- Messages
- 42,701
- Reactions
- 110,881
- Thread Starter
- #21
Not just flying machines, but any large ICE - I like to watch those vids of a guy starting up old dozers/etc. that have been sitting for decades.
JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
I like big engines, I cannot lie - especially big radials...
- Thread Starter The Heretic
- Start date
- Messages
- 20,323
- Reactions
- 77,053
If you have never heard a Lockheed P-2 Neptune with it's R 3350s, it's an amazing machine, two turning, two burnin! When we were first living in Colorado, we were not far from the Airstrip they were using for the fire bombers, and those Neptune's we're something else, something about how their exhaust was done really made them sound amazing when they went roaring down the runway with a full load onboard and those booster turbines at full throttle!
Second best sounding would be the R/R Griffin V-12s in the Thunder Boats, don't remember which boat had the Griffin, but it was the most crazy sounding of them all!
For automobiles, nothing in the world can match the sound of a 58 Chrysler 392 Hemi, Hard Stop! Then there are the Little Alfa Romeo 4 cylinders with Ansa exhaust, and the iconic Ford V-8 Flatheads on glass packs! Ford's Famous FE series big blocks are also pretty awesome aounding as well! Finally, a Ducati Desmo V-twin going through the gears, that's an amazing sound to hear!
Second best sounding would be the R/R Griffin V-12s in the Thunder Boats, don't remember which boat had the Griffin, but it was the most crazy sounding of them all!
For automobiles, nothing in the world can match the sound of a 58 Chrysler 392 Hemi, Hard Stop! Then there are the Little Alfa Romeo 4 cylinders with Ansa exhaust, and the iconic Ford V-8 Flatheads on glass packs! Ford's Famous FE series big blocks are also pretty awesome aounding as well! Finally, a Ducati Desmo V-twin going through the gears, that's an amazing sound to hear!
+1 for the Alfa's,! I run a beautiful 87 Milano with the Ansa exhaust among other goodies, most os the time the windows are down so I can trip out on the amazing sound. Once you get it out of first gear it just pulls and pulls, never ending torque out the ying yang. Torsion bars tweeked back to Euro spec's, heavy anti sway bars with 3 degrees of front end camber kicked in make it handle like a go cart on the track. Yea, the Porsche's pass me on the straight aways but I loose them in the curves, rinse and repeat...
- Messages
- 20,323
- Reactions
- 77,053
I have a 69 GTV 2000! Was originally a 1750, but tossed a rod, so upgraded to the 2L with Spica Injection and a set of cams, it flat rips now! Full Euro spec suspension and lights, and original Recaro seats! A well driven Alfa will destroy most modern sport cars, this one sure does!
You have a amazing car there, Alfa's are sleepers that leave people scratching their head wondering what just happened.
- Messages
- 20,323
- Reactions
- 77,053
Dad has a 61 Spider Julia Sprint with the 1500 and 5 speed, talk about scary fast, and it handles like it's on rails! You wouldn't think it, but that car is a Vette killer! Mines more a Machete, Dads is a Scalpel
Good taste runs in your family!
- Messages
- 3,946
- Reactions
- 9,145
Those are really cool. There was a Neptune on display in McMinnville, might still be. I know the RAAF used them for decades and you can watch videos on YouTube.
When I lived in Arizona I used to watch the slurry bombers come and go from Falcon Field in Mesa. There were also a number of uncontrolled airstrips outside of Phoenix dating back to WWII with many DC-4 and DC-6 aircraft. A lot of those airstrips still had the original quonset huts from the 40s. Just walking around there was a blast of nostalgia.
- Messages
- 2,770
- Reactions
- 5,926
Secret Airport
In the early 1970's, my brother, a close friend, and I went together and bought a Piper J-3 Cub for $1,800.00. It was in Texas, where my brother was stationed temporarily with the Army, so it had to be flown back to Oregon when it was time for him to go overseas. My brother and John flew the Cub from San Antonio, Texas to Dallas, Oregon that October. It was a long, slow flight. The Cub cruises at 70 MPH, and they had a headwind almost all the way. Coming through Tehachapi Pass, it took three hours to go 70 miles.
When they were crossing Arizona, there was a lot of nothing. Running short of gas, they spotted an old military field that looked like it might be a place to refuel. They could tell that there was no active control tower, so they flew the pattern and landed. They taxied around a bunch of old airliners and military planes, and finally found a spot that looked like it had gas. They shut down the engine, climbed out, and started looking for someone to pump some gas, without success. Pretty soon a pickup drove up, and a uniformed private security guard got out. They asked him about gas, and he replied "You shouldn't be here! Get in my pickup and we are going to the Security Office."
The ride to the Security Office was making them nervous, and sure enough, when they got to the office the man in charge reinforced that they were not supposed to be there, and it was a serious problem. He called someone, and his end of the conversation sounded like they were going to be in big trouble. On top of that, a thunderstorm was brewing up, and the Cub wasn't tied down. They feared it would blow away and be wrecked.
They pointed this out to the guards, and since the head guard was occupied with the phone call, he told the first guard to take them out to the Cub and let them tie it down. Once they got to the airplane, John told my brother to get in the airplane and make it ready to start. The guard sat in the pickup about 100 feet away so he wouldn't have to leave the air conditioned cab. When the Cub was ready to start, John flipped the prop (there was no starter) and when the engine caught, he jumped in and my brother took off straight ahead on the taxiway. There was no pursuit.
Nothing came of the incident, which was interesting because we found out that the airport was a CIA base that was involved in some "dark" operations at the time!
In the early 1970's, my brother, a close friend, and I went together and bought a Piper J-3 Cub for $1,800.00. It was in Texas, where my brother was stationed temporarily with the Army, so it had to be flown back to Oregon when it was time for him to go overseas. My brother and John flew the Cub from San Antonio, Texas to Dallas, Oregon that October. It was a long, slow flight. The Cub cruises at 70 MPH, and they had a headwind almost all the way. Coming through Tehachapi Pass, it took three hours to go 70 miles.
When they were crossing Arizona, there was a lot of nothing. Running short of gas, they spotted an old military field that looked like it might be a place to refuel. They could tell that there was no active control tower, so they flew the pattern and landed. They taxied around a bunch of old airliners and military planes, and finally found a spot that looked like it had gas. They shut down the engine, climbed out, and started looking for someone to pump some gas, without success. Pretty soon a pickup drove up, and a uniformed private security guard got out. They asked him about gas, and he replied "You shouldn't be here! Get in my pickup and we are going to the Security Office."
The ride to the Security Office was making them nervous, and sure enough, when they got to the office the man in charge reinforced that they were not supposed to be there, and it was a serious problem. He called someone, and his end of the conversation sounded like they were going to be in big trouble. On top of that, a thunderstorm was brewing up, and the Cub wasn't tied down. They feared it would blow away and be wrecked.
They pointed this out to the guards, and since the head guard was occupied with the phone call, he told the first guard to take them out to the Cub and let them tie it down. Once they got to the airplane, John told my brother to get in the airplane and make it ready to start. The guard sat in the pickup about 100 feet away so he wouldn't have to leave the air conditioned cab. When the Cub was ready to start, John flipped the prop (there was no starter) and when the engine caught, he jumped in and my brother took off straight ahead on the taxiway. There was no pursuit.
Nothing came of the incident, which was interesting because we found out that the airport was a CIA base that was involved in some "dark" operations at the time!
- Messages
- 20,323
- Reactions
- 77,053
When I was taking my flight training, we had several old beater airplanes to fly, couple of beat Cessna 150's and an old arse J-5 Cub. I had asked to start tailwheel training as soon as possible, I figured I might as well as that's about all the wheels I would be able to afford once I got my licence! So we transition into the J-5 after about 30 hours, what a difference, and a piece of junk, that old J-5 was about as worn out as you could get and still be able to fly. Anyway, we started working on ground handling, doing S turns and all that, learning just how easy it is to ground loop, and I finally get to do an actual take off and start pattern work, I can totally understand why the J-3/5 series trained so many pilots, you learn to hate them, then you learn to love them! Breaks, what are those? radios, naw, we don't need no radios! And, you learn the fine art of "Arrivals" and the infamous Cub Double Bounce landing, you never try and land three point, you gotta set it down as gentil on the mains as you can, but you still end up with the Double Bounce!
After several flights, I was getting ready to solo, and we transitioned into a brand new Super Cub, I thought I had really hit the lottery, the first time I fired up that big Lycoming, I was thinking man, this is really something! I did my ground runs to get the deal of it, and then taxied to the runway, and after doing the Mag checks, taxied into the runway and throttled up as gently as I could, that sucker practically jumped off the runway and we were flying before I knew what happened, what a joy, especially compared to the preceding plane! It could climb, it could cruise, it had working brakes, didn't smell of Low Led 100, and you could actually use the radios for real! I didn't ever want to land, but, eventually gravity always wins so we had to go back and get into the pattern to land, that was one of the smoothest landing ever, she just floated right in and settled onto the mains like butter, and I could hold her strait as an arrow all the way down the runway!
I soloed two days later in that Super Cub, it made me look a hell of a lot better then I actually was! Still have my cut tee shirt from that day!
Funny thing, I still fly and much prefer the Super Cubs, you get the right one and get it set up for the Bush, nothing else even comes close! They just do everything you ask, super easy, and honest, you can't ask for more then that, as pure an experience as it gets!
I got to fly an even older 1941 J-3 a few years ago, man, what a difference, in some ways, a perfect flying machine, in other ways, you sure appreciate the many major improvements that came along with the various versions ultimately ending with the PA-18 Super Cubs! Still, I think every pilot should experience a J-3 at least ONCE, you really learn what flying should be like, how pure it actually can be!
After several flights, I was getting ready to solo, and we transitioned into a brand new Super Cub, I thought I had really hit the lottery, the first time I fired up that big Lycoming, I was thinking man, this is really something! I did my ground runs to get the deal of it, and then taxied to the runway, and after doing the Mag checks, taxied into the runway and throttled up as gently as I could, that sucker practically jumped off the runway and we were flying before I knew what happened, what a joy, especially compared to the preceding plane! It could climb, it could cruise, it had working brakes, didn't smell of Low Led 100, and you could actually use the radios for real! I didn't ever want to land, but, eventually gravity always wins so we had to go back and get into the pattern to land, that was one of the smoothest landing ever, she just floated right in and settled onto the mains like butter, and I could hold her strait as an arrow all the way down the runway!
I soloed two days later in that Super Cub, it made me look a hell of a lot better then I actually was! Still have my cut tee shirt from that day!
Funny thing, I still fly and much prefer the Super Cubs, you get the right one and get it set up for the Bush, nothing else even comes close! They just do everything you ask, super easy, and honest, you can't ask for more then that, as pure an experience as it gets!
I got to fly an even older 1941 J-3 a few years ago, man, what a difference, in some ways, a perfect flying machine, in other ways, you sure appreciate the many major improvements that came along with the various versions ultimately ending with the PA-18 Super Cubs! Still, I think every pilot should experience a J-3 at least ONCE, you really learn what flying should be like, how pure it actually can be!
- Messages
- 42,701
- Reactions
- 110,881
- Thread Starter
- #32
My dad learned in a Cub at the age of 16 (or 15 - he got his license at 16) against the explicit wishes of his parents who forbid him to take lessons/etc. - he did so in secret. I have some photos of him with the plane in front of the farm house; he would land in the fields by the house.
I don't remember flying in the Cubs he flew/owned, I was very young, but I do remember taking a flight (as a passenger) in a J3 Cub as a teenager after having flown in a number of Cessnas. Getting in and being told to be careful where I put my feet and thinking there is nothing down there between me and the ground far far blow except that fragile fabric (at least that is what I remember - it was a good 50+ years ago and I haven't flown in a J3 since).
- Messages
- 829
- Reactions
- 1,273
If that's the one I think it is, it didn't end well
I haven't watched it for sometime, but I believe somewhere near the rear of the plane caught fire as they were doing a run up test and very close to flying The Kee Bird out of there.If that's the one I think it is, it didn't end well
- Messages
- 829
- Reactions
- 1,273
I do not. I have never been there.
The Great Oregon Steam-Up — Powerland Heritage Park
Winner of Best Annual Event, the Great Oregon Steam-Up brings the machines and techniques that built Oregon to life in spectacular fashion...
www.antiquepowerland.com
I've been told the Old Iron Swap Meet in late June is almost as good as the Steam-Up, and costs less, less summer heat and less crowded.
- Messages
- 2,770
- Reactions
- 5,926
There was a small gasoline motor in the back that ran a generator. It is called an Auxiliary Power Unit. It caught fire, probably from a broken fuel line, and the gasoline fire couldn't be put out in time.
- Messages
- 3,578
- Reactions
- 12,099
A bit of trivia; the motor on the APU was a supercharged Crosley four cylinder.
Similar threads
