make an airworthy aircraft out of that combination. Even static, it was expected to take a lot of time and money to make everything "fit" together. At the time (15 to 17 years ago), that project was considered a very low priority since it was going to cost a lot of time and expense to make a complete static only aircraft.

Since POF rightfully devotes all of their resources to keeping the current aircraft airworthy and not spending a lot of excess time on the non-flyers, I don't expect this project to come to fruition in my lifetime unless they get some benefactor who's willing to fork over a LOT of money to see a complete B-50. You never know, though, there might be a multi-millionaire out there somewhere who crewed on B-50's back in the day, who wants to leave a donation to POF.

Honestly, though, there are 50 other airplanes that are much more deserving to restore than the B-50. So, this doesn't bother me as I can see a complete B-50 at several museums around the U.S.

I want to see the Val, Jack, O-47, Bf-109G, B-17, F9F and Fireball fly before the B-50!


Agreed! Plus the P-59!

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 10:23 am

As of a few weeks back, Aero Trader was working on an on-the-gear engine-less unpainted Sea Fury in the back of their eastern-most hangar.

P.S. I like hyphens today for some reason...

RobC wrote:
k5083 wrote:Great update! Were the Sea Fury and Spitfire in one of the wartime hangars along the north side of the field, or in the new hangar block to the east?

August

Thank you. They are in the eastern-most of the group of four hangars along runway 26, where Aero-Trader is based.

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 12:36 pm

CJAM427 wrote:
OD/NG wrote:
Matt Gunsch wrote:
.......
Honestly, though, there are 50 other airplanes that are much more deserving to restore than the B-50. So, this doesn't bother me as I can see a complete B-50 at several museums around the U.S.

I want to see the Val, Jack, O-47, Bf-109G, B-17, F9F and Fireball fly before the B-50!


Agreed! Plus the P-59!


I vote P-59, Val and F9F. Plenty of 109's (yes not all are true 109's) and 17's in my view. Yes I know they are iconic- please don't get out the pitchforks- I just love to see "new" types emerge....

I actually hope the PoF Jack and Fireball never fly. They are sole survivors and are original. I believe sole survivors should never fly- just too risky. I understand others may not share my opinion. Any Val project would largely be a data plate restoration, so I would be OK with that.

Agree the B-50 would be a huge undertaking for a largely forgotten type, and other more realistic projects should have priority- but still would love to see it!

Thank you OD/NG on the KC-97 info.

I believe I spy some KC-97 bits at Valle!
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Valle ... 3712?hl=en

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:16 pm

I would appreciate an update on the status of the Yanks Air Museum Catalina N2763A if any member has local knowledge.

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:15 pm

I Agree with you Sandiego89 about not flying the sole survivors, but it would be nice to see...ummm...hear the Jack taxiing again.

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:30 pm

airnutz wrote:I Agree with you Sandiego89 about not flying the sole survivors, but it would be nice to see...ummm...hear the Jack taxiing again.

The best solution would be to completely dismantle the Jack, 3-D scan it, and reverse engineer it to make a new set of blueprints. Then they could make a new reproduction Jack with an R-2600 or R-2800 engine to fly. The original would be preserved and they could make a limited run of repros like the Oscars, Me-262's, F3F's, etc. Yes, I know I'm dreaming and yes I know it would probably cost $ 5 Million or so to do. It would be cool, though!

Re: Chino Happenings

Thu Sep 28, 2017 8:13 pm

airnutz wrote:I Agree with you Sandiego89 about not flying the sole survivors, but it would be nice to see...ummm...hear the Jack taxiing again.

For those like me too young to have seen it except in photos, I agree!

OD/NG wrote:The best solution would be to completely dismantle the Jack, 3-D scan it, and reverse engineer it to make a new set of blueprints.

I'm really, really hoping that's what happened when Chicago's Stuka was lowered. I'm sure it would help Paul Allen's crew, and anyone else with the money and interest.

Although I'm not particularly a fan of the type it would be really, really special to see the Airacomet fly. I've been loosely following that restoration since my dad first got me into warbird magazines as a 10yr-old. Imagine a three-ship pass with a P-39 and P-63!

Another vote for the Val here too.

Re: Chino Happenings

Fri Sep 29, 2017 10:39 am

The Sea Fury Fuselage being worked on should be VZ345.

Anyone know if the unrestored Spitfire still belongs to Rudy Frasca?

Thanks

Re: Chino Happenings

Fri Sep 29, 2017 12:01 pm

I know the POF Hispano 109 is very close to flying (if it hasn't flown already). I hope they re-engine her with an Allison the same way the Erickson airframe has been. The Val and Airacomet are two I'm also chomping at the bit to see fly.

Re: Chino Happenings

Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:27 pm

Warbird Kid wrote:I know the POF Hispano 109 is very close to flying (if it hasn't flown already). I hope they re-engine her with an Allison the same way the Erickson airframe has been. The Val and Airacomet are two I'm also chomping at the bit to see fly.

The POF Hispano Buchon was supposed to fly at last years POF airshow, but didn't because of engine problems. I can't remember what it was specifically, but there was an issue with the Merlin. It hasn't flown yet since it's "re-restoration". Last time I was out there, I hadn't heard any plans for an Allison conversion. The main reason to change to an Allison is so that the engine cowling will look more closely aligned to a real 109. POF already modified the cowling with the Merlin, as the chin scoop area now closely resembles a real 109. Based on this, it doesn't make sense to go to the time and expense of converting it to an Allison - just my opinion.
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