Warbird Information Exchange

My long-time friend Wayne Brown of Port Gibson, Ms. finally, after 4 or 5 years, & for the last year just about every day working on restoring &/or rebuilding it, finished his L-6. I didn't get to get an inflight shot, but here it is taxiiing in at VKS (Vicksburg Muni., Vicksburg, Ms.) after his 3rd flight. Hope the pic comes thru OK as I just set up a PB account to post the pic here.

Can't tell from that shot does he have the Franklin on it? I restored one about 20 years ago with one, and still think it is one good looking airplane. Do you know the seial #? Think mine was 155. PS I've been to Port Gibson. I'm sorry!

Lyc. O-320 from a Super Cub.

OK so that makes it an Artic Tern not a L-6. Sorry no Rolls Royce trophy for you. Might as well put invasion stripes on it. Seriously its a good looking bird.

And the insignia colors and serial number font are perfect!!

Seriously, well done, it looks a peach.

August

Just how do you figure that? It's a 1943 Interstate L-6.

Those are the markings it (this actual a/c) carried in WWII.

Excellent. That is always my very favorite paint scheme.

August

The modern day Artic Tern is an offshoot of the L-6 with the more modern engine. I'm just a little queer for authintic engines in a warbird, changing the Franklin would be like putting a PT-6 on a Mustang and calling it a real WWII warbird.

Great looking aircraft! I'd love to get my hands on a project L-6, something a little unique that you just don't see too often.

Well, wouldn't the Mustang still be a WWII warbird, just with the wrong engine? Like Yagen's MiG-3, for example. I'd say it's a compromise on authenticity, but it doesn't disqualify the a/c as a warbird.

August

Agreed, but while a fine engine the Franklin is difficult to support today and has a considerably shorter TBO. With the O-320 the L-6 will be as easy to operate and support as a Super Cub or Citabria and have better oerformance than the orginal L-6. With no change in appearance it will become a modern warbird.

Tom-

Kinda like Cavalier putting a Dart on a Mustang & still calling it a Mustang? Or HA 1112s & CASA 2.111s with Merlins still being called Me 109s & He 111s, or any number of other a/c without original engines? That Zero flying around with an R-1830 or R-2600 isn't a real WWII Zero? I thought the ArCtic Tern was based on the Interstate Cadet anyway. It came without an engine, prop or cowl & the Lyc was from a Super Cub that was a Hurricane Katrina victim, so the price was right & he had the paperwork to do the conversion, so it's a real L-6 with a different engine. Unlike some a/c rebuilds or restorations discussed around here, this didn't start with just a dataplate, it was the whole thing in prts & pieces, minus basically FW forward.

So where are you SNJ-5................see I can stir up shlt too. He guys I flew two of them with the Lycoming and had one with the Franklin, the Lycoming is a real performer but just doesn't look right. Glad to see you kept the original tail wheel though, that makes it look better than having a Scott added to the stinger.

There's also a whole line of Yak-3's and -9's running Allisons in them, and their new built too.

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


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