It's So Old!
But it still smells fresh.
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With all this old stuff sticking around, you have to wonder how we keep it
smelling so fresh. Ha! I've got quite the secret up my sleeve.
You see, my wonderful wife makes candles. Not just any candles, but
soy candles. Highly scented, and at a price anybody can afford.
Even me.
So, cruise on over to Skyline Candle
Company, and pick yourself up a candle or twelve. I recommend the
Waterfall Mist. Smells so good. Way better than all these moldy
old headlines.
FMI: Skyline Candle Co.
Taildraggers, Inc. Archives - January 2010
These are our top stories and links from January 2010. They're still cool,
but we gotta keep the home page clean and quick to load! Enjoy the
Archives!
And as always, if you have a link or photo to share, we'd love to
hear about it, and hopefully add it to the site. We are also looking
for guest writers and photographers to submit content. If you would
like to write an article or a photo essay, shoot us an email. We
won't pay you (we don't even pay ourselves), but we will give you full credit for any contributions.
Drop us a line anytime:
webmaster@taildraggersinc.com
The
Restoration of NC12350
There are few airplanes that capture
the true adventure and romance of the Golden Age of aviation like the
Monocoupe. With it's radial engine, sleek lines, and aggressive look
on the ground, the Monocoupe is a true classic.
Many of today's pilots fear the Monocoupe as fire-breathing tail-twisting
beast, but there still lives a group of people who respect the airplane
for it's unique heritage and racing prowess.
One of those people is Dave Brinkley of Sedona, AZ. He is currently
in the process of restoring NC12350, a 1932 Monocoupe 110. His
airplane has a very interesting history in that it was raced in the over
60 events in
the
early 1930's by Tony Little, and was flown on numerous occasions by
Charles Lindbergh.
Dave's website details the restoration of NC12350. The airplane has
required many new assemblies to be built from scratch, using the originals
as templates. So many of the original parts were either damaged
beyond repair, or completely rotted that they had to be replaced The
workmanship and creativity on this project is inspiring.
With a wealth of information from the airplane's early history, this is
more than just a photo gallery. Dave has
included pages on Monocoupe history, specifications, racing legacy, and
more. To learn more about the Monocoupe 110, or just surf through
the restoration photos, surf on over to Dave's
website.
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Taildraggers,
Inc. Tip of the Day:
Join the Taildraggers, Inc. Forums!
We've added a
Forum to the
Taildraggers, Inc. website. It's completely free to register and
use. As a registered user, you can post new topics, reply to
existing topics, and communicate with other users via email and private
message.
We've
got Forums for
Hangar Flying,
Upcoming Events,
Aircraft Construction and
Maintenance,
Projects, and a completely free
For Sale / Wanted section.
The Forums are for you
to use, and they depend on you for their growth and content. You can
navigate to the Forums
by clicking on the "Forum" tab at the top of this page, or by clicking on
the "Discuss this in the Taildraggers, Inc.
Forum link at the
bottom of each daily update.
Take a minute to register, and become a member of the Taildraggers, Inc.
community. Once you do, post a new thread telling us a little bit
about yourself on the
New
Members area.
We're glad to have you.
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File
This Under "WTF?"
Alright, before you start writing hate
letters about how I need to clean up my potty mouth, look at the photo.
Okay, now do you see why I'm flabbergasted? Ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls, what you're looking at is an Ercoupe with the "nosewheel
delete" option.
I've often wondered what a 'Coupe would look like with the undercarriage
arranged in the proper configuration. I no longer need to wonder,
and either do you. According to the
FAA, this is a "Nix Baby Beech 18" manufactured by Tommy H. Nix of
Guin, Alabama in 1991, S/N 1 (go figure). If you've ever wondered if
you could get your Ercoupe taildragger registered in the Experimental /
Amateur Built category, you're in luck. That appears to be exactly
what Mr. Nix did.
There are more photos of this beast in the
FORUM, including a nice, albeit small, color photo.
I've got to say, this is about the coolest Ercoupe I've ever seen.
It's almost as cool as the JATO Ercoupe
(click here to see the videos of that in action!).
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The Red Sparrows
Ha! You've heard of
The Red Arrows
(Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team)... Well, here are The Red Sparrows!
This was sent along by Jim Lagowski over on the Matronics Pietenpol forum.
Jim found this little jewel on YouTube. Nobody seems to know who
made this video, but it's obviously from a UK comedy show.
From the YouTube description:
"The Red Sparrows is a piss take with a bunch of English Firemen in
little planes perform death defying stunts with less than realistic props,
what a laugh!"
Enjoy your daily dose of Aerotainment, brought to you courtesy of
Taildraggers, Inc.
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Vintage
Advertisements
So I found out about this website
called Vintage Ad Browser.
It's like the Google of old advertisements. You can choose a
category (Airlines
and Aircraft, for example), or you can search by keyword. I
spent about two hours just clicking through the multitude of cool old ads.
Here's one of the one that I really liked. It's from Aeronca for the
Champ. I wish I could read the date, but the scan isn't clear
enough. I just laughed when I read the headline, "So Easy... A
YOUTH OF 16 CAN FLY AERONCA!"
"So Safe... So Simple... Now ANYBODY CAN FLY AERONCA!"
The website has some good features, including links to eBay so you can
purchase your own magazine sized copy of your favorite ads. Their
aviation ads run from the early 1900's all the way through modern years.
If you've got some time to kill, why not surf on over to the
Vintage Ad Browser website
and look up some cool old advertisements. I'm sure there's something
there for everyone to enjoy. You gotta love all things vintage,
especially when it comes to aviation.
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Pilot Cam: Skip Stewart at the 2009 Blue Angels Homecoming in Pensacola,
FL
Skip Stewart is, in my opinion, one of
the best airshow performers on the circuit today. His display is
loud, fast, and heart-stopping. As great as it is to watch an
airshow in person, it's also a lot of fun to watch the videos. Most
videos just follow the airplane around, and you don't really get the full
sensation of how wild the routine truly is. This video is different.
This is the pilot's point of view.
One warning. This video is not for people who get motion sickness.
To learn more about Skip Stewart, visit his website,
Skip Stewart
Airshows.
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No
Comment
It's not secret that it costs a small
fortune to earn a pilot's license. More important than that, the
freedom to fly for so many of us is the most valuable freedom we have.
To lose that freedom for any reason would be absolutely devastating.
I rarely go a single day without thinking about flying, airplanes, or
something aviation related. I've loved flying and aviation for as
long as I can remember. The thought of losing my ability to take to
the skies brings on a fear which is overwhelming. If we suffer from
any medical, physical, or emotional issues that the FAA deems
unacceptable, our privilege to fly can be revoked immediately. For
so many people suffering from depression, flying is the one thing in their
lives that they can control, where they feel complete. It is the
thing that brings them absolute joy. It is their therapy.
The image here was submitted to a website called
Post Secret.
The purpose is to give people the opportunity to anonymously share a
secret they have never spoken to anyone ever before. For most
people, this is a form a catharsis. It helps them to cope. For
those reading the secrets, it helps them to understand that they are not
alone.
I am posting this image here to remind us all that our freedoms are
fragile, and extremely valuable. We need to remember to take care of
ourselves to protect our cherished freedom to fly, and to never let
anything stand in the way of our passion for flight.
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Fly-In BBQ: The Pik N Pig in Carthage, NC (5NC3)
If you're looking for a place to eat, and are tired of the usual $100 hamburger, check out the
Pik N Pig
restaurant in Carthage, NC. Located on Gilliam - McConnell Airfield
(5NC3), you can land on the 2538' paved runway and taxi right up for a
meal. I haven't been yet, but will definitely be stopping in for
some delicious North Carolina barbeque this spring!
This video is from Raleigh's WRAL news.
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Vintage Video:
Bob Hoover in the Shrike Commander
Bob Hoover is one of the most
recognized names in the airshow industry. His routine in the Shrike
Commander earned him international fame. Hoover demonstrated the
technique of energy management as he flew an aerobatic sequence in the
twin-engine business aircraft with both engines shut down.
Not only is Hoover a well-known airshow performer, he is also a veteran of
World War II, having been shot down off the coast of Southern France in a
Spitfire. He escaped a German prison camp and after the war served
as Chuck Yeager's backup pilot for the Bell X-1 program. To learn
more about Bob Hoover, check out this
Wikipedia page.
Oh, and I'm very well aware that the Shrike Commander ain't a taildragger.
But watching Bob Hoover fly it is too cool not to share.
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AEROBATICS!!!
Adam Cope offers flight training in a
Super Decathlon, and specializes in aerobatic and unusual attitude
instruction, as well as spin training, and aerobatic competition training.
He's based in the "most secure airspace in the country" inside the
Washington, DC FRZ at Potomac Airfield (VKX).
This video shows Adam putting the Super Decathlon through it's paces
flying the 2010 Sportsman Known sequence. He has also uploaded
videos of the Basic and Intermediate knowns on
YouTube.
If you want to learn more about Adam, visit his website,
DCAerobatics.
If you want to learn more about aerobatics, visit the
IAC.
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Young
Eagles in 1947 - The Wittman Big-X
Earl Luce from
LuceAir was
fortunate enough to have these two photographs sent to him. Earl has
built a Wittman Tailwind, and a replica of Steve Wittman's
Buttercup. Earl's company,
LuceAir, sells plans
and parts for the Buttercup to builders all over the world.
Well, as the story goes, Fay Spears from California was surfing the
internet and found the LuceAir website. She thought she recognized
the Buttercup, and sent Earl these two photos.
She
says that they were taken back in 1947 after the two young children were
taken for rides by Johnny Kubiak. Now, I wasn't around back in 1947,
but I have read that passengers in a homebuilt was a no-no back then.
Well, CAA, what do you think about this!?
The plane in the photos isn't a Buttercup, it's a Big-X. Similar in
overall design and appearance to the Tailwind, it is a 4-place airplane.
Note the use of the spring steel landing gear, another of Steve Wittman's
contributions to aviation. Thank you, Steve.
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Taildraggers,
Inc. Photo Gallery:
The Rebuild of Steen Skybolt N66FW
Six Six Fox Whiskey was built in the
late 1970's. She suffered a little damage during a landing incident
and had to have a little surgery. The boys in the ER did a swell job
of patching her back together. A little oxy-acetylene here, a little
dope there, and she was better than new.
Click
HERE to see the full collection of photos from the rebuild, through to
some great flying photos.
When you're all done gawking at the photos of N66FW, stroll on over to the
Taildraggers, Inc.
Gallery
page, and enjoy some of our other photos. They're free for the
viewing! If you have a few photos of your own you'd like to share,
why not post them in the
Forums? Just like everything else here, the
Forums are free to
use!
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Taildraggers,
Inc. Tip of the Day:
Join the Taildraggers, Inc. Forums!
We've added a
Forum to the
Taildraggers, Inc. website. It's completely free to register and
use. As a registered user, you can post new topics, reply to
existing topics, and communicate with other users via email and private
message.
We've
got Forums for
Hangar Flying,
Upcoming Events,
Aircraft Construction and
Maintenance,
Projects, and a completely free
For Sale / Wanted section.
The Forums are for you
to use, and they depend on you for their growth and content. You can
navigate to the Forums
by clicking on the "Forum" tab at the top of this page, or by clicking on
the "Discuss this in the Taildraggers, Inc.
Forum link at the
bottom of each daily updaate.
Take a minute to register, and become a member of the Taildraggers, Inc.
community. Once you do, post a new thread telling us a little bit
about yourself on the
New
Members area.
We're glad to have you.
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Poor Greg Swingle must never sleep. I mean, how can one guy
put out so many great flying videos, and still have time for flying?
This is called "The 2010 Ski Ball",
which tells us it's not only fresh, but it must've snowed in Ohio.
Once you're done
watching this video, cruise on over to
Vimeo and watch the rest of
Greg's
videos. When you're finished there, go to the
Ohio Bush Planes website and buy a DVD so you
can watch 'em on the big screen.
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Christmas Tree Rocketry: The Art and Science of Holiday Recycling
A little post-holiday cheer from
YouTube. And I quote,
"The Christmas holiday is one of the most difficult times of the year to
stay 'green,' but rocket launching our Christmas tree was a great way to
recycle our trash destined tree. 32 large rocket engines and some careful
calculations ensured fun for the whole family."
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The Airplane as Art: Gene Rambo's Pietenpol
Here's a little teaser to keep you up
late at night. You love aviation. We love aviation. You
love airplanes. We love airplanes. You love to see the
technical, the detail; the blood, the sweat, and the tears. We love
to bring it to you. This is what we aim to do.
"Why is this picture here?" you ask. This is a preview. While
you've been busy surfing the internet, we've been busy looking for cool
planes and projects to photograph and write about. This is what
we've been working on. Stay tuned, because we've got more photos to
share. File this under "Coming Soon".
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Taildraggers,
Inc. Tip of the Day:
Never Fly the "A" Model of Anything
I know this has been beat to death
over on the VAF site,
but there might be a couple of you out there who still haven't seen these
pics.
This accident apparently happened on landing at a grass field in the UK
back in June of 2007. Both of the occupants were
reported to be unhurt.
A little digging, and you'll see that this isn't the first time an RV-6A
has ended up on it's back when the nosewheel dug in. Van's has come out
with a new design for their nosewheel (this is old news, too) in an effort
to stop these kinds of problems.
My solution? Build it as a taildragger, and save yourself the
embarrassment
and expense.
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It
seems that if you stall a tricycle geared airplane, it will spin without
warning! DANGER!
This is tongue-in-cheek, of course.
Read the article, and hopefully we call all learn something from it. But
be warned, DON'T FLY TRICYCLE GEARED AIRPLANES!!! They're dangerous...
NTSB Prelim: LSA Checkout/Stall Series Turns Into Spin
Mon, 04 Jan '10
This Could Have Gone A LOT Worse
An LSA CFI earned her hourly rate the hard way last month when an aircraft
checkout and stall series turned into an impromptu lesson in spin
recovery... and was terminated by an off-field landing with injuries and
damage to the airframe... Read the whole story
HERE
From www.aero-news.net
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It must be video week. If you haven't heard about Greg Swingle and
Ohio Bush Planes, you're not experiencing everything general aviation has
to offer.
Greg has been putting together some
truly entertaining flying videos for last year. Most of his videos feature
his
Rans S7-S in and out of some of the shortest and most unique strips in
Ohio, but this video really hit the spot for me. What can I say? I'm a
sucker for a biplane, and I love the single hole Pitts'. Once you're done
watching this video, cruise on over to
Vimeo and watch the rest of
Greg's
videos. When you're finished there, go to the
Ohio Bush Planes website and buy a DVD so you
can watch 'em on the big screen.
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Looking for some more Aerotainment? Go to All of 2009 :: OR :: Check out the Archives!
