Join The AirPigz 'Naval Aviation Museum' MeetUp (Pensacola January 24-26, 2014)

Click the pic to check out the National Naval Aviation Museum website

AirPigz 'Naval Aviation Museum' MeetUp in Pensacola FL will take
place January 24-26, 2014 (Fri, Sat, Sun - come 1, 2 or all 3 days)

Click here to be aded to the email list for more details

 This is your official invitation to make a trip to sunny Pensacola Florida for the AirPigz Naval Aviation Museum MeetUp on January 24-26, 2014. You can join a handful of other avgeeks on any of the three days, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday... or all three if world-class aviation museums take you many days to truly experience, like they do for me!

 As we have done the last three years (the first two at the Air Force Museum and last year at the National Air & Space Museum) there's no charge to participate, but of course you need to cover your own transportation and accommodations. Museum admission is free and it's open every day from 9am to 5pm.

(click pic for 360 panorama!)  Naval Museum entrance with Blue Angels A-4 Skyhawks

 Click the link up above (or here) to get on the email update list for the details of the meetup. We'll communicate about accommodations, a basic daily schedule, and other details to help make your time there enjoyable. Typically about 15 people make the trip and everyone has a great time taking in the museum at their own pace and then gathering for dinner in the evening.

(click pic for 360 panorama!) Some of the diverse collection at the Naval Aviation Museum

 
 A quick and easy winter getaway to Pensacola is exactly what every avgeek needs, so get to making plans to join this 4th AirPigz museum meetup!

(note the happy avgeeks below from last year's event : )

Some of the group from the AirPigz Air & Space Museum MeetUp in January 2013

CoolPix: Jimmy Doolittle And The Gee Bee R-1 Race Past The Bendix Pylon! (1932)

(click pic for hi-res)  The iconic Gee Bee R-1 at 1932 Cleveland National Air Races

 (check out the Gee Bee category on AirPigz)

 This is actually a picture of a picture... the enlarged photograph is on the wall at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and I captured a picture of that photograph during the NASM AirPigz MeetUp back in late January 2013. I was spending quite a bit of time channeling Howard Hughes in the presence of the Hughes H-1 racer, and this photograph was on the wall nearby along with other interesting items from the golden age of air racing. I went ahead and took the pic knowing that one day I'd wanna post it here. I really like how the off-center Gee Bee helps relate the speed that the racer was traveling - probably around 250 mph, but maybe more. Be sure to click this CoolPix to open it up hi-res.

 There's a similar picture viewable on the net (sample here) but it shows Jimmy and the Gee Bee going from left to right. After studying the two pix a bit I realized that the signboard in the pic here says 'Event L Lap' while the other pic says 'Event R Lap'. I haven't done the research to know for sure what that means, but I would assume that, for whatever reason, the airplane was flying the race course in opposite directions. One of these days I'll take the time to understand the meaning... but for now I'm content just imagining what it would have been like to be there in person (and in color) as this amazing aircraft and amazing pilot ripped a streak in the Cleveland sky. Seriously, if you do more than just look at this image, if you make a specific effort you can let your mind take you back to 1932 and a world that is so far away from the one we live in today. And yet there they were, less than 30 years after the Wright Brothers, and the Granville Brothers had a race airplane that could easily exceed 250 mph. (Jimmy set a world speed record in the Shell Speed Dash during the 1932 races of 296 mph!)

 So there you have it, my Gee Bee obsession remains intact. More to come : )

Bacon Salute! 2013 AirPigz National Air & Space Museum MeetUp

(click pic to enlarge)  Avgeeks doing the 2013 AirPigz Museum MeetUp 'Bacon Salute'!
 

(check out the NASM MeetUp category on AirPigz for more posts from the NASM)

 It was about a month ago, Sunday January 27, 2013 to be exact, when this bacon salute picture was taken at the Bob Evans restaurant that's located not far from the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly Virginia... that's the newer of the National Air and Space Museum facilities. This fine group of avgeeks gathered for breakfast before we launched into the third and final day of the 2013 AirPigz Museum MeetUp. 15 people in all had attended on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday, with a core group of about 10 of us attending all three days. Friday and Sunday were at the Udvar-Hazy, and Saturday was at the NASM facility at the National Mall in Downtown Washington DC. I think you can tell from the smiles on their faces that this meetup was a great success!

 It was my intention to post a long string of aircraft pix along with this bacon salute image well before this point in time. However, my day job has had me buried in time-consuming and physically tiring work, so my ability to get into detailed posting right now is greatly diminished. This is one of the hazards of running a website that doesn't generate anywhere near enough revenue to make it a real job. Anyway, I figured before any more time passes, I really better get this bacon salute pic posted!

 A big Thank You goes out to all who attended this meetup! I can't imagine it all coming together any better than it did. And when you add some delicious bacon into the mix, you've got a near perfect avgeek weekend!

 Next year, wherever the meetup takes place, YOU should be there : )

Close up view of that amazing and magical meat candy we all love - BACON!

(check out the NASM MeetUp category on AirPigz for more posts from the NASM)

CoolPix: Pitts Special As Art! Betty Skelton's 'Little Stinker' At Udvar-Hazy

(click pic for hi-res)  Betty Skelton's Pitts Special on display at the NASM/Udvar-Hazy

 I'm trying to find the time and energy to get a boatload of pix from the recent AirPigz National Air and Space Museum MeetUp posted, but my day job as a ceramic tile installer is more-than-full-time these days... plus I'm trying to develop an all new biz to produce a wildly successful packaged food item so my life as an underpaid ceramic tile installer can come to an abrupt end. That abrupt end is also where my career as a smiling-ear-to-ear aircraft owner is supposed to begin! But the bottom line right now is that there just aren't enough hours in the day.

 Anyway, I have found the time today (early before work and then over my lunch break) to post a CoolPix of a fabulous little airplane that was flown spectacularly by an amazing woman back in the late 40's. Betty Skelton won first place in three consecutive International Feminine Aerobatic Championships in '48, '49 and '50. The airplane in her first championship year was her 1929 Great Lakes, and the last two years were in this exact airplane, the Pitts Special that she had named 'Little Stinker'. However, that winning streak might not be too surprising when you realize that she actually made her first solo flight at age 12 in a 40hp Taylorcraft! Of course that wasn't legal, but it does appear to have been well within her capabilities. This woman was meant to fly, and nothing was going to stop her. When she met Curtiss Pitts and his little Pitts Special in 1948, the airplane had met the woman who would make it famous.

 It's especially interesting to note that this is the second Pitts Special ever built! The airplane is hanging upside down in the entrance to the Udvar-Hazy facility of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly Virginia. It's easy to not take much notice of the airplane as you enter in, but I hope when you get to the Udvar-Hazy (the next time or on your very first time), you'll take some time and really contemplate what that little red and white airplane represents. There's so much amazing history wrapped up in that little package... and it also makes for an awesome piece of classic art!

Betty in N22E, the second Pitts Special ever built by Curtiss Pitts  (photo: NASM)
 

 Betty had a massive amount of experience and opportunity to fly, to race cars, and to do all kinds of amazing things thru the 50's and 60's. Just as impressive as the fact that she had mad skills operating machines that move, Betty also had an incredible ability to remain a classy woman all along the way. She wasn't out to prove anything specific for the woman's movement, she just wanted to fly and to go fast. Rather than use her femininity to force her way or manipulate opportunities, Betty used her excellent skills to open the doors for her. She had a peaceful patience believing that the opportunities for women in flying would come in due time, and of course she was right. Betty Skelton was one amazing human being. She also spent many years in the advertising business working closely with GM, especially on the Corvette. 

 The amazing Betty Skelton passed away at age 85 on August 31, 2011.

 Back in 1999, Betty sat down for almost a 90 minute interview at the time when Eileen Collins was about to become the first female pilot (and first female commander) of the Space Shuttle on STS-93. This interview covers Betty's amazing life and it puts her graceful attitude on beautiful display. Click the video screenshot of Betty below to go to the video interview in the C-SPAN video library.

Click the screenshot to go to the 1999 84 minute C-SPAN interview with Betty Skelton
 

 You can expect more Betty Skelton history to come as I find the time to dig much deeper into the unique life of this very special woman.

1944 Dornier Do 335: A Really Big Push/Pull Speedster From WWII (+ Video)

(click pic to enlarge)  WWII German Dornier Do 335 at the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center

 The recent AirPigz National Air and Space Museum MeetUp was more than just a great time with historic aircraft and great avgeek friends, it was also a good time for me to develop a new obsession: the World War II German Dornier Do 335. This rather large (about 20,000 pound max takeoff weight) and very fast single seat aircraft is one that I honestly knew pretty much nothing about. It has slipped thru the cracks of my avgeek upbringing somehow, but now it has found its very own room in my mind and I am quite happy about that.

 The short story on the airplane is that only around 40 were built toward the end of WWII, and none ever entered actual combat related service. This unique push/pull arrangement meant that the Do 335 sits high on the gear to allow for good ground clearance for the rear prop. It sits so high that the average man can walk under that wing! Powered by two centerline mounted Daimler-Benz DB 603A inverted 12-cylinder engines making 1,750 hp each, the Do 335 appears to have been the fastest piston engine aircraft from the war. I haven't done the deep research, but it seems it was capable of 475 mph in level flight! Can you imagine what a clipped, streamlined and lightened Do 335 would do on the race course at Reno! However, since this example on display at the Udvar-Hazy is the only example that remains, racing one at Reno just isn't gonna happen.

(click pic to enlarge)  Closer view of the beastly Do 335 and its push/pull power

 The Do 335 was envisioned in several different roles: fighter/bomber; night fighter, reconnaissance and trainer (in a special two-seat configuration as seen in the video below), but with the aircraft being developed near the end of the war, it never made it into service with the Luftwaffe. Because of the rear mounted propeller, the Do 335 included an ejection seat for the pilot along with the ability to jettison the vertical tail and rear prop to add greater safety to an ejection. There are many more interesting and unique features of the 335 but I'll cover that later when I do an in-depth post on it... for now, I just wanted to take the uninitiated (like I was before last Friday) and open up your mind to a very interesting WWII aircraft.

(click pic to enlarge) Dornier Do 335 cutaway available for purchase from Flightglobal

Fascinating video (in German) of the Dornier Do 335

CoolPix: 1970's Reno Biplane Racer Sorceress At The Udvar-Hazy Center

(click pic for hi-res)  Over 40 years later, the biplane racer Sorceress still looks hot!

 I returned from the AirPigz NASM MeetUp about noon today after driving back from the Washington DC area... what a fabulous adventure it was meeting up with 15 other avgeeks at the National Air and Space Museum facilities! I hope to post many more photos before long, including the bacon salute at breakfast on Sunday, but for now I'm sharing a hi-res CoolPix of the 1970's era biplane racer known as Sorceress. The aircraft is on display at the Udvar-Hazy NASM facility in Chantilly Virginia. 

 Since I'm tired and preparing for a full week of regular work yet to do, I figure the easiest way to fill you in on this unusual and very interesting aircraft is to point you over to my post; Sorceress: Radical Sport Biplane Racer At Reno 1970 that I put up just over a year ago. I've got three pix in that post that show you how the airplane looked at Reno in !970 along with some history on the design. Be sure to click the pic above to see it hi-res and enjoy!

AirPigz NASM MeetUp Day 2! (Downtown Washington DC - 5 Pix)

(click pic to enlarge) The Bell X-1 that Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier with in 1947

 Day two of the AirPigz National Air and Space Museum MeetUp was absolutely fabulous! We car-pooled to a METRO train station and then rode into downtown DC to experience the incredible collection of historic aircraft. Everyone had a great time... from the youngest at 9 years of age to the oldest at 78. It was a perfect day of great airplanes and great people!

(click pic to enlarge) Most of the 14 people at today's meetup under the Rutan Voyager

 You meet the nicest people at an AirPigz MeetUp! Seriously, what a great bunch of people to share some wonderful avgeekery with. If you've never joined in before, you should definitely consider it when the next chance rolls around.

(click pic to enlarge) Side view of the amazing Howard Hughes H-1 racer from 1935

(click pic top enlarge)  Front view of the H-1 racer (wood wing, aluminum fuselage)

 As I expected, I spent quite a lot of time with the Hughes H-1 racer today. Trust me when I say I got waaayyyyy more than just the two pictures you see here of this amazing race aircraft from the mid 30's! But for now this is all you get... more pix and details yet to come at another time : )

(click pic to enlarge) Wide span of history: Spirit of St Louis, Bell X-1 and SpaceShipOne

 In the future I'll be posting much more from the experiences at the Udvar-Hazy on Friday, the National Mall from today, and from the last day of the MeetUp tomorrow back at the Udvar-Hazy, but for now this is all I have the time and energy for.

 A big Thank You goes out to everyone participating in the MeetUp this year, you've made it a real joy!

CoolPix: Space Shuttle Discovery Up Close At The Udvar-Hazy Center

(click pic for hi-res)  The unique textures of the skin on Space Shuttle Discovery 

 The first day of the AirPigz National Air and Space Museum MeetUp was agreat success! 13 people in all gathered today at the Udvar-Hazy Center to enjoy a fabulous collection of great aircraft. It was a great start to three days of avgeekery and friendship that should see several more people join the event as we move into Washington DC to tour the legacy NASM facility on the National Mall tomorrow. It's sure to be another fantastic day!

 I had hoped to have the energy to post several pix from today, but I'm just a bit too tired for that... but I have selected what I think is a very interesting look at one of the star exhibits at the Udvar-Hazy, Space Shuttle Discovery. This CoolPix gives you the opportunity to see the unique textures of the some of the shuttle's outer skin. I was surprised to see that there's A LOT of texture on the surface of the shuttle. Much of the white-colored areas of the orbiter are actually somewhat quilted fibrous silica batting material. I think it's fascinating to see these textures and other details up so close when you click the pic to open it up big.

 It was an incredible experience walking around Discovery and seeing her in such detail up close. Despite her well-used appearance, she is a stunning beauty! The 10 hour drive over here from Indiana was worth it just to be able to stand in the presence of this significant space traveler. I'll be posting more detailed pix later of Discovery, but now it's off to sleep with dreams of seeing the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St Louis, the Bell X-1 and so much more at the National Mall building tomorrow!

CoolPix: Hughes H-1 Racer (AirPigz NASM MeetUp Starts Tomorrow!)

(click pic for hi-res) 1935 Hughes H-1 racer at the Air and Space Museum (photo:NASM)
 

 The third AirPigz MeetUp starts tomorrow, Friday January 25, and this year we’re meeting up at the National Air and Space Museum! The first two MeetUp’s took place in late January (2011 and 2012) at the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio, but I’m currently en route via car to the Washington DC area so I can gather with 15 or more avgeeks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the two NASM facilities.

 The legacy NASM facility is located at the National Mall in Washington DC where they have a large collection of some of the world’s most important historic aircraft, including the Hughes H-1 racer shown here in an image from the NASM website that I’ve tweaked a bit and posted as a CoolPix. I saw this airplane nearly 40 years ago when I was a young teen, and while it was impressive to me, my appreciation for what it represents is greater now than ever before. I will stand and stare at this stunning piece of high-performance aviation art for quite some time this Saturday! Btw, here's the post from back in December that gives the overview of the AirPigz NASM MeetUp.

 The more recently opened NASM facility known as the Udvar-Hazy is located about 25 miles west of DC on the edge of Dulles airport in Chantilly Virginia. There is a very large collection of aircraft there also, including the recently positioned Space Shuttle Discovery. There’s no question that this is gonna be one hardcore avgeek meetup!

 Keep watch the next few days as I try to post some great pix that show why you should get to the NASM sometime soon... and why you should consider making the trip to the next AirPigz MeetUp : )

Me With Darryl Greenamyer's Conquest 1 At Reno 1968! (+ NASM MeetUp Reminder)

(click pic to enlarge)  Me at age seven and in love with Conquest 1 at Reno 1968

 This little Kodak picture (that I cropped down a bit) scanned in fairly well, tho if you click the pic to view it larger you'll see that it wasn't really meant to go big. But I think it's a pretty amazing image... that's me as a seven year old kid at Reno in 1968 in awe of my favorite racer, Darryl Greenamyer's modified F8 Bearcat. And tho the airplane was named Conquest 1 for the speed record attempt in 1969, my research indicates that technically it was just Bearcat No. 1 at the time of this pic in 1968. Btw, Darryl did indeed set the speed record on August 16, 1969 at Edwards Air Force Base with a speed of 483.041 mph (average of four passes).

 I'm not only excited that I found this pic from my avgeek youth, but I'm gonna see this exact airplane at the upcoming AirPigz National Air and Space Museum MeetUp on January 25-27 in Washington DC! Conquest 1 is actually on display at the newer of the two NASM facilities, the Udvar-Hazy in Chantilly Virginia about 25 miles from the National Mall museum facility in Washington DC. We're still a week away from the museum MeetUp so you've still got time to make plans to join the fun. Check out my previous NASM MeetUp post for more details. Currently it looks like 12 to 15 people will be attending on one or more days (Fri, Sat, Sun - January 25-27, 2013) but there's always room for more avgeeks!

Click the pic to go to the NASM Udvar-Hazy page about Greenamyer's Conquest 1

 The pic above shows the airplane in modern times on display at the Udvar-Hazy looking just as it did when it was donated to the museum back in 1977. I'm old-school in my Conquest 1 adoration, so I'm not a big fan of the yellow paint, but you can be sure I'm gonna tingle when I stand in the presence of this amazing aircraft. It's kinda interesting to note that the pic of me from 1968 and the pic above from the NASM website are remarkably almost the same perspective.

 As I was doing a little research on the Conquest 1 name to be sure I got my info correct, I stumbled across an incredible plastic model built by a master modeler name Russ Camp who passed away back in 2010. His detailed LargeScalePlanes.com forum post about modifying a Bearcat kit is still up for viewing and it's fascinating to go thru the 8 pages of posts seeing the project take shape. As the picture below shows, his work on the Conquest 1 model was simply fantastic. Click the pic below to go to the forum post to see the project from December 2009 take shape.

Click the pic to see the LargeScalePlanes.com forum post on this amazing plastic model

 And I have one last pic for you to check out... it's my March 2009 post: Reno Air Races 1970 Darryl Greenamyer And Conquest 1 from back in the days when being in the pit meant you could get this close to an Unlimited racer while the engine was running! Wow, now that was an awesome America! #neverthoughti'dsayitbutireallymissthe70's