John Graff
Top Gun
Reged: 05/19/04
Posts: 8593
Loc: KOJC
|
|
Name the owner...
John
Edited by John Graff (05/02/12 09:46 PM)
|
Randy Sohn
Gradn Exlated Ordre of teh Fyling Fingres
Reged: 08/31/01
Posts: 14602
Loc: Savage, MN - U.S.A.
|
|
Quote:
Name the owner...
John
Iz'zat Norm Sten's Curtiss Robin?
best, randy
|
Joe Budge (W29)
Top Gun
Reged: 04/30/04
Posts: 7293
|
|
That looks remarkably like the Spirit of Freedonia.
In 1927, following Lindberg's well-known success, the Freedonian businessman Alfonse Teasdale determined to start an airline. He knew Lindy's plane worked so he contacted Ryan Aircraft to build a transport version of the aircraft. Ryan would have nothing to do with it so Teasdale turned to his own manufacturing organization to produce a suitable craft. Patterned on the Ryan design, the fuselage was stretched to accommodate more passengers and a window was added to the front to accommodate the pilot. The extra passengers shifted the center of gravity dangerously aft so the tail was bobbed in order to cut down weight at the back end of the plane. Unfortunately this gave the aircraft considerable dynamic instability. The test article, the Spirit of Fredonia, crashed on its maiden voyage with Teasdale on board. Alfonse Teasdale has been forgotten by history but the fortune he left to his wife launched her famous career of international intrigue.
So I am told.
Regards,
Joe
|
John Graff
Top Gun
Reged: 05/19/04
Posts: 8593
Loc: KOJC
|
|
Joe:
Quote:
That looks remarkably like the "Spirit of Freedonia."
In 1927, following Lindberg's well-known success, the Freedonian businessman Alfonse Teasdale
Your story is correct but the bird belonged to his brother in law.
Sorry you didn't know that Joe!
Best, John
|
John Graff
Top Gun
Reged: 05/19/04
Posts: 8593
Loc: KOJC
|
|
Randy:
Quote:
Iz'zat Norm Sten's Curtiss Robin?
Tain't the Sten-bird we're a lookin' at; however, as a hint, use that ole' saying: "Go west young man... go west!"
Best <G> John
|
Randy Sohn
Gradn Exlated Ordre of teh Fyling Fingres
Reged: 08/31/01
Posts: 14602
Loc: Savage, MN - U.S.A.
|
|
Quote:
use that ole' saying: "Go west young man... go west!"
Best <G> John
Chuckle, Horace Greeley?
best, randy
|
Andrew Niemyer -KDLH
Top Gun
Reged: 09/18/04
Posts: 2523
Loc: Minnesota
|
|
Joe,
I thought that Ramona did the first flight, and told Teasdale that it was nose-heavy. Assisted by famed aeronautical engineer, Dr. Rufus Firefly, he then installed "several" bags of cow, er, fertilizer, in the tail section, using the famous "TLAR" method of computational analysis, then frequently used by aircraft designers. ("That Looks About Right")
Teasdale, not about to be shown up by Ramona as a test pilot, then took off on the second, and last flight. The aircraft climbed steeply, according to eyewitnesses, and after gaining altitude, ran out of airspeed and did what they reported was a hammerhead stall. The nose fell through and the unsecured bags of bovine excrement fell forward, through the windshield. It was then that, according to one witness, "the #%~* hit the fan."
As I understand it, the wreckage was sold to some guy named Corrigan, who rebuilt the now-fragment remains into a fly able aircraft and flew it to Ireland, claiming he'd flown "the wrong way." A number of skeptics thought his story smelled a lot like the plane: Bull$&@%.
And now you know "the rest of story."
Best,
Andy
|
Frank Van Haste [VKX]
Top Gun
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 2186
Loc: VA (often in CT)
|
|
John:
Might that be the aircraft of Douglas G. Corrigan?
Frank
--------------------
N631S C-182Q KVKX
PP-ASEL IA
|
John Graff
Top Gun
Reged: 05/19/04
Posts: 8593
Loc: KOJC
|
|
Frank:
Quote:
Might that be the aircraft of Douglas G. Corrigan?
Not only "might" -- it tis'! Good show ole' chop!
Personal-Q: Are the two (2) current "Ident the birds" in Aviation History giving anyone a problem; or, are they just not being examined? Sometimes there's a fine line between pleasure and misery!~ <G-offered>
Best, John
|
John Graff
Top Gun
Reged: 05/19/04
Posts: 8593
Loc: KOJC
|
|
Randysan:
Quote:
Chuckle, Horace Greeley?
Nay sahib -- it belonged to his nephew, Douglas C. <BG>
Best, John
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
