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Author Topic: This will amuse  (Read 3387 times)

Offline Tony Smith

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This will amuse
« on: July 07, 2017, 01:21:36 AM »
I went to the "open cockpit" day at the Queensland air Museum last weekend.

I got to sit in a lot of cockpits and I took lots of photos, however this one I will post here as when I first saw it I burst out laughing and I laugh more every time I see it.
1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline skippyc

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2017, 06:46:50 PM »
 ;D

Offline Burt

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2017, 07:09:51 PM »
More photos please Tony. 

Having "sat" in a few I've flown in quite a few as well. 

If you get to the US, it it always worth visiting Chino and Palm Springs, CA and Tucson, AZ. 
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Offline Tony Smith

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2017, 07:31:09 AM »
Quote
More photos please Tony. 

Having "sat" in a few I've flown in quite a few as well. 

If you get to the US, it it always worth visiting Chino and Palm Springs, CA and Tucson, AZ. 

Ok Burt. i really did not take too many photos at QAM, mainly types I was once rated on.


But, here we go.

Lake Amphibian - I got a rating on this type when I first held a private licence. Sadly the very day after I got my rating the owner planted it on the runway a bit hard and the engine pylon flexed enough to near cut the tail off. The owner didn't have the funds to have it repaired and it was sold as a "fixer-upper", I never flew one again.

Piper Aztec - I did my twin training in one of these. One of the very few light twins that can actually fly half OK on one engine, mostly the remaining engine merely conveys you to the scene of the accident. I liked the Aztec a lot.

Beech 18, I felt like king of the kids when I was asked to fly one of these many years ago - apparently I had a good reputation for not bending aeroplanes or stressing engines and the owner paid for my endorsement on it. Round engines and a tail dragger, what more could you want?

This is a Cessna 336 - I only ever flew the 337, but as far as I know the only difference was the retractable u/c on the 337. Nasty horrid Aeroplane, the rear engine was prone to overheating. if the rear failed, the front would give you some distance to find a suitable place to force land. When I was trained on the 337, the ex-Vietnam O2 driver impressed on my that if you lost the front engine the best course of action was to put it on the ground ASAP as running the rear engine at the high power  required to extend the glide was a recipe for it to fail as well.  Mind you he was also the guy who gave me the advice that if I was ever doing a forced landing at night and didn't like what i saw - turn the lights off. Oh, i should mention that this 336 has been modified so that the entire rear bulkhead, engine and all, is hinged so that really bulky loads could simply be poked in from the back.

Lastly, the weirdest looking thing I ever flew, the Transavia Airtruk. I ferried one of these across Australia to its new owners in the Ord river scheme. I ferried their old Fletcher FU-24 back to be modified - it was a much nicer flying aircraft, but the Airtruk got looks wherever I set it down.





1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline DonC

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2017, 08:14:35 AM »
Tony,
That last plane looks like something out of a "Mad Max" movie! Was it Russian?

Offline Tony Smith

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2017, 04:28:52 PM »
Quote
Tony,
That last plane looks like something out of a "Mad Max" movie! Was it Russian?

A lightly modified one did appear in one of the Mad Max movies.

But, the Airtruk was (at least initially) made right here in Australia . They actually fly fairly well and have terrific pilot visibility - unfortunately that also means that the pilot is out in the sun. The one i flew from Townsville to Ord river (about 15 hours flying time IRC) had no screens or blinds and I didn't think to make some myself before departure - VERY sunburned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transavia_PL-12_Airtruk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-asgD0s5Ss

1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline skippyc

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2017, 06:12:52 PM »
Looks like an interesting show to go to.

Offline Tony Smith

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2017, 06:52:20 PM »
Quote
Looks like an interesting show to go to.

QAM have gone ahead leaps and bounds in the last 10 years or so. They have many more aircraft than the ones I took photos of, including F111, Caribou, Neptune, Ventura to name but a few. If you are ever at Caloundra it is well worth a visit.
1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline DonC

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2017, 08:44:40 AM »
Thanks for the video!

Offline marcmax

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2017, 09:52:51 PM »
Tony, thanks for bringing back a flood of memories. The pic of the Piper Aztec with the "Red Rat" on the fuselage took me all the way back to my days in USAF blues. They used to hold an annual competition for all the military airlifters and units from across the globe would participate. High altitude drops, low altitude extraction drops, combat paratroop drops, onload and offload excercises, etc. Everyone set up encampments near the airfields. The German Air Force and RAAF brought cases of beer, my Alaska Air National Guard buddies brought lbs of fresh salmon and halibut to grill. Everyone brought something and a good time was had by all. Unit patches and decals were traded freely. Them the Aussies showed up. They must have brought 10.000 silhouettes  of that blasted red kangaroo cut out of red 3M reflective tape. They stuck them everywhere! They were on restaurant windows in town. They were stuck over license plates, on car windows, hotel room doors. Then they started showing up on visiting aircraft, a whole line on "red rats" bounding down the side of a C-130, covering the wind screen of a C-141 Starlifter, high on the tail of an aircraft, and no one could figure out how they got there even though guards were posted. They became the prized possession if you could trade a squadron decal or patch for one of them. Thanks for bringing the memories back!
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Offline Rob Valdez 79 R65

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2017, 04:20:28 PM »
All I can offer is my ex-wife lives down the street from the Lycoming factory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

I should take their tour next time I am out there.

Offline Lucky_Lou

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2017, 05:11:39 PM »
Quote
All I can offer is my ex-wife lives down the street from the Lycoming factory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

I should take their tour next time I am out there.
I had to pinch myself when I saw this post..... welcome back Rob  :)
Lou
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Offline tunnelrider

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2017, 03:57:21 AM »
Yep great video of the Airtruk! Amazing piece of agricultural history thanks Tony.  I'm sure a few Airtruk's would've made it to NZ, top dressing planes abound here too... hopefully getting a bit more wise on where to spread it too ha ha
'85 Black R65 / '74 GT185 / '83 Pantah 500 / '90 Super Tenere 750  / '01 DRZ400 dirt only

Offline BPT

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Re: This will amuse
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2017, 01:10:09 PM »
Marcmax - barely related and I'm late to this thread but you're post reminded me of talking with my dad recently. He was in Viet Nam and when they would dock in town (usually Saigon) he would meet up with the Aussies there and tear it up at night.  Back then, instead of stickers, they had cans of spray paint and stencils. He said anytime they went out with the Aussies, the next morning they'd wake up and there'd be "goddamned kangaroos ALL OVER EVERYTHING".
Sounds like nothing's changed, just found a way to make it easier?    [ch128512][ch128512]
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