Warbird rides?

[planeoldsteve]

You still got to love the Beech!!!

single rudder trim tab

Taigh

What is the story on the rudder trim, all of the other high cabin airplanes I have seen had two tabs and all of the low cabin except for the ones in Canadian service had one?

Steve

[coastdef]

The WWII Airborne Demonstration Team offers C-47 flights complete with an actual static line parachute jump as part of our "Airborne Experience".

More information at:

http://www.wwiiadt.com/Airborne%20Exper ... rience.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43u0SKV6C68

Regards,

Andy

I'm building a web site for nostalgia activities, http://goodolddaysandmore.googlepages.com/home , and have a section already on biplane rides. I'd like to do a section on warbird rides also, what are some good websites to link to for this? I know about Collings Foundation, and EAA's B-17, but there must be a number of T-6 and other warbird ride operations out there. Can you buy rides in some of the Planes of Fame aircraft?

Ideas for trains, boats, etc. also welcome....

[Taigh Ramey]

Yes this Beech is a long way from it's military configuration.

She was built in March of 1943 as an AT-7 Navigation trainer, or military C model serial number 42-56725, and was delivered to Hondo Army Air Field in Texas.

Post WWII she went through the typical modernization at the Beech factory and emerged as a C-45H with the serial number 52-10636 (Military configured D model). She flew with the Strategic Air Command for a while until she was retired at DM in 1958.

She went through many different civilian owners and received many different civilian mods to her airframe and engines. One of these mods was the increase in the cabin height just like the late civilain E,G and H airframes. Other mods were as you noticed; the short stacks, carb air scoops, wing tips, picture windows etc.

Here is a shot taken during a recent inspection of the inside of the rear fuselage. In this shot you can see the original bulkhead contour and the extension added. The yellow zinc areas are mostly factory whereas the green zinc areas are the modified areas. You can see the green zinc skin strip added down the side of the fuselage as well as the bulkhead changes.



I find it hard to understand why someone would spend so much money and effort on an old Air Force Beech but they often did. The Beech factory had what they called "Modernization Kits" to upgrade the civilian and ex military aircraft that were flooding the market. Most all of the mods that this Air Force C-45 has were factory kits. It seems to me that when it comes to 'modernizing' or 'upgrading' your aircraft the attitude is usually "If you build it they will come". Just like today with the Mooney or other aircraft owners. How much people spend just to get another 1.27 knots out of their airframe has been big business for manufacturers and STC folks.

[Bill Greenwood]

Taigh, re spending on the old Beech: Olive Beech told me personally, probably in the early 60's during a visit to the factory, that one of the problems marketing the new nosewheel Queen Air, later King Air was that owners were so loyal to the old twin Beech that it was hard to convince them to part with them and trade up.

[Taigh Ramey]

Cool story Bill

[b29driver]

Cool story Bill

My Beech was also a 1943 AT-7, but it was never deliverd to AAF. Instead it was put back through the factory and reconfigured to Navy spec.s as an SNB-2 and delivered in 1944 #51125. It too, went through factory overhaul in 1952/53 emerging as an SNB-5. In the early 60's it went through Naval overhaul/repair and became a UC-45J. Some interesting facts about the differences between Air Force and Navy overhaul contracts were:
Air Force planes were considered to be new zero time A/C with new serial #'s.
Navy planes kept original serial numbers in Naval records and continued with total time since original new delivery, even though they went through basically the same contract rebuild as Air Force. Beech issued new serial numbers in their records, but Navy didn't change theirs.
The reason that I know all this is that it was a real challenge to get the first civilian airworthiness cert. and registration from a brand new rookie FFA guy back in the 80's. I almost had to "go ninja/postal" to get it straightened out.

[Taigh Ramey]

Hello Steve,

I am sorry that I missed your question about the trim tabs.

All WWII and earlier Twin Beech's and early D models had the single rudder tab on the left rudder. It was determined that there was insufficient rudder trim available for single engine operations so there were two fixes developed by Beech. The first and easiest is an extension to the single rudder tab. The other more involved fix was to install a second rudder trim tab on the right rudder. Beech had a kit for this modification and it was also incorporated into the production line on D model and later aircraft.

In the Type Certificate Data Sheet for the wartime, and even the post war ex military Beech's, there are certain requirements that have to be met prior to original certification. One of these is a modification the single rudder tab by riveting in an extension on the trailing edge thus increasing the surface area. They even have a diagram in the TCDS for the wartime aircraft showing what has to be done.

Even though this tab extension is required on all single tab installations we still find aircraft flying today that have not had this mod. Since I am a big guy (6'4" and 285) this tab extension isn't that critical but it could be a factor for smaller Twin Beech pilots as they might encounter excessive rudder force required while flying on one engine.

[John-Curtiss Paul]

P-40, P-51, B-25, SNJ, T-28 Sponsorship/orientation rides:
www.warhawkairmuseum.org
Nampa, Idaho.

[planeoldsteve]

Taigh

Thanks for the info, Did the Canadian see the yaw problem first and fix it or have it fixed on the Expeditor 3N?

Steve

[Greg87]

http://www.warplane.com

Rides available in Harvard, Stearman, Canso, B-25, Firefly and Lancaster. Not sure how well advertised the Canso, B-25 and Firefly are, may have to email the Legends Program to ask for additional info.

edit*

Here's some detailed info

MUSEUM MEMBERSHIPS
(Annual)

Sustaining Member - $125.00 or $100.00 for senior (65yrs +)
Includes all basic membership benefits

Student Member - $30.00
Includes all basic membership benefits except Vote at AGM

Family Membership - $175.00
Includes all basic membership benefits and also includes 2 children

Life Membership - $1,500.00 or $1,125.00 for Senior
Includes all basic membership benefits plus a personalized wall plaque

BASIC MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:

*
Free Admission to museum
*
Spouse also a member
*
Decal, Certificate of Membership & two complimentary passes on initial purchase of membership
*
Quarterly Newsletter “Flightlines”
*
10% discount on purchases in the Gift Shop and Café
*
Vote at Annual General Meeting
*
Voucher for $20.00 that can be redeemed towards any Membership Upgrade which includes the privilege of a flight in an aircraft

UPGRADE YOUR BASIC MEMBERSHIP:

Transport Membership – for a donation of $50.00 you may have the privilege of a 20 minute flight in the Dakota DC3 or the Beech 18

Primary Trainer Membership – for a donation of $150.00 you may have the privilege of a 20 minute flight in a Chipmunk, Cornel or Tigermoth

Advanced Trainer Membership – for a donation of $250.00 you may have the
privilege of a 20 minute flight in a Stearman or Harvard

Medium Bomber Membership – for a donation of $450.00 you may have the privilege of a 20 minute flight in a B25 Mitchell or PBY Canso

Bomber Crew Membership – for a donation of $2,000.00 you may have the privilege of a one hour flight in the Lancaster

All donations will qualify for a donation receipt to be retained for income tax purposes. All upgraded memberships will be issued a Certificate of Flight which will be signed and dated by the pilot after your flight.

[Taigh Ramey]

Hello Steve,

Of all of the Expeditors I have seen (3T, 3N, 3TN etc.) only one had a single rudder tab and I suspect that even it had the right rudder changed.

I could check the Canadian parts manual but I would bet that all of the Expeditor series aircraft had dual tabs or they were modified to have two tabs.

It has been my experience that the Canadians spared no expense on maintenance and modifications. All of the ex RCAF Twin Beech's I have seen were maintained to the highest standards usually with all of the military modification available incorporated.

[mustangdriver]

The WWII Airborne Demonstration Team offers C-47 flights complete with an actual static line parachute jump as part of our "Airborne Experience".

More information at:

http://www.wwiiadt.com/Airborne%20Exper ... rience.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43u0SKV6C68

Regards,

Andy

Where are you guys located?

I'm building a web site for nostalgia activities, http://goodolddaysandmore.googlepages.com/home , and have a section already on biplane rides. I'd like to do a section on warbird rides also, what are some good websites to link to for this? I know about Collings Foundation, and EAA's B-17, but there must be a number of T-6 and other warbird ride operations out there. Can you buy rides in some of the Planes of Fame aircraft?

Ideas for trains, boats, etc. also welcome....

[mustangdriver]

The WWII Airborne Demonstration Team offers C-47 flights complete with an actual static line parachute jump as part of our "Airborne Experience".

More information at:

http://www.wwiiadt.com/Airborne%20Exper ... rience.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43u0SKV6C68

Regards,

Andy

Where are you guys located?

I'm building a web site for nostalgia activities, http://goodolddaysandmore.googlepages.com/home , and have a section already on biplane rides. I'd like to do a section on warbird rides also, what are some good websites to link to for this? I know about Collings Foundation, and EAA's B-17, but there must be a number of T-6 and other warbird ride operations out there. Can you buy rides in some of the Planes of Fame aircraft?

Ideas for trains, boats, etc. also welcome....

[mustangdriver]

The WWII Airborne Demonstration Team offers C-47 flights complete with an actual static line parachute jump as part of our "Airborne Experience".

More information at:

http://www.wwiiadt.com/Airborne%20Exper ... rience.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43u0SKV6C68

Regards,

Andy

Where are you guys located?

I'm building a web site for nostalgia activities, http://goodolddaysandmore.googlepages.com/home , and have a section already on biplane rides. I'd like to do a section on warbird rides also, what are some good websites to link to for this? I know about Collings Foundation, and EAA's B-17, but there must be a number of T-6 and other warbird ride operations out there. Can you buy rides in some of the Planes of Fame aircraft?

Ideas for trains, boats, etc. also welcome....

[CAPFlyer]

DFW Wing of the CAF offers rides in the R4D, L-5, and BT-13.

I don't have the contact info off-hand and our website is still offline, but when it's back, the plan is to have online ride sign-up available.

The website is - www.dfwwing.com