Video: FIFI From The Flight Deck - Takeoff At Fort Worth

(check out my hi-res OSH11 wide-angle view of the FIFI cockpit thru the side window)

 This video is from back in 2011 but it's a really great cockpit view (from the observers seat) of a takeoff in the CAF B-29 FIFI. It's an awesome avgeek treat to get this inside view of the B-29, especially since the cockpit design makes it all so open and extremely visible with all that plexi. But I hope that seeing this the day after Memorial Day also helps us to remember that the military aircraft that we so often love are really tools of war. A young B-29 crew heading out on a dangerous mission probably had a lot more to be thinking about than how cool their B-29 was.

 The people who are willing to serve in the military, or accepted the call to serve during a draft (literally putting their life on the line) are special people... and they are the ones who have preserved our freedom. It just seems to me that we should all start our day with a clear understanding of the sacrifices that allow us to be a free country, and in turn I would hope that we would all work harder to stand up in our own ways to see that freedom preserved.

Screenshot: cockpit view of the B-29 FIFI on takeoff roll (observer in bombardier seat)

Video: 19 Foot Wingspan RC B-17 In Austria - Wow!

 Dude, that's one big RC B-17! And since we played with a B-17 in the Caption Contest last week, I figured now was a perfect time to post the video of this amazing piece of work. It appears to be both built and flown by Peter Pfeffer in Austria. The first flight, as seen in the video, is from just over 2 weeks ago.

This view before completion gives a great perspective on the size of this RC B-17!
 

 This beast has a 19 foot wingspan, is 14 feet long and is a whopping 187 pounds of retro WWII UAV! The four engines appear to be VT 42 single cylinder four-strokers like in this video. They come from Armin de Vries, a model engine builder in Germany, and are known for high power, low weight, and a great sound.

 You can also see an extensive gallery of construction pix at this flickr page.  Truly an amazing accomplishment of both construction and flying... long live the Flying Fortress!

 Man and machine... Peter Pfeffer and his 1:5.6 scale RC B-17

Caption Contest #82 Winner - Safety First! (With Videos)

 As is often the case, a short and sweet caption wins the bacon! Congrats to 'JD' for coming up with the most popular caption as voted by fellow avgeeks. I hope JD has OSH13 plans so I can cook 'em up a tasty bacon sandwich : )

 And if you didn't know, this pic came from a video shoot for a "Don't Mess With Texas' anti-littering campaign back in the 90's. The videos below show the actual ad first and then you can watch a behind-the-scenes video of multiple passes over the film crew with the B-17 and a few with a P-51 and F4F. Great ad concept and looks like it was fun for everyone... sure wish I had been there for it!

Video: FIFI B-29 Ride Over Southern California - Wow!

 Youtuber octane130 has posted a fabulous collection of warbird videos over the last several years and this one of a recent ride in the B-29 FIFI over southern California is extra special. The views from inside looking out are fantastic! And while it's amazing to realize that you can ride in FIFI in 2013, I can't help but hope that people today somehow have a better understanding of the extraordinary people that fought in World War II when they see this B-29 fly.

 The generation of Americans that rose up to support the war effort and to directly participate in it are nearly gone now, and they take with them an American spirit that sadly seems will never be seen again. Our continued freedom was bought by their blood, sweat, and tears... and by the lives they sacrificed. How I wish that we as a nation were living up to their incredible accomplishments from 70 years ago.

 

CoolPix: Closer Than You've Ever Been To The B-17 Yankee Lady!

(click pic for hi-res) Prop hub on #1 engine of the B-17 Yankee Lady at Oshkosh 2012

 I woke up to about 3 inches of snow in northern Indiana this Monday morning! Isn't it actually Spring now?? Hmm, global warming just isn't what it used to be (hehe) - no worries tho, I've got a couple unique CoolPix images from a warm and sunny day at Oshkosh 2012 for ya here. I admit that this ultra-close view is a little odd, but I thought being pulled in really close on the prop hub of the B-17 Yankee Lady (which I also got an amazing ride in back in 2010) was a nifty view of both the head on that bolt and the other aircraft parked on what we used to call AeroShell Square at Oshkosh. I think we call it ConocoPhillips Plaza, or Conoco Plaza, or Phillips Plaza, or something like that now. Anyway, in the reflection you can see the B-17, the Orbis DC-10, a C-5 Galaxy, the colorful stripes of a Southwest 737, and there's even a DC-3 in there but it's a little hard to make out.

 The image below is the one that I cropped from and it gives a little better perspective on the prop hub. This was a very happy moment for me when I captured this pic... I was both re-living my ride experience in Yankee Lady and I was on the best place on Earth, Oshkosh during Oshkosh. Wow : ) 

(click pic for hi-res)  The wider view of Yankee Lady's #1 engine prop hub

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

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

My First Design For The Precious Metal P-51 Paint Design Competition!

Top view of my first concept for the Precious Metal paint design competition

 I love Unlimited Reno air racers and I love awesome and effective graphic images, so having the opportunity to submit some ideas to the Precious Metal 'new paint scheme' design competition is pretty much a piece of aviation nirvana for me. I'm extremely pleased with how this first concept turned out, but it'll be interesting to see what everyone else thinks of it. I just submitted it to the Precious Metal Magazine facebook page where all the entries are posted, and I'm excited to see the responses I get.  I wait, this is the internet right? Maybe I'm not so excited after all : /

 My understanding is that the wings will be getting filled and profiled on Precious Metal, so there's a need to paint them going forward. The gold and silver on the wings in my first design is meant to be an impressive metallic paint (possibly with a mild chameleon effect in the sun) and the fuselage is still polished. The idea is to really pick up on as many 'precious metals' as possible.

Bottom view of my first concept for the Precious Metal paint design competition

 I've been a believer for a long time in the idea that race aircraft at Reno need to have the best possible paint schemes to take the races up to their highest level. Paint (and vinyl) is such an easy way to create excitement, intrigue, and possibly most important, attention. In my opinion, this design I've come up with does all that... and I'll admit that I hope you agree.

 I'm especially pleased with the asymmetrical paint on the bottom of the wings. Checkerboard on the entire bottom is still pretty cool, but it's also old-school cliche and it runs the risk of not really being noticed. But by having it on one wing only, it pretty much demands that you take notice and hopefully makes a much bolder statement that says this airplane is focused on that checkered flag! Seeing the airplane run the course from the pits or the stands with that checkerboard wing would be awesome! I also like that it gives the airplane a very different look on the ground depending which side you are on.

 Side view of my first concept for the Precious Metal paint design competition

 The side view is intentionally understated somewhat, but only in the drawing. The fuselage is still polished in my scheme (my graphic skills are pretty limited so it's kinda hard to tell) so all that awesome shiny polish would still make the view from the side amazing.

 So what do you think? Is this a hot paint scheme for Precious Metal?

Thom Richard Wants YOU To Design New Paint For Precious Metal! (Entry Deadline 1.31.13)

(click pic to enlarge) Precious Metal at Reno 2012 - she'll look different at Reno 2013!

 
 Thom Richard is not your average Unlimited racing owner/pilot... oh wait, there's no such thing as an 'average' Unlimited racing owner/pilot! My point is that Thom has a very unique style, and he seems to have more fun while playing the part of a contender in the world's fastest motorsport. And now, to add to the fun, he's got a paint scheme design competition going on to find the best new paint for Precious Metal!

 This is an exciting time in the life of Precious Metal. After having the best showing in her career at the races in 2012, Thom continues to hone her shape and to tweak the details to get more speed out of her. It's clear that for 2013 Thom Richard and Precious Metal are definitely gonna be one to watch! 

 This paint design competition excites me on several levels. First, I love dreaming up cool paint schemes, so you can be sure that I'm gonna have at least one design to submit by the January 31st deadline. Second, I believe paint is one of the most important parts of an airplane. That might sound silly, but whether you're talking about a Reno racer or a two-seat trainer, great paint design is an easy way to attract attention. Racer owners want you rooting for their team (and supporting it), and flight schools want you to have a burning desire to fly. Great paint can have an impact on both of those. (I've been saying for a long time that General Aviation needs to figure this one out!)

 Click the pic to go the facebook page with the contest rules and blank drawings
 

 Anyway, if you're into graphic design and gorgeous P-51's, here's your chance to make something big happen. Click this link for the facebook page for the new Precious Metal Online Magazine with the contest rules and blank drawings. You can also see some of the first designs that have been submitted on this page. The winner will get a General Admission and a Pit Pass to the 2013 Reno Air Races as a guest of the Precious Metal Team, and there are swag prizes for 2nd and 3rd place. Interestingly, the winner will be announced on February 9, 2013... which just happens to be my birthday! I'm gonna work very hard to try to fetch up a really cool birthday present this year! I don't need the Reno access, but I'd sure love to see a paint scheme I designed on a real contender for the Unlimited Gold at Reno 2013!

 Go Precious Metal!

Video: Forget The Beatles, The Best Music EVER Comes From The Mosquitos!

 The Historical Aviation Film Unit has just uploaded a new video of the incredible Avspecs Mosquito making some of the best stereo Merlin music ever! Forget the Beatles, it's all about the Mosquitos now! Even tho I'm a hardcore old-school radial engine guy, I have to admit that there just is no sound made by man that's better than the Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engine... and the concert with two of them bolted to the wooden airframe of the de havilland Mosquito is just pure perfection. Some day I'm gonna publish a top ten (and also a top 100) aircraft of all time, and the Mosquito is most likely gonna be on that top ten list!

 So do yourself a favor and stop reading my words and listen to this fantastic video!

 After you've enjoyed the awesome sights and sounds of the video, you might wanna check out these Mosquito links:

Mosquito posts on AirPigz

Avspecs LTD facebook page