Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [OM] IMG: A Few from the Beech Party

Subject: Re: [OM] IMG: A Few from the Beech Party
From: Jim Nichols <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 08:26:31 -0500
Bill,

Thanks for your comments. I agree that the Bonanza was a slippery airplane when cleaned up, but no more so than the Mooney, Comanche, or the Cessna 210, for that matter. I knew pilots who were killed in a Mooney, and in a Twin Comanche. And even Scott Crossfield, with all of his experience, was killed in a Cessna 210. My only RG experience was with the Comanche 250. I have ridden in a Bonanza, but never flew one. But, even the Bonanza had a safety outlet. If one found himself in a situation where caution was required, the gear could be lowered, and then it was rock solid.

The problem, in my humble opinion, was a matter of ego, not airplane. For low-time pilots with deep pockets, the Bonanza was a nice, shiny toy that they just couldn't resist.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

On 10/15/2015 11:45 PM, Bill Pearce wrote:
Jim,

Glad you enjoyed yourself, I would like to have been there. It does, though make me sad that the museum and event isn't in Wichita, where most of these things were born.

The V tail Bonanza was a handful to fly unless you were an experienced pilot. It was once said here that, "If it weren't for the Beech Bonanza, we would be up to our a** in doctors and lawyers." That's because more than a few were lost because the Bonanza was a handful for a low time pilot with a big ego and wallet to match. With the conventional tail, most of the problems were solved.

-----Original Message----- From: Jim Nichols
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2015 5:18 PM
To: LUG@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; Olympus Camera Discussion
Subject: [OM] IMG: A Few from the Beech Party

Each year at about this time the Beech airplane enthusiasts throw a
Beech Party in Tullahoma, where they enjoy each others company and all
things Beech.  The airplanes have been arriving for several days.
Today, I snapped a few examples of the airplanes that brought it all about.

The pride and joy of the Beech enthusiasts is the BE-17 Staggerwing,
built in the 1930s and 1940s.  This photo was too far away to show the
details of craftsmanship, but it was the best I could do today.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Red+Staggerwing.tif.html

The follow-on to the Staggerwing was the Twin Beech, built for the Army
and Navy in a number of configurations during WWII, and produced for the
civilian market in the 40s and 50s.  The Pratt & Whitney R-985 450 hp
radial powered most of the Staggerwings and the Twin Beech, though some
were converted to turboprops later.
This one was caught on a low pass down the runway.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Twin+Beech+in+Flight.TIFF.html

After WWII, Beech developed the Bonanza for the civilian market. The
original had the butterfly tail shown here, while the later models
featured a conventional tail.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Red+Bonanza.TIFF.html

And when pilots get together, frequently they want to do things that are
not a part of their daily routine, such as formation flying and low
passes down the runway.  This formation contained the military trainer
version of the Bonanza, the T-34, along with a Bonanza.
http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/T-34+and+Bonanza.tif.html

All shot from a distance with the E-1 and Takumar 135/3.5.

Comments and critiques welcomed.


--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz