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I hauled home a real WWII Airplane

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by carlisle1926, Jan 20, 2012.

  1. davidbistolas
    Joined: May 21, 2010
    Posts: 960

    davidbistolas
    Member

    Fabricate a new tail section, wing tops and engine nacelles... and then BURY IT up to the beltline (above the wings) for the ULTIMATE IN YARD ART. Use it as a guest house!
     
  2. Look up the Blastolene guys in Grants Pass, Oregon. They make "big" stuff. They may just want to talk to you about that plane body....

    Jay Leno bought this from them. It's the Blastolene Special.
     

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  3. HomemadeHardtop57
    Joined: Nov 15, 2007
    Posts: 4,336

    HomemadeHardtop57
    Member

    honey..look what I bought today...hahah
     
  4. falconsprint63
    Joined: May 17, 2007
    Posts: 2,358

    falconsprint63
    Member
    from Mayberry

    I can totally hear the conversation at your house.

    you--"hey honey--I picked up a new project"

    her--"oh crap--what now--don't we have enough half finished projects here"

    you--"no really, you're going to like it--AND it's not a car this time"

    her--"oh--you bought a motorcyle--wel I kind of like those--it better be harley"

    you--"not exactly--just wait, I want it to be a surprise when I bring it home, but all give you a hint--it's not exactly the airstream we've been talking about."


    I can totally see that as a camper/RV and even if I couldn't and I could have afforded it, it would have come home--you just can't pass up something like that. can't wait for build pics.
     
  5. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    Well, there is no woman around here anymore for me to answer to, so I can haul home all I want to. The fire marshall and city code enforcement guy are friends of mine, so no trouble there either!
     
  6. OahuEli
    Joined: Dec 27, 2008
    Posts: 5,243

    OahuEli
    Member
    from Hawaii

    Lol, that was my first thought!
    I'm definitely on board for this one! Lemme know if you'd like to try any Photoshop ideas, this plane/rv? has lots of possibilities. One things' for sure, if you have a bunch of .50 cals sticking out the nose I doubt anyone would cut you off on the road. :D
     
  7. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    The engine nacelles and cowlings are in my yard right now. Wow those things are big too! The wings were 28 inches tall and 13ft long from front to rear! The landing gear are insanely heavy.
     
  8. Cruiser
    Joined: May 29, 2006
    Posts: 2,241

    Cruiser
    Member

    Now, this is one is way over the top project and the coolest to come unto the HAMB in a long time. Your idea's will save this old bird in some way which is good. Seems there's still a lot of parts restorers would buy from you. GOOD LUCK, THE HAMB WILL BE WATCHING THIS ONE.:D

    CRUISER :cool:
     
  9. Energy
    Joined: Jan 30, 2010
    Posts: 156

    Energy
    Member

    When I first saw that pic of the cockpit with all the gauges and controls, my first thought was....

    that thing will attract so many rat rodders lookin for parts he'll need the turrets to fend them all off! :eek:

    :D :rolleyes:
     
  10. BuiltFerComfort
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 1,619

    BuiltFerComfort
    Member

    My thought was to somehow fill up the gauge openings with working gauges. Obscure ones like differential temp & airspeed, plus normal ones. Lots of openings to fill.


    Tom
     
  11. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I've got a bunch of airplane gauges like that already that I have been hoarding. I have a few oil pressure gauges that go up to 200lbs! I hoard aircraft parts the way crazy fat women hoard cats. You can't move in my backyard because of all of the WWII airplane parts.
     
  12. that is too damn kool !!!!
     
  13. Oh, that is just cooler than hell. My wife would kill me.
     
  14. ravedodger
    Joined: Aug 24, 2007
    Posts: 300

    ravedodger
    Member

    Oh yeah! I subscribed.
     
  15. Am sure everyone is wondering just where did you find this and how much does something like this cost? So far its the barn find to beat.
     
  16. burnout2614
    Joined: Sep 21, 2009
    Posts: 612

    burnout2614
    Member

    I like it a lawt. peace
     
  17. "T'RANTULA"
    Joined: Aug 6, 2011
    Posts: 661

    "T'RANTULA"
    Member
    from Ohio

    WOW!!! When a cop pulls ya over ask him "Weres the airport im lost" .
     
  18. ernest t bass
    Joined: Jul 7, 2011
    Posts: 60

    ernest t bass
    Member
    from Iowa

    BADASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, I can't wait to see this done. And consider me subscribed.
     
  19. bobkatrods
    Joined: Sep 22, 2008
    Posts: 779

    bobkatrods
    Member
    from aledo tx

    Cool find, Now i really do feel OLD when i tell you , I worked on a few loadstars as a kid fresh out of A-P school, One was owned by General Motors had a Exec, conversion with P W 2800's. 300 Mph cruise and that was kickin ass in those days.
     
  20. mattcrp1
    Joined: Aug 20, 2007
    Posts: 401

    mattcrp1
    Member

    just dont put it on an s10 frame you will get a lot of "flack" for that...lol


    cool
     
  21. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I found this one in a junk yard on Galveston Island. I buy a LOT of old junk airplanes to cut up and make nose art paintings out of the parts. One of the biggest things that I run into is that everyone thinks that aircraft aluminum is worth a fortune in scrap value. The truth is, it is the polar opposite of that. Aircraft aluminum is filled with a lot of junk metal such as manganese that make it worth far less than an aluminum can. Most likely the price of scrap aluminum will only be around 13cents per pound because it is considered dirty aluminum. Most people when I try to buy an airframe for scrap prices assume that their junk aluminum is worth $1.50 a pound. I had to give $1,500 for this monster and that is probably about what it is worth because it is pretty heavy. The landing gear alone weigh about 500lbs each. This fuselage weighs about 3000lbs!
    I know where a lot of crazy stuff like this is located that no one knows about. However, most of the planes that I buy up are post WWII. If it were a fighter plane it would be worth a fortune even if it was rotted down.
     
  22. AZbent
    Joined: Nov 26, 2011
    Posts: 280

    AZbent
    Member

    Cool!!! As for the repairs, try to find out if there is an A&P school around. You might be able to get some students to practice newly aquired skills. My second salt mine is teaching at a school for the new wanna-be's A&P's. The labor might be cheap and some of them just might have the rivet guns required.
    That was one beautiful plane. maybe you can find a couple of Rotek engines to power it down the road. That would be sooo cool.
     
  23. Rocky Famoso
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,000

    Rocky Famoso
    BANNED

    Sir, You have vision! This is just CRAZY Cool! Subscribed...
     
  24. Rebracer
    Joined: Dec 2, 2007
    Posts: 158

    Rebracer
    Member

    If anyone else wants one, there is a Loadstar sitting on its gear without wings here at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, it was damaged in hurricane Katrina. Ha ha ha this could be a new trend Loadstar builds on the Hamb.
     
  25. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    Man I envy you getting to work on a Lodestar! This one was an executive conversion in 1946, but it had 1200hp 9cylinder Curtiss Wright 1820 radial engines on it instead of the 2000hp monster Pratt and Whitneys. This plane was the private airplane for actress Betty Hutton back in the 1950's.
     
  26. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    Thanks a lot.
     
  27. Rebracer
    Joined: Dec 2, 2007
    Posts: 158

    Rebracer
    Member

    "Lodestar" is how its spelled, my apologies
     
  28. bobkatrods
    Joined: Sep 22, 2008
    Posts: 779

    bobkatrods
    Member
    from aledo tx

    Some great history on those planes, I cut my teeth on warbirds with that new a-p ticket in my pocket,, Dirtiest job i ever had but i was young and dumb.The conversion was actually called howard 500 , because it was done by D, Howard in San Antonio.I may be able to dig up a pic,Great shot of the spar.Do you know what Puff the magic Dragon is as far as warbirds??
     
  29. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,756

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Replacing sheet aluminum on an airplane isn't that hard. You need to fit the piece, drill a few holes and start putting in the rivets. You need the right rivets of course. One person holds the rivet, you tap the pieces tight together and peen the rivet with an air hammer. Use an ordinary air hammer but slow it right down so it goes putt... putt... putt. 3 or 4 putts set the rivet. Drill and buck 2 or 3 rivets at a time, do not drill all the holes because the metal moves around too much when you put in the rivets.
     
  30. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    A C47 (DC3)with a General Electric Gatling gun right? I have a bunch of parts from San Antonio that were left over Howard Lodestar parts. This one would be a Howard 250 conversion.
     

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