Ever wonder what working on Warbirds is REALLY like?

Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:16 pm

Oh those lovely round engines. Here's one of myself working on former Safe Air Bristol Freighter ZK-CPT parked at Omaka airfield near Blenheim, New Zealand. This aircraft was donated to the Friends of the Bristol society (part of the Marlborough Aeroclub) which the Bristol is parked beside. She last flew in 1986 and was last run in 1989. The chap to the left is Al Marshall and it was his idea last March to get her running again.

The Classic Fighters Airshow held at Omaka over Easter this year will see her taxied for the crowd and as long as we can sort out some ramps have a car driven into her and taxied away again. Plans are not to fly her but at present she is the only Bristol Freighter being ground run in the world.
Here's a few more pics and a video of a ground run. Al had to shut down the starboard engine as we have an ongoing oil pressure problem but he thinks he might have found the cause. Enjoy!

Gotta love the smoke!!

Open wide!
And the video clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gvlVNeKo3k

Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:51 pm

Once again, I submit the following as evidence..........

Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:20 pm

Kevin... you look like one of the 101 dalmations! :lol:

And the first time I met any of the CAF dudes from the headshed they came to the B17 and said something about us not dressing like ragg-a-muffins...
My reply was something like, come hold the bucket.

Reminds me of my favorite hangar song...
ahem...

Momma don't let your babies
Grow up to work on Warbirds...

:partyman:

Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:50 pm

Airlift48 wrote:Once again, I submit the following as evidence..........

Might have that one beat!

When good Corsairs go bad!!

Watching the start up after the annual

Pulling the prop off the Mighty Herk several years ago in Baharain.

Helping change #1 on FiFi a few years back.

Running the TBM after replacing a hydraulic line. (John Clark photo)

The Wildcat, Zero, T-6, Corsair and Bulldog

Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:11 am

Chuck Giese wrote:

This is what it looked like yesterday @ 20-20 (wind & temp). I don't even want to know what that works out to as wind chill Whose idea was it to locate an airport on top of a windy plateau, instead of sheltering it in a valley?

My goal was to close out and cowl #3 and miss evening rush hour through Atlanta. I did miss rush hour - it was gone before I got there.

Thank you Rod & Trevor. Your help is appreciated.

Chuck

NANOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:07 am

Chuck Giese wrote:This is what it looked like yesterday @ 20-20 (wind & temp). I don't even want to know what that works out to as wind chill Whose idea was it to locate an airport on top of a windy plateau, instead of sheltering it in a valley?

Don't worry Chuck, I'm gonna tell Don personally that he should give you a raise...or at least a new parka lined with Beaver pelts!!!

Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:01 am

B29Gunner wrote:Don't worry Chuck, I'm gonna tell Don personally that he should give you a raise...or at least a new parka lined with Beaver pelts!!!

Trevor,

Please, please, please don't talk to Don about a raise. I'm already paying him as much as I can afford to for the privilege of working on her.

Chuck

Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:08 am

Well, let's see, it's 23 right now and I'm getting ready to head back up there......
Of course, it is supposed to be up near 60 this afternoon

Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:54 pm

I forgot to mention its summer here and it was a lovely 27 degrees. Thats degrees celsius by the way!

Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:36 pm

avenger2504 wrote:I forgot to mention its summer here and it was a lovely 27 degrees. Thats degrees celsius by the way!

It is winter here, was 75 today here in Phx, AZ

Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:35 pm

Come hold the bucket. I love it! " Here hold this (unidentified oily lump)."

Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:16 am

Well, we made the flight to Peachtree-Dekalb (PDK) on Monday!!!!!!! The plane made 4 flights (3 for news media, and one for Angel Flight volunteers) before returning to Cherokee County (47A). It was a good day. Then on Tuesday it was back to the oily work--replaced #2 generator. We'll see if it works later today.......

PS--Yes, Chuck, I did change my signature

Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:54 am

Good show buddy!! Wish I coulda gone with you guys, but it's back to my "real job" now. Did my cheek guns stay on during the flights?? ha ha :wink:

Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:20 am

B29Gunner wrote:Good show buddy!! Wish I coulda gone with you guys, but it's back to my "real job" now. Did my cheek guns stay on during the flights?? ha ha

The cheek guns? Oooohhhh, I guess that was the noise we heard...........

Ha, ha, yup the guns stayed put. I know what you mean about going back to the "real" job. I'd much rather continue working on the Belle instead of Delta's jets, but it does pay the bills!

Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:35 am

When I worked at Bob Pond's collection in the early 90's we at least had the sense to bring the birds inside in the winter! Of course, Minnesota winters are a little different from Atlanta's.

Brad, I have a vivid memory of cleaning the AD after a flight. It was so greasy that I kept slipping down the wing - and that was standing on the 60-grit wingwalk!

My first warbird was this classy lady in Fort Worth in the late 70's:

It got just a little warm inside in the Texas summers. :shock:

During the summer we'd work at night, with kleig lights running off of a very loud generator. Had to shout to be heard.