No reason at all to make the oil plug on this Aeronca engine a thing of beauty in and of itself... except that it makes a difference.
Data plate on an old Mercedes V8 block:
Inside the older hangars, which are dark as King Tut's outhouse on overcast days like this... I had to show you this all-original 1912 Thomas Pusher- sort of like a Breezy without a good wing and tail.
It used to fly, but not since before I started coming here.
A Vickers machine gun; infantry version with the water jacket; ca. 1916.
I love this 1903 Grout steam automobile... needs to get running again. Also needs original wheels (probably wood).
This must have really been something when it was flying: a replica Siemens-Shuckert D.III, powered by an original 1918 Siemens- Halske rotary, which was unique in that the the crankshaft and crankcase rotated in different directions at only 900 rpm each, to yield a combined rpm of 1800. Very clever, but it was prone to overheating and this design was very tricky to handle (it's ridiculously short-coupled and probably nose-heavy).
However, it climbed like a bat out of hell, and was the state-of-the-art interceptor of its day. Note the 4-bladed prop.
Time to mosey back to the ticket booth to see if any lightweights have wussed out on their biplane ride... here's a nice tableau, and all fully operational vehicles. From left to right:
1916 Studebaker
1913 Brewster Brougham
1916 Royal Enfield
I know I've been spreading some negativity lately about ORA, but I still think it's an incredible repository and there is still some passion there. The dream lives on, although the pulse is feeble, IMHO. The support of the public is vital at this point, so if this kind of fabulous old junk (
) interests you, it's a must-visit site on any visit to the NE USA.The website is excellent: check out all the stories about the machines collected there, and of course Mr. Palen himself, who was an extraordinary guy and somebody I've always admired.
http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/
Next: part 7!
