Flying with the Wing King

[Busher]

For some backstory on the engine overheat light:

There was a several week period with numerous engine overheat, fire, or both at about the same time during takeoff; during or immediately after gear and flap retraction.  These things were occurring on almost a daily basis with different jets.  After a thorough maintenance investigation, it was discovered that a new subcontractor was refurbishing T-33 tail pipes.  The tailpipes had welded joints that were surrounded by the engine overheat and fire loops.  All of our incidents occurred with tailpipes welded by this same subcontractor.  The welds were failing under high pressure and heat coincidental with the time after takeoff about gear and flap retraction.  I had experienced several of these before going on leave.  So, I was more or less spring loaded and thus had a shorter analysis/reaction time than the boss.  None of us squadron guys wanted to be the first to eject out of a burning T-Bird on the downwind.

Better to be lucky than good any day. 

The rest of the tailpipe attached to this stub and extended slight of the rear fuselage.

You may have heard from the guys in Transport about the same thing happening on the Allison 501-D13 on the Herc. The tailpipe gap would open and let enough engine exhaust temp to escape and that would set off the loop detectors near the aft part of the engine.
I never flew a Herc but I did fly the same engine on the Convair 580 for 6 years. 4 engine shutdowns due to Zone 3 fire warnings. (but I had another engine to save me)

[Puma44]

You may have heard from the guys in Transport about the same thing happening on the Allison 501-D13 on the Herc. The tailpipe gap would open and let enough engine exhaust temp to escape and that would set off the loop detectors near the aft part of the engine.
I never flew a Herc but I did fly the same engine on the Convair 580 for 6 years. 4 engine shutdowns due to Zone 3 fire warnings. (but I had another engine to save me)

Yeah, most definitely nice to have spare engine, or two, or three.

[Arlo]

Yeah, most definitely nice to have spare engine, or two, or three.

Or 9?

[Mister Fork]

[morfiend]

We have a T-33 on display at the park here 

  We have a flight worth one where I live,IIRC you can even book a flight in the beast,but it's painted red so no way I'm going up in it.


   

[Puma44]

  We have a flight worth one where I live,IIRC you can even book a flight in the beast,but it's painted red so no way I'm going up in it.


   

Red!  Just go do it.  It’s a fun jet to fly.  I promise you won’t regret the experience.

[morfiend]

I'd like to despite it being red but it's not in the cards atm. Never mind this little virus thing I've been under the weather this past year or so,chemo is no fun and I'd puke for sure. Sometimes I think the cure is worse than the disease!

  I  did get to see her fly over my house last summer,there was one of those CF18's in tow  and another flight had it up with this lumbering P51 which was a pretty cool sight. The flight path from the airshow puts them over my house so I sit out with a coffee and watch them.

  But it's still painted red,something just wrong with that!

  The rides arent very costly,well a few hundred and I was wanting to go up in a harvard but it's a hour and 1/2 drive to go up in the harvard were the T33/P80 is in my backyard. All that said I have to be careful with my pennies,the market has cost me more than I'd like to say.


   

[Puma44]

Understand, my friend. First things first.  If and when you are able, go for it.  You won’t be disappointed.   

[morfiend]

A couple of years ago I talked at length with the museum director,he books the flights and runs the day to day stuff at this little museum near the local airport.

 Diamond A/C have a small factory nearby also so there's plenty of ground support for the T33.

  I made the mistake of calling it a glorified P80...... And was promptly down dressed by the director and told of all the difference,etc. It was a few years ago and my memory is fuzzy.

  Still it's painted red!  Now if it was yellow,I'd have already been up for a ride!



   

[Arlo]

This it?

[Gman]

I agree with Arlo as well Puma, and as I also have repeatedly said in your "story" threads, you should definitely write a book.  It's not just the subject matter - subject matter which all aviation and history buffs love to devour - it's mostly the way you tell your stories.  You have an incredible ability to put the reader "right there".

My best friend wrote a popular book about his experience in the recent mid-east wars, "The Taliban Don't Wave", by Capt. Rob Semrau.  When I began writing, he helped me a great deal, and also offered the services of his agent and publisher, both from HarperCollins.

If you ever do seriously decide to write a book(s) - and I hope you someday do - feel free to PM me for my contact #s, as I'd love to help put you in contact with one of the world's largest publishers, as I know they would gobble up what you've written on this forum alone.   

Over the years I've had a file created of interesting posts from people with creds on this forum, in particular you Puma, Eagl, and Mace, so I already have a very thorough collection of your writing and stories here.

[bustr]

Anyone know what hose wingtip pods are for in Arlo's B36 photo?

[Arlo]

Anyone know what hose wingtip pods are for in Arlo's B36 photo?

F-84 'parasite fighter' project.

[Rocco]

Anyone know what hose wingtip pods are for in Arlo's B36 photo?

Fuel tanks I believe. Not dt's but just extra fuel.

[Arlo]

" Another scheme, known as "Tip-Tow" or "MX-108A", involved a B-29 modified to allow F-84s to hook up wingtip-to-wingtip using a clamping module on each of the B-29's wingtips. It was a follow-up to a postwar experiment involving a wingtip coupling between a Douglas C-47 Dakota / DC-3 and a Culver PQ-14 -- a light single-seat sport aircraft, used as a target drone during the conflict. Tip-Tow tests were conducted from 1950; they came to an abrupt end on 24 April 1953, when an F-84 flipped over and tore off the wing of the B-29, with all crew killed in the disaster. The problem was that there were vortices around the B-29's wingtips that made the hookups very troublesome."

"During 1955, the same concept was tested with an RB-36F -- one earlier used for FICON tests -- and two RF-84Fs under the obscure program name of "Tom-Tom". Tom-Tom ran into the same problems as Tip-Tow, with an RF-84F actually torn away from the wingtip of the RB-36F on 23 September 1956. Nobody was hurt, but the scheme was obviously dodgy and dangerous, and so it was promptly abandoned. Incidentally, well-known Air Force test pilot Clarence "Bud" Anderson flew in the FICON, Tip-Tow, and Tom-Tom trials, discussing them later in his memoirs."

http://www.airvectors.net/avparsit.html