Alcock and Brown re-creation by Fossett

[Icebound]

Fossett and his navigator/co-pilot Mark Rebholz left Toronto today in the
replica Vickers Vimy on the first leg to position at St. John's Newfoundland
for the cross-Atlantic try on June 14, 86th? anniversary of original flight.

http://stjohns.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nf-vickers-vimy-050601

I didn't see the take-off but am sure that it will be on the 6-o'clock news
tonight.

Saw an early morning TV report with the motors running and mechanics
tweaking things. Looks like a sweet machine. Hope things go well...

[Morgans]

"Icebound" > wrote

> Saw an early morning TV report with the motors running and mechanics
> tweaking things. Looks like a sweet machine. Hope things go well...

Have you seen it? It was at OSH 3 (?) years ago, and it was impressive.

What was coolest, was seeing it fly. Things that big, are NOT supposed to
be able go that slow! <g>
--
Jim in NC

[Icebound]

"Morgans" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Icebound" > wrote
>
>> Saw an early morning TV report with the motors running and mechanics
>> tweaking things. Looks like a sweet machine. Hope things go well...
>
> Have you seen it? It was at OSH 3 (?) years ago, and it was impressive.
>

Not live. Just TV.

I guess I wasn't paying attention and did not really realize that they were
in town until suddenly they're leaving.

> What was coolest, was seeing it fly. Things that big, are NOT supposed to
> be able go that slow! <g>

[James Robinson]

Icebound wrote:
>
> Fossett and his navigator/co-pilot Mark Rebholz left Toronto today in the
> replica Vickers Vimy on the first leg to position at St. John's Newfoundland
> for the cross-Atlantic try on June 14, 86th? anniversary of original flight.

Are they also intending to recreate the "landing" in the Irish peat bog?

[vincent p. norris]

>What was coolest, was seeing it fly. Things that big, are NOT supposed to
>be able go that slow! <g>

A large airplane always appears to be goig slower than it is, because
we tend to judge speed by how long it takes the tail to reach the
spot where the nose was.

I was privileged to see the first public fly-bys of the 747, at Boeing
Field, Seattle, back in 1969. It appeared to be going far too slowly
to stay in the air--perhaps 40 or 50 knots.

vince norris

[John Clear]

In article >,
vincent p. norris > wrote:
>>What was coolest, was seeing it fly. Things that big, are NOT supposed to
>>be able go that slow! <g>
>
>A large airplane always appears to be goig slower than it is, because
>we tend to judge speed by how long it takes the tail to reach the
>spot where the nose was.

Although in this case, it really is slow, with a max speed of just
100mph, and a cruise speed of around 75 mph. And it is big, much
bigger in real life then it seems in pictures.

John
--
John Clear - http://www.clear-prop.org/

[Icebound]

"James Robinson" > wrote in message
...
> Icebound wrote:
>>
>> Fossett and his navigator/co-pilot Mark Rebholz left Toronto today in the
>> replica Vickers Vimy on the first leg to position at St. John's
>> Newfoundland
>> for the cross-Atlantic try on June 14, 86th? anniversary of original
>> flight.
>
> Are they also intending to recreate the "landing" in the Irish peat bog?

Apparently they have permission to land on a golf course. I don't know what
type of surface they intend to choose.... a manicured fairway, or some boggy
rough????

[Morgans]

"vincent p. norris" > wrote

> A large airplane always appears to be goig slower than it is, because
> we tend to judge speed by how long it takes the tail to reach the
> spot where the nose was.

How true; saw the Galaxy last year, and that really looked slow.

The Vimmy really _is_ going slow. Perhaps someone will correct me, but I
seem to remember that it's maximum speed is around 55 MPH. Get that huge
thing going that slow, and it is going to look *really * slow.
--
Jim in NC

[George Patterson]

vincent p. norris wrote:
>
> A large airplane always appears to be goig slower than it is, because
> we tend to judge speed by how long it takes the tail to reach the
> spot where the nose was.
>
> I was privileged to see the first public fly-bys of the 747, at Boeing
> Field, Seattle, back in 1969. It appeared to be going far too slowly
> to stay in the air--perhaps 40 or 50 knots.

Well, if that phenomenum applies to the Vimy, it would appear to be traveling
about walking speed.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

[Denny]

Well, I love all flying things, and the Vimy is impressive... But as
far as re-creating an old technology machine and then flying a route
that was done generations ago - - - YAWN !

denny

[Corky Scott]

On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 17:40:42 -0400, "Morgans" >
wrote:

>
>"Icebound" > wrote
>
>> Saw an early morning TV report with the motors running and mechanics
>> tweaking things. Looks like a sweet machine. Hope things go well...
>
>Have you seen it? It was at OSH 3 (?) years ago, and it was impressive.
>
>What was coolest, was seeing it fly. Things that big, are NOT supposed to
>be able go that slow! <g>

Did anyone read the pilot's report on how the thing flew? Someone
wrote one up while it was at Oshkosh and my recollection is that it
was a tad ponderous, requiring judicious control inputs which didn't
seem to affect the airplane for a long time...

Corky Scott

[Jay Honeck]

> Well, I love all flying things, and the Vimy is impressive... But as
> far as re-creating an old technology machine and then flying a route
> that was done generations ago - - - YAWN !

Although I enjoyed watching the Vimy fly at OSH, in this case I was
thinking the same thing.

I don't understand doing a flight that was done over 8 decades ago. I mean,
why risk your life -- and considerable money -- to re-do what has already
been done? It's not like it's a "first," and it's not like there's any
glory in completing (or failing to complete) the flight.

I'd much rather these guys put their money into re-creating another National
Air Tour -- where millions of common aviation buffs were given the
opportunity to see these grand old aircraft fly again.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[George Patterson]

Corky Scott wrote:
>
> Did anyone read the pilot's report on how the thing flew? Someone
> wrote one up while it was at Oshkosh and my recollection is that it
> was a tad ponderous, requiring judicious control inputs which didn't
> seem to affect the airplane for a long time...

That's what the Smithsonian article said.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

[Montblack]

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
[snip]
> I'd much rather these guys put their money into re-creating another
> National Air Tour -- where millions of common aviation buffs were given
> the opportunity to see these grand old aircraft fly again.


www.ameliaflight.com
(2001 flight recreating Earhart's famous 1928 solo US cross-country flight)

http://www.ameliaflight.com/ameliaflight/flightlogs.po
(2001 flight logs and photos from the trip)

(From the link)
Similarly, Hinkler set many aviation records in his Avian and perhaps is
best known for his 11,000-mile solo flight from England to Australia in
1928. Before the Avro Avian 7083 was acquired by vintage aircraft collector
Greg Herrick [ www.goldenwingsmuseum.com ], the airplane had been used to
re-create this famous Hinkler flight. [1998]

(Montblack again)
Then "we" bought that Avro Avian in early 2001 <g> ...and flew it another
5,000 miles on our recreation of Amelia Earhart's trip across the US (see
very cool link above).

Our Amelia landed wherever the real Amelia landed in 1928. She also ate the
same foods, at the same restaurants, and slept in the same hotels when
possible - and even got picked up by the same car in one town. Landing at
the same airstrips in 2001, as Amelia Earhart used in her 1928 flight,
required special permission in Ohio, as one of the fields was now
Wright-Patterson Air Force base.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?G5442103B
(Our 2001 Amelia Earhardt - from the link above ...wait for it)

BTW, this was the plane I was with for 5 days (under a a big white tent <g>)
at the MN State Fair last year - 1927 Avro Avian. People asked every day if
it could still fly? Yup, over 17,000 miles since 1998!!! ....we folded back
the wings and trailered it in for the Fair :-)

www.nationalairtour.org
(2003)


Montblack

[Icebound]

"Corky Scott" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 1 Jun 2005 17:40:42 -0400, "Morgans" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>
> Did anyone read the pilot's report on how the thing flew? Someone
> wrote one up while it was at Oshkosh and my recollection is that it
> was a tad ponderous, requiring judicious control inputs which didn't
> seem to affect the airplane for a long time...

In the local TV interviews, Fossett said it was "a handful"... that it
requires constant input to the point where the navigator/co-pilot handles
the throttles because the pilot dare not take the time to take his hands off
the stick....