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Had a srange encounter one evening when I ventured out towards the north perimeter of Wittman Field on my bike to take some late-afternoon pics... decided to keep going around to the east, not really thinking about how far that would be (huff! puff!), but about halfway there, near the east side of the airport, I thought I saw a Gooney-bird.
I did, I did see a Gooney-bird!
A whole bunch of them... what are they doing here?

     


Sadly, it looked like they were just rotting away. But still very photogenic.

     



     



But the name on this old Convair jogged my memory... this is the home of Basler Flight Services, where they offer on-demand cargo flights and do turbine upgrades of the old Douglas airframes! For some reason I'd remembered them being out West somewhere.
 So there's hope yet for these olds girls... for more info:

http://www.baslerturbo.com/



     





Now for something completely different: who knew a Champ could provide so much shelter?


     




One of a few very fine Helios at the event... I spoke for a while with the JAARS pilot who was looking after this one- it's done some hairy flying, and so has he.

     


My interior shots of that plane didn't come out, but here's a good look at another Courier:

     


Think the Helio is the ultimate bushplane? Well, this SIAI-Marchetti SM1019 offers some serious competition, even if it cant haul as much... wow!!  :o




Next: part 24- vintage prop fighters

Those DC-3s certainly don't look like they're going anywhere!

Next: part 24- vintage prop fighters

Moooooooooore! Blimey Sean - you're taking up the whole bandwidth of the US...


...not that I'm complaining! Keep 'em coming!

I hope someday they will be restored to their formal glory!!

Now that's the way to go camping!!!

Great shots, Sean!!

Great catch!!

Is the prop feathered on that 1019?

OMG IT'S DAK HEAVEN!  Well, if I could take them all home and get them in the air that is

OMG IT'S DAK HEAVEN!  Well, if I could take them all home and get them in the air that is

LOL- it really was like some kind of mirage, custom-tailored for a Douglas lover... I was stunned, and so happy to have stumbled on that scene that I didn't mind riding all the way around the airport to my campsite (over 10 miles). It seemed like it was meant to be.
It was really something- just me and those beauties in that magical light.
There were some workers still there, but they were closing up, otherwise I would have seen if I could go in the yard for a closer look.
Anybody planning to visit the EAA museum anytime might want to see about paying a visit to Basler's.

Is the prop feathered on that 1019?

Sure looks like it... I think that's SOP with turbines, because the lack of cylinder compression makes them more prone to windmilling in the breeze (which could be dangerous, I guess). That would explain the restraint on the prop, also.

Is the prop feathered on that 1019?

Sure looks like it... I think that's SOP with turbines, because the lack of cylinder compression makes them more prone to windmilling in the breeze (which could be dangerous, I guess). That would explain the restraint on the prop, also.

That makes sense then. Then wouldn't it make more sense to either feather it or have the restraint? Can't be too careful, I guess. Especially with all those people.

I've never seen the feathering capability on a single engine though.

Is the prop feathered on that 1019?

Sure looks like it... I think that's SOP with turbines, because the lack of cylinder compression makes them more prone to windmilling in the breeze (which could be dangerous, I guess). That would explain the restraint on the prop, also.

That makes sense then. Then wouldn't it make more sense to either feather it or have the restraint? Can't be too careful, I guess. Especially with all those people.

I've never seen the feathering capability on a single engine though.

More good insight... but what if the wind is blowing directly across the blades, at a right angle? It could happen, and it's just smart, with the teeming hordes wandering all over during AirVenture. Almost every aircraft on display there is not roped-off, and often unattended, so any hazard to (the more ignorant) attendees has to be considered. I saw a lot of high-wings with flags and things hilighting pitot heads, aileron horns, etc.

As for the full-feathering prop: I guess it is unusual for a single-engine, but if I were to slap a big RR turbine and huge prop on a plane like that, I'd want a full-feathering hub, too... imagine the drag if that engine quit or had to be shut down in flight with the prop not feathered, and the effect it would have on a small, already-draggy airframe like that!  Look out below!!!

Of course, that could just be the normal back-limit of that hub, and not true "feathering"; I could be wrong. It might even have beta-pitch... a little more research is required, I think.

Is the prop feathered on that 1019?

Sure looks like it... I think that's SOP with turbines, because the lack of cylinder compression makes them more prone to windmilling in the breeze (which could be dangerous, I guess). That would explain the restraint on the prop, also.

I think it's fairly normal on some - such as the PT-6. Stutting them down with the props feathered proabably slows the blades down faster on free turbine engines which have little mechanical resistance. Some such as the Garrett on the Tucano won't feather unless the engine RPM is above a certain level.

So sad...does Oshkosh have its own boneyard?

So sad...does Oshkosh have its own boneyard?

No... read the post again.

I flew over that place a couple weeks ago and I thought you'd like it Jake.  Here's a bad aerial picture of it...

thanks sooo much for sharing this bit of your week, I love seeing all of your photos from the times you had out there