"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
11/11/2014 at 09:30 • Filed to: planelopnik
28
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"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
11/11/2014 at 09:30 • Filed to: planelopnik | 28
| 76 |
This meticulously restored Ford Trimotor (NC8407) first flew on August 1, 1929. On June 16, 1973, after many years of service in varying roles and with many owners, it was almost completely destroyed during a severe thunderstorm at an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (EAA) air show in Burlington, WI. Despite its being tied down, and despite the valiant efforts of ground crew members to hold her down, seventy-five mile per hour winds caused the Trimotor to roll backward and strike two vehicles. It then lifted into the air and came crashing into the ground, nose first and upside down. The aft fuselage was broken in two parts, the wings were smashed, and the cockpit was crushed. About three weeks after the devastating storm, the Trimotor was purchased by Paul Poberezny on behalf of the EAA for scrap value. EAA originally intended to restore NC8407 to museum condition, but along the way they decided to restore it to flying condition. On July 20, 1985, after more than 12 years of restoration work, the Trimotor flew again, from the same field in Wisconsin where she had been so badly damaged. NC8407 continues flying, giving rides to lucky passengers and even appearing in movies. The complete history of NC8407 can be found !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
On Saturday, November 8, NC8407 appeared at Airfest in Georgetown, TX, offering rides for paying customers. I’ve never seen a Trimotor outside of a museum, so I took the short drive up to Georgetown to photograph it. It’s a gorgeous aircraft, hearkening back to the early days of passenger aviation, and EAA keeps her in pristine condition. It’s one thing to stand back and take her all in, or watch her rumble past on takeoff, but quite another to get up close and see all the incredible details: the rivets, the corrugated aluminum skin, the outboard control cables, the Pratt & Whitney radial engines. Visitors were allowed to wander around and get as close as they liked, and even though I wasn’t a paying passenger that day, the ground crew let me climb inside to take a look at the cockpit.
When I got to the show, I couldn’t find the Trimotor. So I followed someone with a big camera, and found myself outside the tiny terminal at Georgetown Municipal Airport. It was well away from the main show, so the only people there were those waiting for rides in the Trimotor or others waiting to take rides in private planes. So there were no crowds to fight for pictures. It was almost like a private photo shoot.
Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14 radial engine. Firing order: 1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8
Hats off to EAA for doing such an incredible restoration of this classic aircraft. If you ever get a chance to see this beauty up close, or even take a ride, you should. It’s a flying piece of history.
All photographs ©Tim Shaffer
Jayhawk Jake
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 09:53 |
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I took a ride at Oshkosh ~3 years ago. It was a heck of an experience, especially on that day. There was a stiff crosswind, and the pilot expertly landed it on one main and left it that way as long as possible. We didn't have all 3 wheels on the ground until we had exited the runway.
Chris Clarke
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 10:03 |
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ttyymmnn
> Chris Clarke
11/11/2014 at 10:10 |
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It never stops! I'm incredulous, but the light looks right. Any info on that?
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ttyymmnn
> Chris Clarke
11/11/2014 at 10:13 |
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I appreciate the share, but would you consider using my original top image to lead your post? It's my favorite photo from the lot.
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Chris Clarke
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 10:13 |
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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
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Chris Clarke
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 10:14 |
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Sure!
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Chris Clarke
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 10:16 |
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I gravitate towards things that are flying.
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ttyymmnn
> Chris Clarke
11/11/2014 at 10:23 |
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Well, there you go. Thanks, I missed that.
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ttyymmnn
> Chris Clarke
11/11/2014 at 10:24 |
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I appreciate it, and I usually gravitate towards flying objects too, but from a purely photographic standpoint, it was such a crappy day for shooting things in the air that I focused on the Trimotor on the ground, and I'm really pleased with how that under-wing shot came out.
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Chris Clarke
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 10:28 |
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I'm not sure why, but this is one of my favorites.
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ttyymmnn
> Chris Clarke
11/11/2014 at 10:32 |
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The 710 cap! I like that one too. I like the focal point of color in an otherwise aluminum shot. I like the circles of brushed aluminum and the circle of the cap. It just looks all so industrial in an industrial age.
Vincent Davidson
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 22:34 |
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Don't forget about Dr. Jones...
JayHova
> Chris Clarke
11/11/2014 at 22:36 |
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Looks like the very original 710 cap.
Grandy O'Smith
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 22:41 |
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What a beautiful airplane and wonderful photos, - thank you!
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ttyymmnn
> Grandy O'Smith
11/11/2014 at 22:43 |
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My pleasure! I'm glad you liked them.
TheStigsGermanCousin
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 22:44 |
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One of my favorite airplanes, I think it is honestly pretty.
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ttyymmnn
> Vincent Davidson
11/11/2014 at 22:45 |
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Was that Temple of Doom? I've pretty much blocked that movie out of my memory. In the Lego video game version, Kate Capshaw's character can use her scream to break glass.
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ttyymmnn
> TheStigsGermanCousin
11/11/2014 at 22:46 |
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I think it's "industrially gorgeous". It speaks volumes about the era in which it was designed.
RalphA
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 22:49 |
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http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archive/Event/…
Mary, Mary, Knotty Pine
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 22:50 |
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Great article and wonderful pictures.
Back in 1990 I had the opportunity to go all through a Trimotor that was hangered in Corvallis , OR prior to being refurbished. Even as old as the plane was, everything looked as if it was ready for anothet flight. They are amazing machines.
mrbojangels
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 22:52 |
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I was fortunate enough to fly on this gem a couple of years ago. It was VERY slow and occasionally dropped a few dozen feet throughout the flight but other than the 90* air temperature it was a pretty awesome experience.
notanother
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 23:01 |
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As a kid, went to many airshows with my dad and younger brother. One of my life's best memories was when the three of us went for a ride in a tri-motor.
Thanks for the great pics, that brought back the best of memories.
Josh Brinzo
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 23:13 |
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I actually watched this beauty fly over Waco, Texas. I should have taken a picture. There was one here last year flying around. They landed at a small airport in McGregor for a bit last year so I drove by to see it. Such a cool airplane and it looks awesome in the air!
crustyjoe
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 23:21 |
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Had to privaledge to ride that beauty and also to go to school on the grounds that was once the factory!
d3v
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 23:21 |
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This is what catches my eye the most. All the exposed cabling is arguably the most interesting thing about this (and other) early planes from this period.
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ttyymmnn
> d3v
11/11/2014 at 23:24 |
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I was fascinated by that, as you can see from some of the photos. In fact, I was looking at that photo today, thinking how those levers and cables attach directly to the pedals and yoke. I keep coming up with "industrial" as a word to describe this aircraft.
Wave Motion Gun
> ttyymmnn
11/11/2014 at 23:49 |
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My daughter and I had the opportunity to ride in that wonderful machine a couple of weeks ago when it was in Houston. As you can see from the photos, we were both very excited about it! Thanks for sharing your experience with the rest of us.
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ttyymmnn
> Wave Motion Gun
11/11/2014 at 23:51 |
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That's fantastic! I love the picture of your daughter in the cabin. I'm beginning to wish that I had paid for a ride, but I had such a good time photographing it. I could have spent hours walking around it. Thanks for the pics!
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Vincent Davidson
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 00:39 |
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Kalima....kalima....
True
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 01:31 |
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There used to be an aircraft museum in Morgan Hill, CA that had a Tri-Motor. I saw it on. 3rd grade field trip nearly 40yrs ago. Still affected by it. Truly one of the most stunning machines I've ever seen.
solracer
> Vincent Davidson
11/12/2014 at 04:18 |
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http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraft/golde…
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d3v
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 05:41 |
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For some reason, the exposed cabling reminds me more of a sailboat than a plane.
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reiska
> d3v
11/12/2014 at 06:06 |
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Fly by wire so to speak
PogosRevenge
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 06:50 |
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I was able to take a ride in one of these in the late 70's. As a kid, I didn't realize the significance of the aircraft itself but, I do remember the sound of those engines. Absolutely beautiful music to hear them while in flight. Thanks for sharing.
MisterSparkle
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 08:52 |
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The EAA Tri-Motor was in Columbia, SC about this time last year and spent several days giving rides. Had I known it was here, my son and I would definitely have signed up for a ride. My office was adjacent to the local general aviation airport and I heard a strange sounding plane go overhead, and even got up from my desk to look out of the window, but didn't see anything.
A few days later I'm sitting at home and keep hearing a propeller plane that just sounds different from what one ordinarily hears. Finally, I go outside and, by God, there it was going improbably slowly overhead. After checking the Google I found out about it , but it was sold-out by that time. I did get by the airport and watch it take off, though. Its flight path was directly over my house, so I got to hear it go by 20 times or more as it went out and back.
While it seems crude by today's standards, when you consider it was built only 25 years or so after the Wright brothers' first flight it is pretty damn amazing. I hope I will eventually get a chance to experience how great-granddad did his air travel...
motherscratcher
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 08:53 |
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Perfect for insane pilots navigating the Andes.
Anonimious
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 09:03 |
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One of the more recent appearances in a movie was the Johnny Depp / John Dillinger movie named 'Public Enemies'. It visited Aurora, Illinois (KARR) for a couple of days, while doing a tour in 2009. A couple of months ago "Aluminum Overcast" (a B17) stopped by for a visit; every now and then an oldie stops by. Beautiful sounds, beautiful planes....
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crustyjoe
> crustyjoe
11/12/2014 at 09:12 |
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whoa... never type loaded up on cold medicine again!
350zzy
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 09:14 |
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I got a chance to ride in it when it was down in Miami. All I can say is WOW is it loud! Hearing those radial engines with just a small piece of plexiglass separating you from them was just awe inspiring. I was also surprised at how bare it was inside, and actually quite roomy compared to a modern airliner. The pilot taking us out that day was wearing flip flops which we thought was pretty neat. The plane took off in no-time. Those wings generate so much lift that it get's airborne in what felt like the same distance as my friend's piper cub. All in all definitely a cool experience for any air buff.
Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 09:19 |
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Very nice write-up of one of my favorite planes. My step-grandfather flew this back in the 1950's out on Put-in-Bay Ohio, making runs between the island and Port Clinton. My dad helped with maintenance and occasionally took over for the short flights when flying cargo. Unfortunately, his step-dad crashed one of the tri-motors they flew back then in 1954, and had to stop flying. One of these days I'd love to go up in one with my dad & my family, it'd be a cool trip.
FireUpTheCouch
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 09:32 |
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The Ford Tri-Motor is an awesome aircraft. 199 were built. 18 still exist today. Only 8 of them are airworthy. The Ford Tri Motor was the first to go trans continental.
NC8407 was in our town in June 2011. My son (who was 16 at the time and taking flying lessons) was a favored member of the local EAA (he was the youngest member by 30+ years). The club sat him in the co-pilot's seat for his flight and the pilot had him take the controls of this very one during flight... cruising at about 2100 feet (sorry, but it's just too cool to not brag a little).
One thing I noticed (in a spine tingling way) is the motor mounts look really flimsy. You would expect the motor to pull itself off the wing. But the planes were/are very sturdy, even if they look like they were slapped together from scrap parts.
This photo shows something interesting that I am surprised you left out of your post... if you look at the largest engine strut you will see 3 glass dials. They put the engine gauges on the engines. The pilots had to look outside to see the readings(?)
Filmlandgrab
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 10:05 |
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Wow. Just like the cable guides on my bike. Beautiful plane and pix.
Ark
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 10:06 |
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I rode in that plane with my dad a few years ago. It was seriously awesome. Some rain started moving in and the wind picked up, so the pilot put it into a tight descending turn and had us back on the tarmac faster than I thought was possible. Nothing like the roar of old piston radials.
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ttyymmnn
> Ark
11/12/2014 at 11:20 |
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Jets are neat, but there's nothing like pumping pistons to get your heart rate up. That must have been a fun flight!
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ttyymmnn
> Filmlandgrab
11/12/2014 at 11:20 |
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It is beautiful. Thanks for the reply.
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ttyymmnn
> FireUpTheCouch
11/12/2014 at 11:22 |
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That's a great story, and I'm jealous! What a fantastic experience.
You're right, I totally missed the gauges. I wish I had seen them. Next time!
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ttyymmnn
> Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
11/12/2014 at 11:23 |
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Thanks, and I love the story.
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ttyymmnn
> motherscratcher
11/12/2014 at 11:25 |
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That's a fantastic photograph. Thanks for posting. My first thought was, "You came in that ? You're braver than I thought."
SalsaShark
> JayHova
11/12/2014 at 11:27 |
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"710 cap"? That's not just "oil" upside-down? There's gotta be a story there...?
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SalsaShark
> d3v
11/12/2014 at 11:28 |
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Agreed, those control horns hangin' in the breeze are wild.
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ttyymmnn
> MisterSparkle
11/12/2014 at 11:29 |
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there it was going improbably slowly overhead....
Great description. When I got to the show that day, I saw the Trimotor in the distance above the trees, and I couldn't tell if it was coming or going because it seemed not to be moving at all. The pace of aviation development has indeed been blindingly fast. But when you see these old birds still in the air, you know they did it right back then. It may not have been sleek or fast, but by God, it flew. And keeps on flying. Great story. Thanks.
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ttyymmnn
> d3v
11/12/2014 at 11:31 |
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Or a bicycle. Remember, the Wrights made bikes before they made planes.
Dustin Baker
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 11:38 |
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My first flight 30 or so years ago was in one of these birds....holy shit is was loud!
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JayHova
> SalsaShark
11/12/2014 at 11:44 |
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'Oil' upsidedown just looks like '710'. That's the whole joke:
Somebody not very mechanically inclined comes to a autoparts store and asks for a 710-cap. The sales clerk is slightly confused and asks the customer where it is found and how it looks. The customer tells him, it's a roughly three inch wide yellow cap, found in the engine bay of most cars. Upon encountering further bewilderment by the clerk, he draws a quick sketch, which the sales clerk from the other side of the desk recognises as an Oil cap, just upside down.
thomasmac
> solracer
11/12/2014 at 11:48 |
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Kermit Weeks (the owner of Fantasy of Flight) has a few different Tri-Motors IIRC. One under restoration in addition to this one and maybe a Stinson Tri-Motor as well?
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SalsaShark
> JayHova
11/12/2014 at 11:58 |
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Heh, riiiight. Thanks for the clueification.
seanomatopoeia
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:00 |
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A couple months ago I flew this cross-country from Boston to LA in Flight Simulator. One, it took forever, as cruise speed was barely 100 kt. Two, things got realllyyyyyy scary around New Mexico, where I had trouble climbing much above 8,000', and mountains were... pretty darn close to 8,000'. Still, a fun, unique experience, compared to flying the 737 for the 1000th time.
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thomasmac
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:03 |
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There is two based in Port Clinton, Ohio at the Liberty Aviation Museum. One is flyable they recently acquired and one is under restoration. My brother and I stopped by for a visit on our way to Power Tour 2014. Not only was it a great stop but they have a killer diner as well!
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ttyymmnn
> Dustin Baker
11/12/2014 at 12:05 |
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Imagine what it would have sounded like in the belly of this beast, particularly in the front row.
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ttyymmnn
> seanomatopoeia
11/12/2014 at 12:06 |
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How many stops for refueling did you have to make?
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seanomatopoeia
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:19 |
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I ended up following the 1934 American Airlines schedule, so a whole bunch of stops.
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ttyymmnn
> seanomatopoeia
11/12/2014 at 12:22 |
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That's awesome. I'll have to take some time and look at that schedule. I wonder how much leeway they figured in for weather, mechanicals, etc.
quarterlifecrisis
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:38 |
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I flew on her too. 2nd tri-motor I've flown on.
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quarterlifecrisis
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:39 |
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Stunning images. I was lucky enough to fly on her in 2009.
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jdl1527
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:43 |
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I have had the honor of working on the Tri-Motor ground crew at AirVenture for the last 12+ years. The time and dedication that it takes to maintain and support the Tri-Motor when it's on tour or back at its home at the Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh WI is monumental but they all take it with stride and they run a well-oiled machine. The majority of this time required to keep this bird flying is put in by volunteers, and I get so much enjoyment helping out and see what this old bird means to so many people.
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seanomatopoeia
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 12:50 |
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I ended up basically following the time it would take, only obviously took me about 2 weeks of off and on flying to do. So it seemed not terribly difficult, though at least I didn't need any maintenance.
I also quasi-cheated by using the Sperry Autopilot, just so I wouldn't have to hand-fly 30 hours. I had enough difficulty in navigating purely visually, so I was constantly peering around outside and checking maps. When I flew the DC-3 cross country from LA-BOS, having NDBs was an unbelievable luxury.
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ttyymmnn
> jdl1527
11/12/2014 at 12:57 |
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That's fantastic. It certainly is a labor of love.
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ttyymmnn
> quarterlifecrisis
11/12/2014 at 12:57 |
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Thanks! I'm beginning to kick myself for not jumping at the chance to go up.
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ttyymmnn
> quarterlifecrisis
11/12/2014 at 12:58 |
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Where was the other one?
Jcarr
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 13:38 |
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After years of watching this thing constantly take off and land during AirVenture, my dad and I decided to take a ride in 2010. It was worth every penny.
Super Potato Video:
noise
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 13:42 |
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found the 710 cap!
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ttyymmnn
> noise
11/12/2014 at 13:45 |
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Indeed! It's not a myth after all!
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ttyymmnn
> Jcarr
11/12/2014 at 13:47 |
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That's awesome. What a sound.
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quarterlifecrisis
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 14:53 |
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July 4, 1988 or 1989. It was a 4-AT in Danville, IL. It was tri-tone - white fuselage, blue wings, and a red stripe down the side at about window level. Don't really remember much as I was 1 or 2...
But, it certainly helped create a solid foundation of interest.
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quarterlifecrisis
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 14:55 |
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You're welome!
I'm sure now is a bad time to tell you I flew in Nine-Oh-Nine about 13 years ago...
62imperialcrown
> ttyymmnn
11/12/2014 at 19:40 |
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Here's NC8407 as it appeared in the 1965 Jerry Lewis movie The Family Jewels :
Haven't had the chance to ride in this one, but I did get a ride in LeMasters' other Tri-Motor, N414H, at Oshkosh back in 1977. A sweet trip it was.