From: Fred Martin (mung@in-touch.net)
Date: Sat Dec 28 2002 - 13:45:21 PST
Walter, I don't understand about the Air Force stepping in part. I'm really not
qualified to ask you about the rest of the story....but I sure hope someone
does. The APU was of Japaneese origin....it seems as if they got the last shot
afterall. My appologies....if I offended anyone here. Fred
Walter Houghton wrote:
> Yep that was a tragic shame. It hit close to a friend of mine. The Key Bird
> team went looking for parts to help get the airplane off the ice. They were
> short on money so they went looking for loans of either money or
> parts..........Well a good friend is a very large prop collector. He has a
> complete prop dissasembled for a B-29. Well they had everything but were
> apparently short one prop spyder(the center + that the blades slide onto and
> pivot on for blade feathering and where the engine slides onto the prop. So
> harry being the guy he is, loaned it to the team. Well being a "sponser" he
> was given updates of the progress. Let me say, what I had seen on the video
> did not impress me at all!!!!! As a aircraft mech and a warbird flyer and
> all around nut. The Airforce should have stepped in and said thanks but no
> thanks. To keep this short I wont say what was on it but if anybody is
> interested, post wanting me to do it and I will continue the story.
> Anyway the story of the APU is correct, I was told that it was a
> honda generator and it was running and that there was a spare gas can in the
> back along with it. Well when daryel hit that bump while doing a fast taxi,
> it fell over filling the floor and covering the honda. So there started the
> fire. Another inside note, while the aircraft started to burn as everyone
> was heading out, daryel could not un do the buckle that was holding him in
> the seat. The flt engineer went back in and had to unbolt the belt from the
> seat to get him out. The guy is a friend of my father and he is a crew with
> FIFI and the CAF. Well Harry never had them insure the spyder and the
> only thing he got was a letter stating that its his in case the aircraft is
> ever salvaged. Which a couple of yrs back, a brittish team wanted to get
> whats left. Hamilton Standard ( the mfg. of the prop) appraised the value
> of the spyder at $23,000.
>
> Jeff
>
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