Pilots, Vintage Plane guys...

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

bad thing about that plane is that it doesn't have one of thoses windmill thingys out front to tell you that the engines on!

"windmill thingys" LOL!


we have a silver MIG -23 based at deer valley. one day i was leaving aeropuerto after buying some new wheel chocks for a plane that decided to roll down hill. a very big plane rolling down hill. like my bosses very big grumman mallard rolling downhill. this was because pilot forgot to chock wheels properly. anyway as i was leaving deer valley parallel to runway and south of, here goes this FREEKING SILVER FIREBALL in my left peripheral vision. it was the MIG-23 in FULL AB(afterburner) roaring like ICARUS towards the sun heading east.

about pooed meself as it was totally unexpected. man wish i had my nikon for that juan.

[trader220]

See I knew I could get some good opinions from this place. So my budget of 2 million is a far cry from being realistic. It would appear the reality of trying to buy and then maintain and fly one of these is not realistic. I thank you all for the opinions and info.

Sounds like there would be a market for a repro of some of these planes?

The fella that lived next door to me at the beach was a Navy Pilot on loan to the Army in WWII. Sort of a crotchety old guy if you didn’t take the time to get to know him. Turns out he and his wife were two very very nice people. He and I would sit on his porch and drink cheap scotch on some of the warm summer nights. I would listen to him tell his flying stories, this went on for several summers back about 15 to 18 years ago or more. One day he’s loading up his car as I was doing some maintenance on mine and I asked where he was going. Well we hopped into his car and drove out to where he kept his gem. I don’t know what particular plane it was (I was not as well versed in WWII warbrids back then) but he and two buddies had 3 WWII warbirds including a Mitsu Zero (not sure if it was real or a repro) and even at their age they had a heck of a time a few times a month burning a lot of avgas.

I had seen the planes when I was on the beach for years but didn’t know a thing about who owned and flew them. I don’t think Bob is still alive and I have not been to see him in ten years but I still have a vivid memory of seeing those planes in the hanger and in the air.

What would you suggest in terms of a something other than a PBY which would carry out the same sort of travel and cargo potential?

[ODDJOB UNO]

a turbine dehav on floats. and leave it at that! multiplace engines demand ratings,increased hanger size, more insurance etc. if interested in 1 of 66 factory built turbine dehavilands on floats PM me. got a line on juan.

[icemann427]

If you have two million cash to blow, that does avail yourself to the vintage aircraft arena if that is truly what you want. The last I checked, you could purchase my favorite vintage recip. aircraft; a HS Sea Fury, in a totally rebuilt, zero time configuration for less than $700,000. It is incredibly fast and incredibly beautiful. The remaining $1.2+ million could be saved for maintenance, wet costs, hanger rent, and other necessities (leather helmet & goggles) with the remaining funds used for flight school and getting up to an excellent pilot proficiency level.

Just be well aware that these things are total money pits and require total dedication (like UNO's multi-jetliner rated pilot friend gives his aircraft/avocation). You can not fly these aircraft less than about 8 times a month and expect to remain proficient in them....Anything less and we will find your remains in a avgas burnt crater.

So best of luck but just go in with your eyes open.

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by icemann427

If you have two million cash to blow, that does avail yourself to the vintage aircraft arena if that is truly what you want. The last I checked, you could purchase my favorite vintage recip. aircraft; a HS Sea Fury, in a totally rebuilt, zero time configuration for less than $700,000. It is incredibly fast and incredibly beautiful. The remaining $1.2+ million could be saved for maintenance, wet costs, hanger rent, and other necessities (leather helmet & goggles) with the remaining funds used for flight school and getting up to an excellent pilot proficiency level.

Just be well aware that these things are total money pits and require total dedication (like UNO's multi-jetliner rated pilot friend gives his aircraft/avocation). You can not fly these aircraft less than about 8 times a month and expect to remain proficient in them....Anything less and we will find your remains in a avgas burnt crater.

So best of luck but just go in with your eyes open.

on the money here. dead spot on.

if interested in furthur pursuing a multi engine float/seaplane. read jimmy buffets book. and read about his near fatal crash in naragansett sound,new york. very eyeopening book to what really IS INVOLVED!

if interested in a 1946 grumman mallard PM me. total concours restoration upgraded avionics blah blah. you can EAT OFF OF ANY SURFACE!

[trader220]

I read JB's book years ago, nice read

[J P Stein]

I read an article many moons back....I have no idea if it is true and neither did the story's writer, but here ya go.

It seemed that a rich Texas oilman wanted a divorce from his wife, but was afraid it would cost him too much. She was a pilot and fancied warbirds......so he bought her an "ensign eliminator" & hired an instructor to help her out. He was a widower within 6 months.

[rouxroux]

Originally Posted by ODDJOB UNO

on the money here. dead spot on.

if interested in furthur pursuing a multi engine float/seaplane. read jimmy buffets book. and read about his near fatal crash in naragansett sound,new york. very eyeopening book to what really IS INVOLVED!

if interested in a 1946 grumman mallard PM me. total concours restoration upgraded avionics blah blah. you can EAT OFF OF ANY SURFACE!

Not to mention the time he landed in Negril and the local federales opened fire on the plane thinking he was a smuggler.

[t6dpilot]

Trader220, Corsair... very sexy, he-man bird. Nice choice. I have been around WB's for quite some time and follow the market fairly closely. I have seen a huge spike in single seat fighters over the last several years. Two large will put you in the ball park for a Corsair, but you will have to budget for a hanger, maintenance, insurance, ect. Dang, I remember when a good flyable 51 could be had for less than 500k. Now they are all close to that 2 large number you quoted.

Some of my favorites: P-40, Corsair, Bearcat, Seafury. The Mustang is a very sexy and very beautiful aircraft, but also a very complex airplane from a systems standpoint. Lots of stuff to fail and a highly stressed power plant. And those Merlin Fingers... need to be adjusted every 25 hours. Imagine a 911 valve adjustment on super steriods. The Seafury is a relative bargain compared to the other pointy nosed fighters. Shoot, those used to go for 250k to 350k not all that long ago. Love those birds... The P-40 has to be an all time favorite, but I may be biased since I have flown it. The Allison motor can be dead nuts reliable for hundreds of hours and the systems are pretty basic. Remember that it was designed in the 30's. Plus, the kids all love it when you taxi in with a shark's mouth. More rare (if you can call it that) at an airshow than Mustangs.

If you are seriously interested, PM me and I can put you in touch with the world's premier WB dealer. If you want a Corsair, trust me, he will find you one. He is a friend of the family and a stand up guy. Good luck with your journey. Photo for fun.

[icemann427]

Here is a picture of and quick Youtube link to a fast pass made by a Sea Fury. The SF is actually a little more powerful and faster than a F4u-4 Corsair...But it was also developed quite a bit later, as well. Gives me goosebumps when I hear it...


YouTube - Hawker Sea Fury pass

[cgarr]

You can always build one! This Travel Air Mystery Ship was scratch built by one of our members for over 30 years. He passed away before it could be finished, from what I understand he worked it out with the factory? off original plans, serial number etc and built it as on original factory model not a replica.

[K9Torro]

Jock Cousteau had a nice PBY for years wonder what happened to it ?

Todd

[varmint]

Originally Posted by K9Torro

Jock Cousteau had a nice PBY for years wonder what happened to it ?

Todd

his son died flipping it on landing.

[Tim Hancock]

If I could have any warbird my heart desired, it would be a Boeing P26 Peashooter. I am not really sure why I have always liked them... maybe simply because they are unobtanium. AFAIK, there "may" be only one real one in existance although there is a "replica" in the Air Force Museum in Dayton.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by ODDJOB UNO

heres what happens around here............we said "CHEER UP-NOT GEAR UP".........actually witnessed this standing there.

Hope that is not Bud Abrams T-28 from Tucson...

[holtjv]

Originally Posted by ODDJOB UNO

theres not a damn thing parts wise made for them. everything will have to be FABBED!

if it was me spending YOUR MONEY.........................

i would find the highest production number model of plane still flying that you like. find other owners and get in cahoots with them, as they have already been down this bad road before you.


also i would buy a LANDBASED plane as INTERGRANULAR CORROSION will NOT BE AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE!

P-51's would be a good start, if ya have to have a real mccoy fighter. we have a real one based here that actually is in WWII D-DAY markings and was built in feb. of 1944. i think it got 12 kills on the fuselage. hes on his 3rd engine. last engine built by hendrick motorsports. anythang RARE model(low production #'s) will be the downfall of your marriage/bank accts/your health.

in other words if yer not bill gates......................you havent a CLUE how many pesos you will be pooing out yer arse!

like i said..............if ya get 20 hrs of flyboy time per year ..........i'll be AMAZED.

For a second, there, just a second, I thought you reminded me of another Pelican.

But, nah. No way.

[varmint]

just get a tiger moth. maintainable, won't kill you, and can be had for a 1/10th of what these other things cost.

[Jim Bremner]

Somewhere in time I had read that the Germans had their pedals about 18" higher than the Brits.

It helped them keep from blacking out earlier!

[K9Torro]

Originally Posted by varmint

his son died flipping it on landing.

Wow, did not know that. Have to do some research now and learn up on when and where, I just remembered seeing it in some of the old TV shows, guess I am showing my age.

Todd

[KNS]

His son, Phillipe, was landing the PBY on a river in Spain, the plane flipped over and Phillipe was killed. I remember seeing that plane on the cover of AOPA magazine - it may have been EAAs "Sport Aviation"...? Sad news. The PBY was used extensively on their Nile River expedition.