Warbird Information Exchange

I like warbirds! Heck I LOVE THEM! (apologies to Dobie Gillis )

Sunday, August 12th the BT-13 assigned to the West Houston Squadron of the CAF took to the skies under the steady hand of John Hess.
The ever stalwart Steve Pennington (lurker) was on the fire-bottle as per CAF regs.
This was its first flight since its return from Wings Over Houston Oct. 2006.
It needed stuff done, including new landing gear scissors bushings AND in the process of doing that, one of them cracked SO it has a newer pair.
It made three circuits and bumps and now just needs tires balanced and it should be good to go!

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Y'all can thank the High Sky Wing for the gear scissors.

You're welcome.

Old Shep

BIG Thankees Sky Wing...

I didn't work on this bird this go around, so I didn't know where the parts came from. BUT they were certainly put to good use!
Pratt and Whitneys make a most inspirational snarl!


Next up (HOPEFULLY) is the N3N-3 with the Lycoming round sound generator!

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Wow It looks great. Sweet plane!

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Hard to believe my son Ryan used to play in that BT when he was little. It was sitting at Clover with a blown engine.

He was about 7 years old and got a lot of stick time in it,... when he wasn't helping on the A-26.

He's 23 years old now, seems just like yesterday.

Rick H,
I didn't know about the lazing about Clover Field Days.
Was it painted the same back then? Got any pictures of your boy playing in it?

This was the first warbird I got a ride in. Matt Gallien was driving. MATT COME HOME!!!

Subsequently I got a few more rides in it and then it went down for over a year, to have the wet wings bottom panels re-skinned. Much less drippy!

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Great to see her flying again!

Can you send me larger pics for my BT-13 site to paul@warbird-central.com


Thanks!

Bigger Pictures on the way PAUL.
When I get enough hours PIC (300) I will probably pilot-sponsor this bird as well.
The ONLY thing that worries me is I am already a few decibels short of good hearing and that is one LOUD beastie.

I've got my Dad's logbook and he did his Basic Time in Vibrators.
So it IS a family tradition.

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

My first warbird ride was in a Vibrator. I helped the owner polish it (LOTS of Flitz, baking soda, and paper towels). We finished up and he said, "Thanks. Climb in."

When are we going to see the same thread for the N3N??????????

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Spanner, the airplane was originally donated by Rick Sharpe. They towed it down from Waco by putting the tailwhell in the back of a pickup truck and drug her back to Houston on her own gear.

Gary Judkins took over sponsorship and had her at Clover Field. He worked on her and put her in the paint scheme she currently carries. On the day they were going to fly it a bunch of CAFers showed up that hadn't been out to help with the hard work. Gary had to make a phone call at the coffee shop and told these guys "don't touch anything". While he was inside making the call one of these Braniacs tried to start it up. The guy proceeded to blow a cylinder off and wreck the motor. Gary comes out and the rats abandoning ship. He called HQ told them about these yahoos unauthorized tampering and the subsequent damage. He asked them what they were going to do to help get the engine fixed. They supposedly said you are the sponsor, you better fix it. At that point Gary pushed out of the hangar and off to the side. It sat there until the West Houston guys retrieved it. This all happened in the late 80s.

Rick,
That is some SAD shinola. I am sorry to hear there is that kind of Karma involved. Hopefully it has been worked through!
(I had heard it was assigned to Gulf Coast Wing but details were sketchy and people were gritting their teeth, so I didn't ask! Might well have been some of the "rats" telling the tale.)

I could start ANOTHER thread about idiot crap I've seen people do, OR start to do before finer minds stopped them!
"Get a BIGGER hammer!" on installing some difficult wing mounting bolts on another bird comes to mind.

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Well, the airplane has been flying for a good while now. Gary passed away about 5-6 years ago.

Gary Judkinswas originally involved with Texas Raider and he was part of the ferry crew that brought Thunderbird back to Houston. JK West and Glenn McDonald were flying when they got to Hobby. What a great low pass they made prior to landing ! This was a couple of years before LSFM moved to Galveston.