Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 04:55 AM - Re: Re: The Pietenpol Pre Building Quiz (Mark Stanley)
2. 06:07 AM - WING BAYS? (899PM)
3. 07:02 AM - Re: WING BAYS? (Jack Phillips)
4. 07:31 AM - Re: Stewart Systems Question? (Jerry Dotson)
5. 07:40 AM - pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff (Douwe Blumberg)
6. 08:09 AM - Re: Stewart Systems Question? (TOM STINEMETZE)
7. 09:53 AM - Re: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane (dmott9@aol.com)
8. 10:22 AM - Re: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff (helspersew@aol.com)
9. 10:38 AM - Re: Re: Stewart Systems Question? (Gboothe5)
10. 10:54 AM - Re: Re: Stewart Systems Question? (H. Marvin Haught)
11. 12:27 PM - Re: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff (Ken Bickers)
12. 03:11 PM - Re: Wooden Struts (dgaldrich)
13. 05:55 PM - Re: WING BAYS? (Greg Cardinal)
14. 06:01 PM - Re: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane (Doug Dever)
15. 06:01 PM - Re: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane (Doug Dever)
16. 07:48 PM - Re: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff (Clif Dawson)
Message 1
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: The Pietenpol Pre Building Quiz |
I think you bettter hang on to you project because as we all read it after
we started building, the test results are irrelavant!
And for what it's worth as well, I got them all wrong too..
Mark S
Japan
Do not archive
-----Original Message-----
From: C N Campbell
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:37 AM
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Re: The Pietenpol Pre Building Quiz
<cncampbell@windstream.net>
#2. Incidentally, I didn't even try to answer the questions -- and I'm half
finished with the Piet. Guess I should put it up for sale? Do not archive,
please. C
----- Original Message -----
From: "K5YAC" <hangar10@cox.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 10:07 AM
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: The Pietenpol Pre Building Quiz
>
> I've never seen that... pretty funny.
>
> For what it's worth, I got all of them wrong. :(
>
> --------
> Mark Chouinard
> Wings, Center Section and Empannage framed up - Working on Fuselage
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364800#364800
>
>
Message 2
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
What is the general consensus on number of braced wing bays? Seems like I remember
reading that several of you put 3 or 4 braced bays per wing panel(3pc wing)
and were glad that you did?
--------
PAPA MIKE
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364871#364871
Message 3
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
I built it per the plans, with two braced bays in each wing. Unless you
want a much higher VNE, there's no reason to go with more.
Jack Phillips
NX899JP
Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of 899PM
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 9:03 AM
Subject: Pietenpol-List: WING BAYS?
What is the general consensus on number of braced wing bays? Seems like I
remember reading that several of you put 3 or 4 braced bays per wing
panel(3pc wing) and were glad that you did?
--------
PAPA MIKE
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364871#364871
Message 4
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: Stewart Systems Question? |
Don't worry about it sticking to varnish. The stuff will stick to most anything
including fingers. It says waterborne not water soluble. When dry I have not
found anything to cut it. I had to peel it off my fingers. I have made several
tests and I am quite sure my Piet will not fly nearly fast enough to blow any
fabric off.
do not archive
--------
Jerry Dotson
59 Daniel Johnson Rd
Baker, FL 32531
Started building NX510JD July, 2009
now covering and painting
21" wheels
Lycoming O-235 C2C
Jay Anderson CloudCars prop 76 X 44
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364877#364877
Message 5
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff |
Sorry if these already came through, but if not, here are the photos
pertaining to my post of yesterday of my exhaust/muffler/heat muff combo.
Douwe
Message 6
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: Stewart Systems Question? |
When I took the EAA Sportair Workshop on fabric covering they had us use a
product called "Invisible Gloves." We were using the Poly Fiber product
(Polytak) instead of Ecobond but I believe it would work just as well with
the waterborne material. You can't see it on your hands but it does a
good job of protecting your skin from all those nasty chemicals. Then you
wash it off with soap and water. I got mine from Aircraft Spruce but I
suspect it is available elsewhere, although not at my local Sherwin
Williams store.
Tom Stinemetze
N328X
on split axle gear with wing center section now installed
>>> "Jerry Dotson" <jdotson@centurylink.net> 1/26/2012 9:28 AM >>>
et>
Don't worry about it sticking to varnish. The stuff will stick to most
anything including fingers. It says waterborne not water soluble. When dry
I have not found anything to cut it. I had to peel it off my fingers. I
have made several tests and I am quite sure my Piet will not fly nearly
fast enough to blow any fabric off.
do not archive
--------
Jerry Dotson
59 Daniel Johnson Rd
Baker, FL 32531
Started building NX510JD July, 2009
now covering and painting
21" wheels
Lycoming O-235 C2C
Jay Anderson CloudCars prop 76 X 44
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364877#364877
Message 7
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane |
Major Brian Shul is the author of Sled Driver, a fascinating account of his
experiences as a pilot of the SR-71 Blackbird. The book has been out of pr
int for two years now, but now you can buy one of the 3,500 limited edition
copies=94signed by Shul and other SR-71 legends=94here. There
are only a few left, so hurry up.
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter W Johnson <vk3eka@bigpond.net.au>
Sent: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 11:30 pm
Subject: Pietenpol-List: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane
.au>
Hi Guys,
Not exactly Piet related (speeds are a bit different) but something that
appeared on another list I thought you may be interested in.
Don't know who wrote it or even if it's true but it sure captures the
spirit.
Cheers
Peter
Wonthaggi Australia
*In April 1986, following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin disco,
President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps i
n
Libya. My duty was to fly over Libya and take photos recording the damage
our F-111s had inflicted. Qaddafi had established a 'line of death,' a
territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra, s wearing to shoot down any
intruder that crossed the boundary. On the morning of April 15, I rocketed
past the line at
2,125 mph. I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane, the world's fastest jet,
accompanied by Maj. Walter Watson, the aircraft's reconnaissance systems
officer (RSO). We had crossed into Libya and were approaching our final tur
n
over the bleak desert landscape when Walter informed me that he was
receiving missile launch signals. I quickly increased our speed, calculatin
g
the time it would take for the weapons-most likely SA-2 and SA-4
surface-to-air missiles capable of Mach 5-to reach our altitude. I estimate
d
that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn and stayed our
course, betting our lives on the plane's performance. After several
agonizingly long seconds, we made the turn and blasted toward the
Mediterranean. 'You might want to pull it back,'
Walter suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full
f orward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mac
h
3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles to
idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker
awaiting us over Gibraltar. Scores of significant aircraft have been
produced in the 100 years of flight following the achievements of the Wrigh
t
brothers, which we celebrate in December. Aircraft such as the Boeing 707,
the F-86 Sabre Jet, and the P-51 Mustang are among the important machines
that have flown our skies. But the SR-71, also known as the Blackbird,
stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory and as the
fastest plane ever-and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered the 'sled,' as
we called our aircraft. As inconceivable as it may sound, I once discarded
the plane. Literally. My first encounter with the SR-71 came when I was 10
years old in the form of molded black plastic in a Revell kit.
Cementing together the long fuselage parts proved tricky, and my finished
product looked less than menacing. Glue,oozing from the seams, discolored
the black plastic. It seemed ungainly alongside the fighter planes in my
collection, and I threw it away. Twenty-nine years later, I stood awe-struc
k
in a Beale Air Force Base hangar, staring at the very real SR-71 before me.
I had applied to fly the world's fastest jet and was receiving my first
walk-around of our nation's most prestigious aircraft. In my previous 13
years as an Air Force fighter pilot, I had never seen an aircraft with such
presence. At 107 feet long, it appeared big, but far from ungainly.
Ironically, the plane was dripping, much like the misshapen model I had
assembled in my youth. Fuel was seeping through the joints, raining down on
the hangar floor. At Mach 3, the plane would expand several inches because
of the severe temperature, which could heat the leading edge of the wing to
1,100 degrees. To prevent cracking, expansion joints had been built into th
e
plane. Sealant resembling rubber glue covered the seams, but when the plane
was subsonic, fuel would leak through the joints. The SR-71 was the
brainchild of Kelly Johnson, the famed Lockheed designer who created the
P-38, the F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2. After the Soviets shot down Gary
Powers' U-2 in 1960, Johnson began to develop an aircraft that would fly
three miles higher and five times faster than the spy plane-and still be
capable of photographing your license plate. However, flying at 2,000 mph
would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used a
titanium alloy to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71, creating
special tools and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40
planes. Special heat-resistant fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluids that would
function at 85,000 feet and higher also had to be developed. In 1962, the
first Blackbird successfully flew, and in 1966, the same year I graduated
from high school, the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions. I
came to the program in 1983 with a sterling record and a recommendation fro
m
my commander, completing the weeklong interview and meeting Walter, my
partner for the next four years. He would ride four feet behind me, working
all the cameras, radios, and electronic jamming equipment. I joked that if
we were ever captured, he was the spy and I was just the driver. He told me
to keep the pointy end forward. We trained for a year, flying out of Beale
AFB in California, Kadena Airbase in Okinawa, and RAF Mindenhall in England
.
On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel
over Nevada, accelerate into Montana, obtain high Mach over Colorado, turn
right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West
Coast, turn right at Seattle , then return to Beale. Total flight time:
two hours and 40 minutes. One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring
the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna
pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety
knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty
on the ground,'
was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a
ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a
ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the
bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. 'Dusty 52, we show you
at 620 on the ground,'
ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's
mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled
the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly
above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller
replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.' We did not
hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast. The
Blackbird always showed us something new, each aircraft possessing its own
unique personality. In time, we realized we were flying a national treasure
.
When we taxied out of our revetments for takeoff, people took notice.
Traffic congregated near the airfield fences, because everyone wanted to se
e
and hear the mighty SR-71. You could not be a part of this program and not
come to love the airplane. Slowly, she revealed her secrets to us as we
earned her trust. One moonless night, while flying a routine training
mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from
84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a
straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the
glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back
up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to
see the sky overruled my caution, and I dimmed the lighting again. To my
amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to
the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky
Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky had
usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting
stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks
display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments,
and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with th
e
cockpit lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In
the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit
incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out
the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled
in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a
part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the
plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the
tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent. The SR-71 was an expensive
aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support, and in
1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air Force retired the SR-71. The
Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles, not once taking a scratch from
enemy fire. On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonia
n
National Air and Space Museum, sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64
minutes, averaging 2,145 mph and setting four speed records. The SR-71
served six presidents, protecting America for a quarter of a century.
Unbeknownst to most of the country, the plane flew over North Vietnam, Red
China, North Korea, t he Middle East, South Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran,
Libya, and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis, the SR-71 kept watch
over every Soviet nuclear submarine and mobile missile site, and all of
their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War. I am
proud to say I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well.She
gave way to no plane, proudly dragging her sonic boom through enemy
backyards with great impunity. She defeated every missile, outran every MiG
,
and always brought us home. In the first 100 years of manned flight, no
aircraft was more remarkable. With the Libyan coast fast approaching now,
Walt asks me for the third time if I think the jet will get to the speed an
d
altitude we want in time. I tell him yes. I know he is concerned. He is
dealing with the data; that's what engineers do, and I am glad he is. But I
have my hands on the stick and throttles and can feel the heart of a
thoroughbred, running now with the power and perfection she was designed to
possess. I also talk to her. Like the combat veteran she is, the jet senses
the target area and seems to prepare herself. For the first time in two
days, the inlet door closes flush and all vibration is gone. We've become s
o
used to the constant buzzing that the jet sounds quiet now in comparison.
The Mach correspondingly increases slightly and the jet is flying in that
confidently smooth and steady style we have so often seen at these speeds.
We reach our target altitude and speed, with five miles to spare. Entering
the target area, in response to the jet's new-found vitality, Walt says,
'That's amazing' and with my left hand pushing two throttles farther
forward, I think to myself that there is much they don't teach in
engineering school. Out my left window, Libya looks like one huge sandbox.
A
featureless brown terrain stretches all the way to the horizon. There is no
sign of any activity. Then Walt tells me that he is getting lots of
electronic signals, and they are not the friendly kind. The jet is
performing perfectly now, flying better than she has in weeks.
She seems to know where she is. She likes the high Mach, as we penetrate
deeper into Libyan airspace. Leaving the footprint of our sonic boom across
Benghazi, I sit motionless, with stilled hands on throttles and the pitch
control, my eyes glued to the gauges. Only the Mach indicator is moving,
steadily increasing in hundredths, in a rhythmic consistency similar to the
long distance runner who has caught his second wind and picked up the pace.
The jet was made for this kind of performance and she wasn't about to let a
n
errant inlet door make her miss the show. With the power of forty
locomotives, we puncture the quiet African sky and continue farther south
across a bleak landscape. Walt continues to update me with numerous
reactions he sees on th e DEF panel. He is receiving missile tracking
signals. With each mile we traverse, every two seconds, I become more
uncomfortable driving deeper into this barren and hostile land. I am glad
the DEF panel is not in the front seat. It would be a big distraction now,
seeing the lights flashing. In contrast, my cockpit is 'quiet' as the jet
purrs and relishes her new-found strength, continuing to slowly accelerate.
The spikes are full aft now, tucked twenty-six inches deep into the
nacelles. With all inlet doors tightly shut, at 3.24 Mach, the J-58s are
more like ramjets now, gulping 100,000 cubic feet of air per second. We are
a roaring express now, and as we roll through the enemy's backyard, I hope
our speed continues to defeat the missile radars below. We are approaching
a
turn, and this is good. It will only make it more difficult for any launche
d
missile to solve the solution for hitting our aircraft. I push the speed up
at Walt's re quest. The jet does not skip a beat, nothing fluctuates, and
the cameras have a rock steady platform.
Walt received missile launch signals. Before he can say anything else, my
left hand instinctively moves the throttles yet farther forward. My eyes ar
e
glued to temperature gauges now, as I know the jet will willingly go to
speeds that can harm her. The temps are relatively cool and from all the
warm temps we've encountered thus far, this surprises me but then, it reall
y
doesn't surprise me.
Mach 3.31 and Walt are quiet for the moment. I move my gloved finder across
the small silver wheel on the autopilot panel which controls the aircraft's
pitch.
With the deft feel known to Swiss watchmakers, surgeons, and 'dinosaurs'
(old-time pilots who not only fly an airplane but 'feel it') I rotate the
pitch wheel somewhere between one-sixteenth and one-eighth inch, location a
position which yields the 500-foot-per-minute climb I desire. The jet raise
s
her nose one-sixth of a degree and knows I'll push her higher as she goes
faster. The Mach continues to rise, but during this segment of our route, I
am in no mood to pull throttles back. Walt's voice pierces the quiet of my
cockpit with the news of more missile launch signals. The gravity of
Walter's voice tells me that he believes the signals to be a more valid
threat than the others. Within seconds he tells me to 'push it up' and I
firmly press both throttles against their stops. For the next few second I
will let the jet go as fast as she wants. A final turn is coming up and we
both know that if we can hit that turn at this speed, we most likely will
defeat any missiles. We are not there yet, though, and I'm wondering if Wal
t
will call for a defensive turn off our course. With no words spoken, I sens
e
Walter is thinking in concert with me about maintaining our programmed
course. To keep from worrying, I glance outside, wondering if I'll be able
to visually pick up a missile aimed at us. Odd are the thoughts that wander
through one's mind in times like these. I found myself recalling the words
of former SR-71 pilots who were fired upon while flying missions over North
Vietnam. They said the few errant missile detonations they were able to
observe from the cockpit looked like implosions rather than explosions. Thi
s
was due to the great speed at which the jet was hurling away from the
exploding missile. I see nothing outside except the endless expanse of a
steel blue sky and the broad patch of tan earth far below. I have only had
my eyes out of the cockpit for seconds, but it seems like many minutes sinc
e
I have last checked the gauges inside. Returning my attention inward, I
glance first at the miles counter telling me how many more to go until we
can start our turn. Then I note the Mach, and passing beyond 3.45, I realiz
e
that Walter and I have attained new personal records. The Mach continues to
increase. The ride is incredibly smooth.
There seems to be a confirmed trust now, between me and the jet; she will
not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need, and I can count on no
problems with the inlets. Walt and I are ultimately depending on the jet no
w
- more so than normal - and she seems to know it. The cooler outside
temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago, when men
dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. With
spikes and doors as tight as they can get we are racing against the time it
could take a missile to reach our altitude. It is a race this jet will not
let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest
80,000 feet. We are a bullet now - except faster. We hit the turn, and I
feel some relief as our nose swings away from a country we have seen quite
enough of.
Screaming past Tripoli, our phenomenal speed continues to rise, and the
screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time, laying down a parting sonic
boom. In seconds, we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the
Mediterranean .I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and
we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner. The TDI now shows
us Mach numbers not only new to our experience but flat out scary. Walt say
s
the DEF panel is now quiet and I know it is time to reduce our incredible
speed. I pull the throttles to the min 'burner range and the jet still
doesn't want to slow down. Normally, the Mach would be affected immediately
when making such a large throttle movement.
But for just a few moments, old 960 just sat out there at the high Mach she
seemed to love and, like the proud Sled she was, only began to slow when we
were well out of danger. I loved that jet. Brian Shul *
Message 8
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff |
Douwe,
I love the shape of your cowl. So many of the "aircraft engine" Piets look
a little odd in the front. (don't kill the messenger)
Can't wait to see it in person with that very cool exhaust stack set-up!!!
Dan Helsper
Puryear, TN
-----Original Message-----
From: Douwe Blumberg <douweblumberg@earthlink.net>
Sent: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 9:41 am
Subject: Pietenpol-List: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff
Sorry if these already came through, but if not, here are the photos pertai
ning to my post of yesterday of my exhaust/muffler/heat muff combo.
Douwe
Message 9
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: Stewart Systems Question? |
Glue all over the hands is half the experience!
Gary from Cool
Do not archive
From: owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of TOM
STINEMETZE
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:06 AM
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Stewart Systems Question?
When I took the EAA Sportair Workshop on fabric covering they had us use a
product called "Invisible Gloves." We were using the Poly Fiber product
(Polytak) instead of Ecobond but I believe it would work just as well with
the waterborne material. You can't see it on your hands but it does a good
job of protecting your skin from all those nasty chemicals. Then you wash
it off with soap and water. I got mine from Aircraft Spruce but I suspect
it is available elsewhere, although not at my local Sherwin Williams store.
Tom Stinemetze
N328X
on split axle gear with wing center section now installed
>>> "Jerry Dotson" <jdotson@centurylink.net> 1/26/2012 9:28 AM >>>
<jdotson@centurylink.net>
Don't worry about it sticking to varnish. The stuff will stick to most
anything including fingers. It says waterborne not water soluble. When dry I
have not found anything to cut it. I had to peel it off my fingers. I have
made several tests and I am quite sure my Piet will not fly nearly fast
enough to blow any fabric off.
do not archive
--------
Jerry Dotson
59 Daniel Johnson Rd
Baker, FL 32531
Started building NX510JD July, 2009
now covering and painting
21" wheels
Lycoming O-235 C2C
Jay Anderson CloudCars prop 76 X 44
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/vi
<http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364877#364877> --> ht
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
%20--%3e%20%3cA%20href=>
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
%20--%3e%20%3cA%20href=>
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
%20--%3e%20%3cA%20href=>
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
%20--%3e%20%3cA%20href=>
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
browse
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
Un/Subscription,
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
FAQ,
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
<http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietensp;
%20-%20MATRONICS%20WEB%20FORUMS%20= p; &
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietenpol-List
Message 10
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: Stewart Systems Question? |
Get an sanding belt cleaner block (crepe rubber eraser material) and cut
it into small squares. Works great, but a little slow, in removing
dried glue from your hands, and any where you had a drip or got glue
where you didn't want or need it.
M. Haught
Aircraft Finishes.
On Jan 26, 2012, at 12:35 PM, Gboothe5 wrote:
> Glue all over the hands is half the experience!
>
> Gary from Cool
>
> Do not archive
>
>
>
> From: owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-pietenpol-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of TOM
STINEMETZE
> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:06 AM
> To: pietenpol-list@matronics.com
> Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Stewart Systems Question?
>
>
>
> When I took the EAA Sportair Workshop on fabric covering they had us
use a product called "Invisible Gloves." We were using the Poly Fiber
product (Polytak) instead of Ecobond but I believe it would work just as
well with the waterborne material. You can't see it on your hands but
it does a good job of protecting your skin from all those nasty
chemicals. Then you wash it off with soap and water. I got mine from
Aircraft Spruce but I suspect it is available elsewhere, although not at
my local Sherwin Williams store.
>
> Tom Stinemetze
> N328X
> on split axle gear with wing center section now installed
>
>
> >>> "Jerry Dotson" <jdotson@centurylink.net> 1/26/2012 9:28 AM >>>
<jdotson@centurylink.net>
>
> Don't worry about it sticking to varnish. The stuff will stick to most
anything including fingers. It says waterborne not water soluble. When
dry I have not found anything to cut it. I had to peel it off my
fingers. I have made several tests and I am quite sure my Piet will not
fly nearly fast enough to blow any fabric off.
>
> do not archive
>
> --------
> Jerry Dotson
> 59 Daniel Johnson Rd
> Baker, FL 32531
>
> Started building NX510JD July, 2009
> now covering and painting
> 21" wheels
> Lycoming O-235 C2C
> Jay Anderson CloudCars prop 76 X 44
>
>
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/vi= --> ht
>
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Pietenpol-List
> http://forums.matronics.com
> http://www.matronics.com/contribution
>
>
>
>
>
Message 11
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff |
I like the hood ornament, too. I've thought of doing something similar.
Do not archive.
On Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 11:20 AM, <helspersew@aol.com> wrote:
> Douwe,
>
> I love the shape of your cowl. So many of the "aircraft engine" Piets look a
> little odd in the front. (don't kill the messenger)
>
> Can't wait to see it in person with that very cool exhaust stack set-up!!!
>
> Dan Helsper
> Puryear, TN
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Douwe Blumberg <douweblumberg@earthlink.net>
> To: pietenpol-list <pietenpol-list@matronics.com>
> Sent: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 9:41 am
> Subject: Pietenpol-List: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff
>
> Sorry if these already came through, but if not, here are the photos
> pertaining to my post of yesterday of my exhaust/muffler/heat muff combo.
>
> Douwe
>
>
Message 12
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: Wooden Struts |
It's a, I say it's a joke son....
Foghorn Leghorn
Aka Dave
do not archive
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364903#364903
Message 13
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
I can think of no good reason to deviate from the plans and increase the
number of braced bays in the wing.
I don't know any builders who have done this.
Greg Cardinal
Minneapolis
----- Original Message -----
From: "899PM" <rockriverrifle@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:02 AM
Subject: Pietenpol-List: WING BAYS?
>
> What is the general consensus on number of braced wing bays? Seems like I
> remember reading that several of you put 3 or 4 braced bays per wing
> panel(3pc wing) and were glad that you did?
>
> --------
> PAPA MIKE
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=364871#364871
>
>
>
Message 14
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane |
I believe it comes from the book "Sled Driver"
Do not archive
Doug Dever
In beautiful Stow Ohio
> From: vk3eka@bigpond.net.au
> To: pietenpol-list@matronics.com
> Subject: Pietenpol-List: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane
> Date: Thu=2C 26 Jan 2012 15:27:56 +1100
>
et.au>
>
> Hi Guys=2C
>
> Not exactly Piet related (speeds are a bit different) but something that
> appeared on another list I thought you may be interested in.
>
> Don't know who wrote it or even if it's true but it sure captures the
> spirit.
>
> Cheers
>
> Peter
> Wonthaggi Australia
>
>
>
> *In April 1986=2C following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin di
sco=2C
> President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps
in
> Libya. My duty was to fly over Libya and take photos recording the damage
> our F-111s had inflicted. Qaddafi had established a 'line of death=2C' a
> territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra=2C s wearing to shoot down a
ny
> intruder that crossed the boundary. On the morning of April 15=2C I rocke
ted
> past the line at
> 2=2C125 mph. I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane=2C the world's fastest je
t=2C
> accompanied by Maj. Walter Watson=2C the aircraft's reconnaissance system
s
> officer (RSO). We had crossed into Libya and were approaching our final t
urn
> over the bleak desert landscape when Walter informed me that he was
> receiving missile launch signals. I quickly increased our speed=2C calcul
ating
> the time it would take for the weapons-most likely SA-2 and SA-4
> surface-to-air missiles capable of Mach 5-to reach our altitude. I estima
ted
> that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn and stayed our
> course=2C betting our lives on the plane's performance. After several
> agonizingly long seconds=2C we made the turn and blasted toward the
> Mediterranean. 'You might want to pull it back=2C'
> Walter suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles fu
ll
> f orward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds=2C well above our
Mach
> 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles t
o
> idle just south of Sicily=2C but we still overran the refueling tanker
> awaiting us over Gibraltar. Scores of significant aircraft have been
> produced in the 100 years of flight following the achievements of the Wri
ght
> brothers=2C which we celebrate in December. Aircraft such as the Boeing 7
07=2C
> the F-86 Sabre Jet=2C and the P-51 Mustang are among the important machin
es
> that have flown our skies. But the SR-71=2C also known as the Blackbird
=2C
> stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory and as the
> fastest plane ever-and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered the 'sled=2C
' as
> we called our aircraft. As inconceivable as it may sound=2C I once discar
ded
> the plane. Literally. My first encounter with the SR-71 came when I was 1
0
> years old in the form of molded black plastic in a Revell kit.
> Cementing together the long fuselage parts proved tricky=2C and my finish
ed
> product looked less than menacing. Glue=2Coozing from the seams=2C discol
ored
> the black plastic. It seemed ungainly alongside the fighter planes in my
> collection=2C and I threw it away. Twenty-nine years later=2C I stood awe
-struck
> in a Beale Air Force Base hangar=2C staring at the very real SR-71 before
me.
> I had applied to fly the world's fastest jet and was receiving my first
> walk-around of our nation's most prestigious aircraft. In my previous 13
> years as an Air Force fighter pilot=2C I had never seen an aircraft with
such
> presence. At 107 feet long=2C it appeared big=2C but far from ungainly.
> Ironically=2C the plane was dripping=2C much like the misshapen model I h
ad
> assembled in my youth. Fuel was seeping through the joints=2C raining dow
n on
> the hangar floor. At Mach 3=2C the plane would expand several inches beca
use
> of the severe temperature=2C which could heat the leading edge of the win
g to
> 1=2C100 degrees. To prevent cracking=2C expansion joints had been built i
nto the
> plane. Sealant resembling rubber glue covered the seams=2C but when the p
lane
> was subsonic=2C fuel would leak through the joints. The SR-71 was the
> brainchild of Kelly Johnson=2C the famed Lockheed designer who created th
e
> P-38=2C the F-104 Starfighter=2C and the U-2. After the Soviets shot down
Gary
> Powers' U-2 in 1960=2C Johnson began to develop an aircraft that would fl
y
> three miles higher and five times faster than the spy plane-and still be
> capable of photographing your license plate. However=2C flying at 2=2C000
mph
> would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used
a
> titanium alloy to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71=2C creating
> special tools and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40
> planes. Special heat-resistant fuel=2C oil=2C and hydraulic fluids that w
ould
> function at 85=2C000 feet and higher also had to be developed. In 1962=2C
the
> first Blackbird successfully flew=2C and in 1966=2C the same year I gradu
ated
> from high school=2C the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions
. I
> came to the program in 1983 with a sterling record and a recommendation f
rom
> my commander=2C completing the weeklong interview and meeting Walter=2C m
y
> partner for the next four years. He would ride four feet behind me=2C wor
king
> all the cameras=2C radios=2C and electronic jamming equipment. I joked th
at if
> we were ever captured=2C he was the spy and I was just the driver. He tol
d me
> to keep the pointy end forward. We trained for a year=2C flying out of Be
ale
> AFB in California=2C Kadena Airbase in Okinawa=2C and RAF Mindenhall in E
ngland.
> On a typical training mission=2C we would take off near Sacramento=2C ref
uel
> over Nevada=2C accelerate into Montana=2C obtain high Mach over Colorado
=2C turn
> right over New Mexico=2C speed across the Los Angeles Basin=2C run up the
West
> Coast=2C turn right at Seattle =2C then return to Beale. Total flight tim
e:
> two hours and 40 minutes. One day=2C high above Arizona=2C we were monito
ring
> the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First=2C a Cessna
> pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninet
y
> knots=2C' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-tw
enty
> on the ground=2C'
> was the reply. To our surprise=2C a navy F-18 came over the radio with a
> ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course=2C he had
a
> ground speed indicator in his cockpit=2C but he wanted to let all the
> bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. 'Dusty 52=2C we show
you
> at 620 on the ground=2C'
> ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's
> mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice=2C Walter startl
ed
> the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81=2C000 feet=2C c
learly
> above controlled airspace. In a cool=2C professional voice=2C the control
ler
> replied=2C 'Aspen 20=2C I show you at 1=2C982 knots on the ground.' We di
d not
> hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast. The
> Blackbird always showed us something new=2C each aircraft possessing its
own
> unique personality. In time=2C we realized we were flying a national trea
sure.
> When we taxied out of our revetments for takeoff=2C people took notice.
> Traffic congregated near the airfield fences=2C because everyone wanted t
o see
> and hear the mighty SR-71. You could not be a part of this program and no
t
> come to love the airplane. Slowly=2C she revealed her secrets to us as we
> earned her trust. One moonless night=2C while flying a routine training
> mission over the Pacific=2C I wondered what the sky would look like from
> 84=2C000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a
> straight course=2C I slowly turned down all of the lighting=2C reducing t
he
> glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds=2C I turned the lights
back
> up=2C fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desir
e to
> see the sky overruled my caution=2C and I dimmed the lighting again. To m
y
> amazement=2C I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted
to
> the view=2C I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the M
ilky
> Way=2C now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky
had
> usually existed=2C there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shoo
ting
> stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a firework
s
> display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instrument
s=2C
> and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise=2C wit
h the
> cockpit lighting still off=2C I could see every gauge=2C lit by starlight
. In
> the plane's mirrors=2C I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit
> incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance o
ut
> the window. Despite our speed=2C we seemed still before the heavens=2C hu
mbled
> in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments=2C I felt
a
> part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the
> plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to th
e
> tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent. The SR-71 was an expensive
> aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support=2C and
in
> 1990=2C confronted with budget cutbacks=2C the Air Force retired the SR-7
1. The
> Blackbird had outrun nearly 4=2C000 missiles=2C not once taking a scratch
from
> enemy fire. On her final flight=2C the Blackbird=2C destined for the Smit
hsonian
> National Air and Space Museum=2C sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 6
4
> minutes=2C averaging 2=2C145 mph and setting four speed records. The SR-7
1
> served six presidents=2C protecting America for a quarter of a century.
> Unbeknownst to most of the country=2C the plane flew over North Vietnam
=2C Red
> China=2C North Korea=2C t he Middle East=2C South Africa=2C Cuba=2C Nicar
agua=2C Iran=2C
> Libya=2C and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis=2C the SR-71 kept wa
tch
> over every Soviet nuclear submarine and mobile missile site=2C and all of
> their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War. I am
> proud to say I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well.She
> gave way to no plane=2C proudly dragging her sonic boom through enemy
> backyards with great impunity. She defeated every missile=2C outran every
MiG=2C
> and always brought us home. In the first 100 years of manned flight=2C no
> aircraft was more remarkable. With the Libyan coast fast approaching now
=2C
> Walt asks me for the third time if I think the jet will get to the speed
and
> altitude we want in time. I tell him yes. I know he is concerned. He is
> dealing with the data=3B that's what engineers do=2C and I am glad he is.
But I
> have my hands on the stick and throttles and can feel the heart of a
> thoroughbred=2C running now with the power and perfection she was designe
d to
> possess. I also talk to her. Like the combat veteran she is=2C the jet se
nses
> the target area and seems to prepare herself. For the first time in two
> days=2C the inlet door closes flush and all vibration is gone. We've beco
me so
> used to the constant buzzing that the jet sounds quiet now in comparison.
> The Mach correspondingly increases slightly and the jet is flying in that
> confidently smooth and steady style we have so often seen at these speeds
.
> We reach our target altitude and speed=2C with five miles to spare. Enter
ing
> the target area=2C in response to the jet's new-found vitality=2C Walt sa
ys=2C
> 'That's amazing' and with my left hand pushing two throttles farther
> forward=2C I think to myself that there is much they don't teach in
> engineering school. Out my left window=2C Libya looks like one huge sandb
ox. A
> featureless brown terrain stretches all the way to the horizon. There is
no
> sign of any activity. Then Walt tells me that he is getting lots of
> electronic signals=2C and they are not the friendly kind. The jet is
> performing perfectly now=2C flying better than she has in weeks.
> She seems to know where she is. She likes the high Mach=2C as we penetrat
e
> deeper into Libyan airspace. Leaving the footprint of our sonic boom acro
ss
> Benghazi=2C I sit motionless=2C with stilled hands on throttles and the p
itch
> control=2C my eyes glued to the gauges. Only the Mach indicator is moving
=2C
> steadily increasing in hundredths=2C in a rhythmic consistency similar to
the
> long distance runner who has caught his second wind and picked up the pac
e.
> The jet was made for this kind of performance and she wasn't about to let
an
> errant inlet door make her miss the show. With the power of forty
> locomotives=2C we puncture the quiet African sky and continue farther sou
th
> across a bleak landscape. Walt continues to update me with numerous
> reactions he sees on th e DEF panel. He is receiving missile tracking
> signals. With each mile we traverse=2C every two seconds=2C I become more
> uncomfortable driving deeper into this barren and hostile land. I am glad
> the DEF panel is not in the front seat. It would be a big distraction now
=2C
> seeing the lights flashing. In contrast=2C my cockpit is 'quiet' as the j
et
> purrs and relishes her new-found strength=2C continuing to slowly acceler
ate.
> The spikes are full aft now=2C tucked twenty-six inches deep into the
> nacelles. With all inlet doors tightly shut=2C at 3.24 Mach=2C the J-58s
are
> more like ramjets now=2C gulping 100=2C000 cubic feet of air per second.
We are
> a roaring express now=2C and as we roll through the enemy's backyard=2C I
hope
> our speed continues to defeat the missile radars below. We are approachin
g a
> turn=2C and this is good. It will only make it more difficult for any lau
nched
> missile to solve the solution for hitting our aircraft. I push the speed
up
> at Walt's re quest. The jet does not skip a beat=2C nothing fluctuates=2C
and
> the cameras have a rock steady platform.
> Walt received missile launch signals. Before he can say anything else=2C
my
> left hand instinctively moves the throttles yet farther forward. My eyes
are
> glued to temperature gauges now=2C as I know the jet will willingly go to
> speeds that can harm her. The temps are relatively cool and from all the
> warm temps we've encountered thus far=2C this surprises me but then=2C it
really
> doesn't surprise me.
> Mach 3.31 and Walt are quiet for the moment. I move my gloved finder acro
ss
> the small silver wheel on the autopilot panel which controls the aircraft
's
> pitch.
> With the deft feel known to Swiss watchmakers=2C surgeons=2C and 'dinosau
rs'
> (old-time pilots who not only fly an airplane but 'feel it') I rotate the
> pitch wheel somewhere between one-sixteenth and one-eighth inch=2C locati
on a
> position which yields the 500-foot-per-minute climb I desire. The jet rai
ses
> her nose one-sixth of a degree and knows I'll push her higher as she goes
> faster. The Mach continues to rise=2C but during this segment of our rout
e=2C I
> am in no mood to pull throttles back. Walt's voice pierces the quiet of m
y
> cockpit with the news of more missile launch signals. The gravity of
> Walter's voice tells me that he believes the signals to be a more valid
> threat than the others. Within seconds he tells me to 'push it up' and I
> firmly press both throttles against their stops. For the next few second
I
> will let the jet go as fast as she wants. A final turn is coming up and w
e
> both know that if we can hit that turn at this speed=2C we most likely wi
ll
> defeat any missiles. We are not there yet=2C though=2C and I'm wondering
if Walt
> will call for a defensive turn off our course. With no words spoken=2C I
sense
> Walter is thinking in concert with me about maintaining our programmed
> course. To keep from worrying=2C I glance outside=2C wondering if I'll be
able
> to visually pick up a missile aimed at us. Odd are the thoughts that wand
er
> through one's mind in times like these. I found myself recalling the word
s
> of former SR-71 pilots who were fired upon while flying missions over Nor
th
> Vietnam. They said the few errant missile detonations they were able to
> observe from the cockpit looked like implosions rather than explosions. T
his
> was due to the great speed at which the jet was hurling away from the
> exploding missile. I see nothing outside except the endless expanse of a
> steel blue sky and the broad patch of tan earth far below. I have only ha
d
> my eyes out of the cockpit for seconds=2C but it seems like many minutes
since
> I have last checked the gauges inside. Returning my attention inward=2C I
> glance first at the miles counter telling me how many more to go until we
> can start our turn. Then I note the Mach=2C and passing beyond 3.45=2C I
realize
> that Walter and I have attained new personal records. The Mach continues
to
> increase. The ride is incredibly smooth.
> There seems to be a confirmed trust now=2C between me and the jet=3B she
will
> not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need=2C and I can count on no
> problems with the inlets. Walt and I are ultimately depending on the jet
now
> - more so than normal - and she seems to know it. The cooler outside
> temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago=2C when men
> dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. With
> spikes and doors as tight as they can get we are racing against the time
it
> could take a missile to reach our altitude. It is a race this jet will no
t
> let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest
> 80=2C000 feet. We are a bullet now - except faster. We hit the turn=2C an
d I
> feel some relief as our nose swings away from a country we have seen quit
e
> enough of.
> Screaming past Tripoli=2C our phenomenal speed continues to rise=2C and t
he
> screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time=2C laying down a parting s
onic
> boom. In seconds=2C we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the
> Mediterranean .I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and
> we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner. The TDI now show
s
> us Mach numbers not only new to our experience but flat out scary. Walt s
ays
> the DEF panel is now quiet and I know it is time to reduce our incredible
> speed. I pull the throttles to the min 'burner range and the jet still
> doesn't want to slow down. Normally=2C the Mach would be affected immedia
tely
> when making such a large throttle movement.
> But for just a few moments=2C old 960 just sat out there at the high Mach
she
> seemed to love and=2C like the proud Sled she was=2C only began to slow w
hen we
> were well out of danger. I loved that jet. Brian Shul *
>
>
>
>
===========
===========
===========
===========
>
>
>
Message 15
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane |
I believe it comes from the book "Sled Driver"
Do not archive
Doug Dever
In beautiful Stow Ohio
> From: vk3eka@bigpond.net.au
> To: pietenpol-list@matronics.com
> Subject: Pietenpol-List: FW: I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane
> Date: Thu=2C 26 Jan 2012 15:27:56 +1100
>
et.au>
>
> Hi Guys=2C
>
> Not exactly Piet related (speeds are a bit different) but something that
> appeared on another list I thought you may be interested in.
>
> Don't know who wrote it or even if it's true but it sure captures the
> spirit.
>
> Cheers
>
> Peter
> Wonthaggi Australia
>
>
>
> *In April 1986=2C following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin di
sco=2C
> President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps
in
> Libya. My duty was to fly over Libya and take photos recording the damage
> our F-111s had inflicted. Qaddafi had established a 'line of death=2C' a
> territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra=2C s wearing to shoot down a
ny
> intruder that crossed the boundary. On the morning of April 15=2C I rocke
ted
> past the line at
> 2=2C125 mph. I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane=2C the world's fastest je
t=2C
> accompanied by Maj. Walter Watson=2C the aircraft's reconnaissance system
s
> officer (RSO). We had crossed into Libya and were approaching our final t
urn
> over the bleak desert landscape when Walter informed me that he was
> receiving missile launch signals. I quickly increased our speed=2C calcul
ating
> the time it would take for the weapons-most likely SA-2 and SA-4
> surface-to-air missiles capable of Mach 5-to reach our altitude. I estima
ted
> that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn and stayed our
> course=2C betting our lives on the plane's performance. After several
> agonizingly long seconds=2C we made the turn and blasted toward the
> Mediterranean. 'You might want to pull it back=2C'
> Walter suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles fu
ll
> f orward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds=2C well above our
Mach
> 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles t
o
> idle just south of Sicily=2C but we still overran the refueling tanker
> awaiting us over Gibraltar. Scores of significant aircraft have been
> produced in the 100 years of flight following the achievements of the Wri
ght
> brothers=2C which we celebrate in December. Aircraft such as the Boeing 7
07=2C
> the F-86 Sabre Jet=2C and the P-51 Mustang are among the important machin
es
> that have flown our skies. But the SR-71=2C also known as the Blackbird
=2C
> stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory and as the
> fastest plane ever-and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered the 'sled=2C
' as
> we called our aircraft. As inconceivable as it may sound=2C I once discar
ded
> the plane. Literally. My first encounter with the SR-71 came when I was 1
0
> years old in the form of molded black plastic in a Revell kit.
> Cementing together the long fuselage parts proved tricky=2C and my finish
ed
> product looked less than menacing. Glue=2Coozing from the seams=2C discol
ored
> the black plastic. It seemed ungainly alongside the fighter planes in my
> collection=2C and I threw it away. Twenty-nine years later=2C I stood awe
-struck
> in a Beale Air Force Base hangar=2C staring at the very real SR-71 before
me.
> I had applied to fly the world's fastest jet and was receiving my first
> walk-around of our nation's most prestigious aircraft. In my previous 13
> years as an Air Force fighter pilot=2C I had never seen an aircraft with
such
> presence. At 107 feet long=2C it appeared big=2C but far from ungainly.
> Ironically=2C the plane was dripping=2C much like the misshapen model I h
ad
> assembled in my youth. Fuel was seeping through the joints=2C raining dow
n on
> the hangar floor. At Mach 3=2C the plane would expand several inches beca
use
> of the severe temperature=2C which could heat the leading edge of the win
g to
> 1=2C100 degrees. To prevent cracking=2C expansion joints had been built i
nto the
> plane. Sealant resembling rubber glue covered the seams=2C but when the p
lane
> was subsonic=2C fuel would leak through the joints. The SR-71 was the
> brainchild of Kelly Johnson=2C the famed Lockheed designer who created th
e
> P-38=2C the F-104 Starfighter=2C and the U-2. After the Soviets shot down
Gary
> Powers' U-2 in 1960=2C Johnson began to develop an aircraft that would fl
y
> three miles higher and five times faster than the spy plane-and still be
> capable of photographing your license plate. However=2C flying at 2=2C000
mph
> would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used
a
> titanium alloy to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71=2C creating
> special tools and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40
> planes. Special heat-resistant fuel=2C oil=2C and hydraulic fluids that w
ould
> function at 85=2C000 feet and higher also had to be developed. In 1962=2C
the
> first Blackbird successfully flew=2C and in 1966=2C the same year I gradu
ated
> from high school=2C the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions
. I
> came to the program in 1983 with a sterling record and a recommendation f
rom
> my commander=2C completing the weeklong interview and meeting Walter=2C m
y
> partner for the next four years. He would ride four feet behind me=2C wor
king
> all the cameras=2C radios=2C and electronic jamming equipment. I joked th
at if
> we were ever captured=2C he was the spy and I was just the driver. He tol
d me
> to keep the pointy end forward. We trained for a year=2C flying out of Be
ale
> AFB in California=2C Kadena Airbase in Okinawa=2C and RAF Mindenhall in E
ngland.
> On a typical training mission=2C we would take off near Sacramento=2C ref
uel
> over Nevada=2C accelerate into Montana=2C obtain high Mach over Colorado
=2C turn
> right over New Mexico=2C speed across the Los Angeles Basin=2C run up the
West
> Coast=2C turn right at Seattle =2C then return to Beale. Total flight tim
e:
> two hours and 40 minutes. One day=2C high above Arizona=2C we were monito
ring
> the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First=2C a Cessna
> pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninet
y
> knots=2C' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-tw
enty
> on the ground=2C'
> was the reply. To our surprise=2C a navy F-18 came over the radio with a
> ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course=2C he had
a
> ground speed indicator in his cockpit=2C but he wanted to let all the
> bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. 'Dusty 52=2C we show
you
> at 620 on the ground=2C'
> ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's
> mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice=2C Walter startl
ed
> the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81=2C000 feet=2C c
learly
> above controlled airspace. In a cool=2C professional voice=2C the control
ler
> replied=2C 'Aspen 20=2C I show you at 1=2C982 knots on the ground.' We di
d not
> hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast. The
> Blackbird always showed us something new=2C each aircraft possessing its
own
> unique personality. In time=2C we realized we were flying a national trea
sure.
> When we taxied out of our revetments for takeoff=2C people took notice.
> Traffic congregated near the airfield fences=2C because everyone wanted t
o see
> and hear the mighty SR-71. You could not be a part of this program and no
t
> come to love the airplane. Slowly=2C she revealed her secrets to us as we
> earned her trust. One moonless night=2C while flying a routine training
> mission over the Pacific=2C I wondered what the sky would look like from
> 84=2C000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a
> straight course=2C I slowly turned down all of the lighting=2C reducing t
he
> glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds=2C I turned the lights
back
> up=2C fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desir
e to
> see the sky overruled my caution=2C and I dimmed the lighting again. To m
y
> amazement=2C I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted
to
> the view=2C I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the M
ilky
> Way=2C now a gleaming stripe across the sky. Where dark spaces in the sky
had
> usually existed=2C there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shoo
ting
> stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a firework
s
> display with no sound. I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instrument
s=2C
> and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise=2C wit
h the
> cockpit lighting still off=2C I could see every gauge=2C lit by starlight
. In
> the plane's mirrors=2C I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit
> incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance o
ut
> the window. Despite our speed=2C we seemed still before the heavens=2C hu
mbled
> in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments=2C I felt
a
> part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the
> plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to th
e
> tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent. The SR-71 was an expensive
> aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support=2C and
in
> 1990=2C confronted with budget cutbacks=2C the Air Force retired the SR-7
1. The
> Blackbird had outrun nearly 4=2C000 missiles=2C not once taking a scratch
from
> enemy fire. On her final flight=2C the Blackbird=2C destined for the Smit
hsonian
> National Air and Space Museum=2C sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 6
4
> minutes=2C averaging 2=2C145 mph and setting four speed records. The SR-7
1
> served six presidents=2C protecting America for a quarter of a century.
> Unbeknownst to most of the country=2C the plane flew over North Vietnam
=2C Red
> China=2C North Korea=2C t he Middle East=2C South Africa=2C Cuba=2C Nicar
agua=2C Iran=2C
> Libya=2C and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis=2C the SR-71 kept wa
tch
> over every Soviet nuclear submarine and mobile missile site=2C and all of
> their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War. I am
> proud to say I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well.She
> gave way to no plane=2C proudly dragging her sonic boom through enemy
> backyards with great impunity. She defeated every missile=2C outran every
MiG=2C
> and always brought us home. In the first 100 years of manned flight=2C no
> aircraft was more remarkable. With the Libyan coast fast approaching now
=2C
> Walt asks me for the third time if I think the jet will get to the speed
and
> altitude we want in time. I tell him yes. I know he is concerned. He is
> dealing with the data=3B that's what engineers do=2C and I am glad he is.
But I
> have my hands on the stick and throttles and can feel the heart of a
> thoroughbred=2C running now with the power and perfection she was designe
d to
> possess. I also talk to her. Like the combat veteran she is=2C the jet se
nses
> the target area and seems to prepare herself. For the first time in two
> days=2C the inlet door closes flush and all vibration is gone. We've beco
me so
> used to the constant buzzing that the jet sounds quiet now in comparison.
> The Mach correspondingly increases slightly and the jet is flying in that
> confidently smooth and steady style we have so often seen at these speeds
.
> We reach our target altitude and speed=2C with five miles to spare. Enter
ing
> the target area=2C in response to the jet's new-found vitality=2C Walt sa
ys=2C
> 'That's amazing' and with my left hand pushing two throttles farther
> forward=2C I think to myself that there is much they don't teach in
> engineering school. Out my left window=2C Libya looks like one huge sandb
ox. A
> featureless brown terrain stretches all the way to the horizon. There is
no
> sign of any activity. Then Walt tells me that he is getting lots of
> electronic signals=2C and they are not the friendly kind. The jet is
> performing perfectly now=2C flying better than she has in weeks.
> She seems to know where she is. She likes the high Mach=2C as we penetrat
e
> deeper into Libyan airspace. Leaving the footprint of our sonic boom acro
ss
> Benghazi=2C I sit motionless=2C with stilled hands on throttles and the p
itch
> control=2C my eyes glued to the gauges. Only the Mach indicator is moving
=2C
> steadily increasing in hundredths=2C in a rhythmic consistency similar to
the
> long distance runner who has caught his second wind and picked up the pac
e.
> The jet was made for this kind of performance and she wasn't about to let
an
> errant inlet door make her miss the show. With the power of forty
> locomotives=2C we puncture the quiet African sky and continue farther sou
th
> across a bleak landscape. Walt continues to update me with numerous
> reactions he sees on th e DEF panel. He is receiving missile tracking
> signals. With each mile we traverse=2C every two seconds=2C I become more
> uncomfortable driving deeper into this barren and hostile land. I am glad
> the DEF panel is not in the front seat. It would be a big distraction now
=2C
> seeing the lights flashing. In contrast=2C my cockpit is 'quiet' as the j
et
> purrs and relishes her new-found strength=2C continuing to slowly acceler
ate.
> The spikes are full aft now=2C tucked twenty-six inches deep into the
> nacelles. With all inlet doors tightly shut=2C at 3.24 Mach=2C the J-58s
are
> more like ramjets now=2C gulping 100=2C000 cubic feet of air per second.
We are
> a roaring express now=2C and as we roll through the enemy's backyard=2C I
hope
> our speed continues to defeat the missile radars below. We are approachin
g a
> turn=2C and this is good. It will only make it more difficult for any lau
nched
> missile to solve the solution for hitting our aircraft. I push the speed
up
> at Walt's re quest. The jet does not skip a beat=2C nothing fluctuates=2C
and
> the cameras have a rock steady platform.
> Walt received missile launch signals. Before he can say anything else=2C
my
> left hand instinctively moves the throttles yet farther forward. My eyes
are
> glued to temperature gauges now=2C as I know the jet will willingly go to
> speeds that can harm her. The temps are relatively cool and from all the
> warm temps we've encountered thus far=2C this surprises me but then=2C it
really
> doesn't surprise me.
> Mach 3.31 and Walt are quiet for the moment. I move my gloved finder acro
ss
> the small silver wheel on the autopilot panel which controls the aircraft
's
> pitch.
> With the deft feel known to Swiss watchmakers=2C surgeons=2C and 'dinosau
rs'
> (old-time pilots who not only fly an airplane but 'feel it') I rotate the
> pitch wheel somewhere between one-sixteenth and one-eighth inch=2C locati
on a
> position which yields the 500-foot-per-minute climb I desire. The jet rai
ses
> her nose one-sixth of a degree and knows I'll push her higher as she goes
> faster. The Mach continues to rise=2C but during this segment of our rout
e=2C I
> am in no mood to pull throttles back. Walt's voice pierces the quiet of m
y
> cockpit with the news of more missile launch signals. The gravity of
> Walter's voice tells me that he believes the signals to be a more valid
> threat than the others. Within seconds he tells me to 'push it up' and I
> firmly press both throttles against their stops. For the next few second
I
> will let the jet go as fast as she wants. A final turn is coming up and w
e
> both know that if we can hit that turn at this speed=2C we most likely wi
ll
> defeat any missiles. We are not there yet=2C though=2C and I'm wondering
if Walt
> will call for a defensive turn off our course. With no words spoken=2C I
sense
> Walter is thinking in concert with me about maintaining our programmed
> course. To keep from worrying=2C I glance outside=2C wondering if I'll be
able
> to visually pick up a missile aimed at us. Odd are the thoughts that wand
er
> through one's mind in times like these. I found myself recalling the word
s
> of former SR-71 pilots who were fired upon while flying missions over Nor
th
> Vietnam. They said the few errant missile detonations they were able to
> observe from the cockpit looked like implosions rather than explosions. T
his
> was due to the great speed at which the jet was hurling away from the
> exploding missile. I see nothing outside except the endless expanse of a
> steel blue sky and the broad patch of tan earth far below. I have only ha
d
> my eyes out of the cockpit for seconds=2C but it seems like many minutes
since
> I have last checked the gauges inside. Returning my attention inward=2C I
> glance first at the miles counter telling me how many more to go until we
> can start our turn. Then I note the Mach=2C and passing beyond 3.45=2C I
realize
> that Walter and I have attained new personal records. The Mach continues
to
> increase. The ride is incredibly smooth.
> There seems to be a confirmed trust now=2C between me and the jet=3B she
will
> not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need=2C and I can count on no
> problems with the inlets. Walt and I are ultimately depending on the jet
now
> - more so than normal - and she seems to know it. The cooler outside
> temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago=2C when men
> dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. With
> spikes and doors as tight as they can get we are racing against the time
it
> could take a missile to reach our altitude. It is a race this jet will no
t
> let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest
> 80=2C000 feet. We are a bullet now - except faster. We hit the turn=2C an
d I
> feel some relief as our nose swings away from a country we have seen quit
e
> enough of.
> Screaming past Tripoli=2C our phenomenal speed continues to rise=2C and t
he
> screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time=2C laying down a parting s
onic
> boom. In seconds=2C we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the
> Mediterranean .I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and
> we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner. The TDI now show
s
> us Mach numbers not only new to our experience but flat out scary. Walt s
ays
> the DEF panel is now quiet and I know it is time to reduce our incredible
> speed. I pull the throttles to the min 'burner range and the jet still
> doesn't want to slow down. Normally=2C the Mach would be affected immedia
tely
> when making such a large throttle movement.
> But for just a few moments=2C old 960 just sat out there at the high Mach
she
> seemed to love and=2C like the proud Sled she was=2C only began to slow w
hen we
> were well out of danger. I loved that jet. Brian Shul *
>
>
>
>
===========
===========
===========
===========
>
>
>
Message 16
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
| Subject: | Re: pics of exhaust/muffler/heat muff |
Looks quite WW1 Bavarian. :-)
Does your helmet have a spike on it Herr Blumberg??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slPIuoqHQZo&feature=related
Clif
> Douwe,
> I love the shape of your cowl. So many of the "aircraft engine" Piets look
> a little odd in the front. (don't kill the messenger)
> Dan Helsper
> Puryear, TN
Other Matronics Email List Services
These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.
-- Please support this service by making your Contribution today! --
|