Warbird Information Exchange

Not to hijack the thread, but a T6-G was used as an "airliner" of sorts in Costa Rica during the 1950s, carrying 6 pax, and there was also a Grumman Wildcat in Venezuela (for some reason, I remember the registration: YV-TOTO) that carried also four or six, I don't remember well, both aircraft using a plywood "bench" seat somehow affixed to the fuselage.

Back to Diemert:

I was told, since I just saw the Zero once, that it had lots of bondo all over it. Was this true?

Saludos,


Tulio

_________________
Why take the best part of life out of your life, when you can have life with the best part of your life in your life?

I am one of them 'futbol' people.

Will the previous owner has pics of this double cabin sample

GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Press "1" for English.
Press "2" to disconnect until you have learned to speak English.

Sooooo, how am I going to know to press 1 or 2, if I do not speak English????

Tulio, if you consider buckets and buckets of Bondo "a lot," then yes, it had a lot of Bondo in it! It's absolutely incredible that the Zero he built didn't kill anyone. I know this has all been mentioned several times before, here on WIX, but it is crazy just how bad that airplane was. Fellow WIXer Randy Wilson can tell you a few good stories about the airplane as well, since he likely had more time in it than anyone that I can think of. Obviously, he didn't realize just how bad the airplane was, but slowly got good indications of it as time went by.

Oh, and if you have pictures of that T-6 "airliner," that would be cool to see as well.

Gary

I know the Zeros' workmanship was to put it nice "crappy", but what Diemart did by himself is truly amazing. You also have to remember that back in the early eightys the restrictive atmosphere we live in today was not so prevalent. Leftys' "Oh heck guys lets go fly it" attitude is classic for the times.

I just watched it for the first time and it was simply amazing!

_________________
Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Does anyone know how a rip a copy of that ? real player cannot download it.

_________________
Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Matt-
PM me.

-Pat

_________________
Trust me, I know what I'm doing.

Canadian public TV made that documentary. I seriously doubt that Diemert was paid anything. Not only that, the period of performance of the Zero restoration was far longer than promised to the CAF.

gotcha


is the history of that zero anywhere near what is said during the film?

Wrong. The NFB funds independent filmmakers.



Probably right, as far as his participation in the film goes.



True, but I'm sure they still paid him.

August

Does anyone have any good pictured of the Defender? Whatever happened to it? Where is it now?

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

HIGHLY unlikely.

A 'good picture' of the Defender? That's like asking to see the high performance racing catalogue for YUGO's

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Being a part of the generation that only got to read about the early characters of the Warbird world, I have some questions about regarding Bob Diemert's claims about the Zero and even the time line of this film. I dug out an old copy of Warbirds Worldwide (#25 June 1993) that had an article written by the late Jeff Ethell about this Zero.

Question #1: Diemert and the CAF claim they have the "Worlds Only Flying Zero" (What about the POF Zero at Chino, wasn't it flyable since 1978 and had made an entire tour of Japan when this film was made?")

Question #2: Diemert claims (rather remarkably) that this Zero had participated in the attack of Pearl Harbor, 12/7/1941 (According to the WW Ethell article this aircraft was built in October 1942!)

Question #3: In the film "after a five year period" the Zero is transported by truck to the then CAF HQ in Harlingen,Texas, where Lefty Gardner performs what would seem to be the first flight. (According to the WW Ethell article in August 1985 CAF member J.K. West performed the first flight, however the third edition WW Warbirds Directory claims the first flight was at Carmen in December 1985!)

Question #4: In the film, after delivering the Zero to CAH HQ, Diemert "assists" the CAF with the preparation of the Zero for its first flight (According to the WW Ethell article, at delivery, "Upon close inspection the fighter was proven to be virtually unairworthy with numerous hardware store fittings and wiring, even PVC plumbing pipe, throughout the airframe. Nevertheless, credit was given to Diemert for the quality of work in making new spars and rebuilding major components", so did they really allow him as much "hands on" access as the film suggests?)

Question #5: Just how bad was ,as claimed in the film, the "worlds most difficult restoration"? Again according to the WW Ethell article, "by 1989 it (the Zero) was in the CAF Dallas Fort Worth Wing hanger at Lancaster" and Dr. John Kelley had become the sole sponsor of the Zero. In the ensuing years "John and his team virtually rebuilt the aircraft again". "The list of corrected, changed and remanufactured items filled over 25 pages as of 1992. Just to name a few things they tackled: rough engine, broken cowl ring, seized spark plugs, installed 17 gallon oil tank in place of 7 gallon unit, overhauled instrument panel, rewired electrical system to replace non aviation wiring, landing gear repaired, new tail wheel assembly built around original components, overhauled much of the hydraulic system, built and installed new fuel tanks, ailerons out of rig, recovered control surfaces, replaced elevator hinge bushings, beneath heavy bondo filler putty found 3/4" hole in upper wing root and several shrapnel holes on both sides of the tail, stripped aircraft, removed bondo, re-riveted poor sheet metal work, made several components from scratch."

I would be curious has to the "quality" of the POF Val Diemert built as well. I would enjoy any stories those involved with the Val at Chino may have.

Those are all great questions that have been asked numerous times over the years. It is widely known that the Zero was a big-time piece of garbage, but I reckon that's part of what makes the documentary so entertaining to many of us who worked to correct some of the anomalies of the aircraft.

Interestingly, I believe Diemert eventually sued the magazine that published the Ethell article. At least that's what I recall hearing. I hope someone here will correct me if I'm wrong.

Gary

Who are the CAF guys standing around the front of the Zero involved in the conversation when Lefty Gardner says it's time to go fly it?

_________________
All I did was press this red button here...