Sun Jun 29, 2008 5:57 pm
[quote="b29driver"]
Red Bull can do whatever they desire. If I had maybe $7,000,000 invested in a beautiful rare masterpiece I would ship it. Machinery breaks. The Atlantic is a big place. Comparing any 1930 technology recip engine to a jet is like comparing apples and oranges. Modern transport category A/C are built to vastly different standards than a WWII fighter.
I totally agree with the first part of your statement, b29driver. I didn't mean to put ideas in the Red Bull folks head, just giving my personal viewpoint on how I would take the airplane over. As to your second statement about the modern transport catagory aircraft, they were built to vastly different standards, and the turbine engine is a masterpiece of engineering compared to 1930 technology. That being said, I work on large jet transports for a living, and I guarantee that Lefty's old airplane is in far better mechanical condition than lots of the heavy stuff flying today. We have minimum equipment lists for a reason, and it's not to make sure that everything is working when they launch.
Red Bull can do whatever they desire. If I had maybe $7,000,000 invested in a beautiful rare masterpiece I would ship it. Machinery breaks. The Atlantic is a big place. Comparing any 1930 technology recip engine to a jet is like comparing apples and oranges. Modern transport category A/C are built to vastly different standards than a WWII fighter.
I totally agree with the first part of your statement, b29driver. I didn't mean to put ideas in the Red Bull folks head, just giving my personal viewpoint on how I would take the airplane over. As to your second statement about the modern transport catagory aircraft, they were built to vastly different standards, and the turbine engine is a masterpiece of engineering compared to 1930 technology. That being said, I work on large jet transports for a living, and I guarantee that Lefty's old airplane is in far better mechanical condition than lots of the heavy stuff flying today. We have minimum equipment lists for a reason, and it's not to make sure that everything is working when they launch.
Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:03 pm
Vital Spark wrote:Hellcat wrote:
Does this approach seem overly risky? What would be the advantage of flying it to Europe as opposed to shipping? ....
Why would it be overly risky. It's a practically brand new aircraft, from the standpoint of having every system thoroughly overhauled, rebuilt, or newly manufactured; It will be flown by a pilot with great experience and with the best possible navigational aids and only in optimal conditions. These aircraft were designed to be flown long distances under hostile conditions, a transatlantic flight should be well with-in it's capabilities. It's a flying machine...It should fly to where it is going.
The advantage would be, that it gets there quickly, in one piece, and has plenty of opportunity along the way to be seen and promote the product that it now endorses.
Well I'm no expert, but just a few things come to mind ... very expensive airplane, very intricate to operate, risk high, no matter what weather conditions, many hours over a very unforgiving ocean, lets see, what else ... very rare, single pilot, on and on. I'd still like someone to come up with a calculation of how long over the ocean. And yes you can take into account what may happen if you disassemble and ship, but in my simple mind I would assume shipping is a better bet than flying ... And yes it's an airplane that is made to fly .... so what's your point?, airplanes don't fly too well sitting on the bottom of the ocean. The owner can do what he wants, but if I owned it .... I'd ship it, that simple. GG had a chance, didn't happen, (TWICE) P-38's are not 30 year old 747's, big difference ....
Last edited by Hellcat on Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:10 pm
Hellcat wrote:. GG had a chance, didn't happen, P-38's are not 30 year old 747's, big difference ....
I for one wouldn't be surprised if they didn't try again with GG...
Ryan
Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:30 pm
In all fairness Hellcat, the first time for Glacier Girl really wasn't due to a mechanical issue. They were purposely led off course by enemy activity.
Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:48 pm
Hellcat,
This has turned into a fun thread!
I didn't think we could get quite this stirred up over getting the P-38 to her destination, but it's proven to be very entertaining.
As to my comparison between the virtually new P-38 and geriatric cargo widebodies, I was really making more of a point about the great quality that is put into warbird restorations versus day-to-day maintenance on doggy old jets flogging about the northern reaches. I just feel confident that both P-38s can make the trip if the owners decide to do so.
The subject of a C-5 trip brings up a possible alternative for air freighting warbirds--the Antonov 124s that are leased to haul outsized equipment. They haul RR Trents for our company, and Red Bull has the resources for such a trip I should think. However----that would mean hauling the perfectly good Lightning in a doggy freight hauler
Keep up the good responses,
Scott
This has turned into a fun thread!
I didn't think we could get quite this stirred up over getting the P-38 to her destination, but it's proven to be very entertaining.
As to my comparison between the virtually new P-38 and geriatric cargo widebodies, I was really making more of a point about the great quality that is put into warbird restorations versus day-to-day maintenance on doggy old jets flogging about the northern reaches. I just feel confident that both P-38s can make the trip if the owners decide to do so.
The subject of a C-5 trip brings up a possible alternative for air freighting warbirds--the Antonov 124s that are leased to haul outsized equipment. They haul RR Trents for our company, and Red Bull has the resources for such a trip I should think. However----that would mean hauling the perfectly good Lightning in a doggy freight hauler
Keep up the good responses,
Scott
Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:53 pm
It depends on the port where you ship from.
I helped move Stephen Grey's Lightning years ago. Unless an airport with wide roads is close to a port it is a bit of an adventure getting the lightning to the ship. We used Long Beach CAL for the airport and the port. It was back during the Rodney King Riots so it made for an exciting move. The looks on the drunks rolling out of the bar at 1 am when a P-38 rolled by on the street with Police escort is priceless though.
To ship a P-38 we removed the wings outboard of the nacell/engine. We left the props on. A large box was built for both wings and everything was lowered below decks. It was very cheap when compared to fuel, insurance and wear and tear fo a flight. Not as news worthy though.
Rich
I helped move Stephen Grey's Lightning years ago. Unless an airport with wide roads is close to a port it is a bit of an adventure getting the lightning to the ship. We used Long Beach CAL for the airport and the port. It was back during the Rodney King Riots so it made for an exciting move. The looks on the drunks rolling out of the bar at 1 am when a P-38 rolled by on the street with Police escort is priceless though.
To ship a P-38 we removed the wings outboard of the nacell/engine. We left the props on. A large box was built for both wings and everything was lowered below decks. It was very cheap when compared to fuel, insurance and wear and tear fo a flight. Not as news worthy though.
Rich