Tigercat

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:17 pm

I remember years ago at Jay Cullum's Sherman, Texas air race marvelling at this restoration (on static display) and wondering if I'd ever get to actually see it fly.

Well Thank You Mike Brown...

Ztex · **Posted:** Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:23 pm

Great shot of a beautiful airplane!

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:27 pm

Thank you, and it is.

It's a photographer's dream -- no bad angles at all.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:34 pm

Here's Dan Vance in the office at Reno last year...

Tim Adams · **Joined:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:17 pm **Posts:** 301

Great shots. I actually saw this plane, way back in the 80's at some midwest airshow, before Mike Brown bought it.

vg-photo · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2007 7:06 am

The clarity on that first shot is first-rate, Neal! Beautiful!

Here are a couple from Chino last year:

TAdan · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:37 am

Those pics really show the gorgeous lines of the Tigercat well

Scotty G · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:46 pm **Posts:** 134

Neal,

I have some shots like that too, seeing as how we were standing next to each other!

Hey, you have your helmets mixed up... Blue helmet is Dan Vance flying and the gray helmet is Mike.

Cheers! (Hey, I'll be in Edmonton tonight and tomorrow... Is that near you?)

Malo83 · **Joined:** Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:31 am **Posts:** 309

Neal Nurmi wrote:

I remember years ago at Jay Cullum's Sherman, Texas air race marvelling at this restoration (on static display) and wondering if I'd ever get to actually see it fly.

Well Thank You Mike Brown...

Beautiful pics

, just a couple of ??, are those oil cooler exhaust ducts open behind the engines?
Is the pilot a really tall guy or does it look like he's not using the rudder pedals, the knees look high as if he's resting his feet on the floorboards.
again beautiful shots

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:02 pm

Dan is really tall and has very long legs-- other than that I can't comment on the seating position. I think Scotty's been in the cockpit -- maybe he can comment.

Scotty -- you're right about the pilots of course -- I was really tired when I did the posts...

Edmonton is probably about a thousand clicks or so -- Canuckia is a very big place. Now Calgary is more like 4 hours -- so if you ever layover there...

NathanT24 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:27 pm **Posts:** 252

Sigh thats "Big Bossman" isnt it? I remember when LSFM had him at WOH one year and remember her at LSFM, I was upset when they sold him. Glad to see him flying, wish he was back in Texas I love the lines of the F7F.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2007 4:55 pm

the tigercat has the sexiest lines!!

Scotty G · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:46 pm **Posts:** 134

Neal,

Yup, I've sat in both cockpits and somebody at Grumman had something against taller people. Rat Bastards!

I'll have to bid some Calgary overnights!

Those are the oil cooler exits on top of the wing. The ducting is responsible for the very distinct howl the airplane creates when it's running around.

VERY cool.

(edit...) One thing that I thought would be interesting to share... Climbing up on that thing is SCARY. You are a *long*way off the ground, and detaching from the aircraft and heading towards the ground - assisted by gravity - is not something that seems like fun.

retroaviation · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:57 am

*Sigh*

Maybe one day I'll be able to get me that Tigercat I've always dreamed of. To me, they are certainly one of the best looking twin engine airplanes that were ever built.

Scotty, if that were me flying that airplane around the pylons at Reno, it wouldn't be the oil cooler ducts that make all the howling.....It would be me!!!! Woooooo-Hooooooo!!!!!

Gary

Steve S · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:58 am

It was a sad day when she left Galveston for good, but I am really glad to see her flying so much and that she is getting so much good press.

Steve S

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