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Paul A. Franz, P.E.
Joined: 02 Dec 2008
Posts: 280
Location: Bellevue WA
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 Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
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A couple weeks ago, the current thread of interest was propeller failure. I had
recalled the story of what I thought was a wood prop failure on nearly new aircraft owned my uncle Victor R Franz with a mailing address of Ritzville WA but actually residing on a farm in the Warden Lind area very close to Shrag WA which has a railroad siding and wheat elevators about half a mile from what is now I-90, but on the track of former US-10. The photos and memory of this significant event are still vivid in my mind even though this even occurred when I was not quite 4 years old. I was just talking to Vic via e-mail and informed me that the prop that was replaced was not wood, but rather composite and the one that failed in flight was an all metal one.
Vic had this to say in particular: "The propeller was a Hartzell Snap-o-matic prop with metal blades. The original blade used on this type prop were composite. I was surpised when the prop showed up with metal blades. This heavier metal blades probably contributed to the hub failure. The Whole propeller hangs on the wall in the farm shop."
Vic and his wife have been active members of Washington Flying farmers for about 60 years now and the following is an account of this accident that happened about 10 miles or so from where I grew up on a farm in Othello WA. "Al" is mentioned in the article. That is my father. I have attached two composite photos, each with 4 scans on them. They are pretty big so if you have a modem connection you might act accordingly.
MEMORIES STILL VIVID AFTER FIFTY YEARS!
by Vic and Phyllis Franz, Washington Flying Farmers
Even after fifty years, Vic Franz and his cousin Earl Franz are not likely to forget what happened to them on October 16, 1949. For them, the memories of what transpired that day during their flight in Eastern Washington are as vivid as if they happened yesterday.
The Sunday was one of those cloudless bright autumn days just perfect for flying. After attending the morning worship service, Vic and Earl made plans to enjoy an afternoon flight. Vic, a pilot with 532 hours, was anxious to show Earl what his plane, a 1948 Luscombe Sedan, Model 11A, could do with its new propeller that had been installed just two months earlier. Flying was Vic's passion and this was the fourth airplane he had owned since he began to learn to fly at the Lind airport. His check ride for his private pilot's license had been given to him by Opal Hicks three years earlier in November, 1946.
Vic had purchased his new Luscombe, paying $6,995 for it, in August, 1948. About a year later, in a quest for more speed, he had the Hartzell Snap-O-Matic prop with metal blades installed on the four passenger plane at Wallace Aviation in Spokane. The day the installation was checked out and approved, it was not necessary that every Civil Aeronautics Administration inspector in the Spokane office fly in the plane, but they did out of curiosity and interest.
Vic took off from his farm strip west of Ritzville and quickly made the short flight into the Ruff area where his cousin lived. After Vic landed in the wheat stubble field near Earl's home, Earl hopped in and off they flew south to the picturesque but rugged scab rock country northwest of Othello.
Soon they were over the farm strip of John Para, a fellow Flying Farmer friend of Vic's. Vic "buzzed" the strip and pulled up in a steep climb. After leveling off at around 800 feet, Vic shifted the propeller into high pitch....and suddenly there was a violent vibration and for a moment it seemed as if the plane was hanging in mid-air...then silence. Vic had no way of knowing exactly what had happened, but he was sure the plane's whole engine had been torn away.
Ironically, earlier, Vic and Earl had discussed what Earl should do if they had an engine failure. Vic had told Earl he should climb into the back seat to protect himself. With this is mind, Vic started to tell Earl to climb into the back and then immediately, Vic changed his mind and told Earl to remain in his front seat to help stabilize the plane.
With his mind racing, Vic thought about a family that had recently died in an airplane accident in the Ritzville area. Vic was sure that he and Earl were going to die also and yet he wasn't afraid of dying. Earl also had the same feeling, he was not afraid of the thought of death but he was terrified at the thought of a plane crash!
Not panicking, Vic automatically put his piloting skills and knowledge of flight to use and put the control wheel all the way forward. The plane handled well with not much forward speed but enough to maintain flight. Vic did not have much control over his choice of where to land and made some quick decisions in the two or three minutes he had to guide the gliding plane own. With the plane headed directly into a bluff, Vic made a ninety degree turn and in the remaining few seconds, he realized the fence posts along the road where he was going to land were too high to pass under the wings
so he landed the plane in the adjacent field. As he was making the turn to land the tail went down even with full forward pressure on the controls and as a result Vic made the best three point landing he had ever made with that airplane.
Vic and Earl can not remember what they said to each other after they were safely on the ground. Surely, they each uttered their own prayer of thankfulness as they walked to the front of the Luscombe and found the whole engine gone!
A short time later, a young couple happened by on the country road and gave them a ride into Othello where Vic phoned his brother Walter to come pick them up. Sleep did not come easily that night, as the incidents of the accident flooded Vic's mind. He then remembered that he had been smoking a cigarette when the engine tore loose. Wondering what he had done with the lit Camel, he felt his fingers. They were blistered; automatically he had snuffed the cigarette out in his hand.
John Klettke, in his Stinson Station-Wagon, flew Vic over the terrain the next day and they located the engine in a rocky field about a mile from the location of the airplane. A few days later, Vic took an inspector from the Spokane CAA office to see the plane and engine. Later, personnel from the Seattle office also visited the accident sites. It is interesting to note that a CAA Airworthiness Directive on Hartzell Propellers was issued the next month, November 28, 1949!
Vic had to finish the fall seeding before he could get a truck and bring the plane back to the farm. With the help of his hired man, he removed the wings and loaded them and the engine on the truck and towed the plane home. Within a few weeks, he purchased a J3 Cub so he could get back into the air and also to use it as a spray plane. The next spring, Vic hauled the Luscombe to Spokane and traded it in on a metal wing Cessna 170A. It was a thrilling day when he took delivery of 9553A at the Cessna factory in Wichita, Kansas. About fours years later, after his brother Al had started farming in the Othello area, Al heard about a sheep herder that had found a piece of a prop. Sure enough, it was the blade that left the plane with the failed hub. The two pieces were reunited and now hang together in the farm shop.
After reading an article about the Luscombe Sedan in the January 1989 AOPA magazine and also one in the Private Pilot magazine, a lot of curiosity was sparked in Vic as to what had happened to Luscombe 1615B. He located it in the FAA Aircraft Registry and contacted the owner, Charles M. Bratton of Kaufman, Texas. Charles was delighted to hear from Vic, the original owner of his restored Luscombe. He said the plane's logbook recorded that the plane had had a new firewall installed but he did not know
the engine had been torn off. However, Charles had wondered about the dent on the front corner of the fuselage. Vic sent him a copy of the original Bill of Sale/Application of Registration of the Luscombe and Charles sent Vic a photo of the plane.
Later while traveling in Texas, Earl was able to visit Charles and see Luscombe 1615B. When Earl sat in the plane....the whole hallowing experience once again tumbled through his mind.
What happened to Vic and Earl that Sunday afternoon could have abruptly ended their young lives. But fortunately the story has a happy ending. Each young man got married, raised a family, were successful farmers and an asset to the community, and now is enjoying his grandchildren and retirement. Vic went on to fly another forty years, owning a total of twelve different airplanes. His interest in flying was passed on to his family with his wife, Phyllis, and two sons, Randy and Curt, all obtaining their pilot's licenses. Now his grandson, Peter, has soloed. Vic's love of flying took him on flights over much of Canada and the United States. He also flew into Mexico thirteen times and to Central America twice. Many of these trips were to take part in Flying Farmer conventions or tours. Vic was the 1984-1985 International Flying Farmer president.
Harry Blunt, a former Alaska bush pilot friend of Vic's, after hearing about the
incident told Vic that since he had survived this accident, he would always be safe while flying from then on. This proved to be true and Vic also has an unique flying story to share with other pilots.
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| Description: |
| Vic Franz Propeller Separation October 1949 |
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1.47 MB |
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7359 Time(s) |
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| Description: |
| Vic Franz's Luscombe Sedan Propeller separation October 1949 |
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| Filesize: |
2.43 MB |
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7359 Time(s) |
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_________________
Paul A. Franz, P.E.
Registration/Aircraft - N14UW/Merlin GT
Engine/Prop - Rotax 914/NSI CAP
Bellevue WA
425.241.1618 Cell
425.440.9505 Office |
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Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
|
| Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 8:22 pm Post subject: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
|
|
So we can now take the wooden propellor off the dangerous list, and
put it in the category of things that are safe, but have gotten a bad
rap. Good story...scary for the fliers, of course. I hope hearing
this clarification will allow you to put the fears to rest, Paul, as
there are thousands of wood props out there, and people fly behind
them every day...I do.
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger
Jabiru 2200, #2062, 635.2 hrs
Sensenich 62x46
Electroair direct-fire ignition system
Status: flying
do not archive
On May 1, 2009, at 11:07 PM, Paul A. Franz, P.E. wrote:
| Quote: |
<paul(at)eucleides.com>
A couple weeks ago, the current thread of interest was propeller
failure. I had
recalled the story of what I thought was a wood prop failure on
nearly new aircraft owned my uncle Victor R Franz with a mailing
address of Ritzville WA but actually residing on a farm in the
Warden Lind area very close to Shrag WA which has a railroad siding
and wheat elevators about half a mile from what is now I-90, but on
the track of former US-10. The photos and memory of this
significant event are still vivid in my mind even though this even
occurred when I was not quite 4 years old. I was just talking to
Vic via e-mail and informed me that the prop that was replaced was
not wood, but rather composite and the one that failed in flight
was an all metal one.
Vic had this to say in particular: "The propeller was a Hartzell
Snap-o-matic prop with metal blades. The original blade used on
this type prop were composite. I was surpised when the prop showed
up with metal blades. This heavier metal blades probably
contributed to the hub failure. The Whole propeller hangs on the
wall in the farm shop."
Vic and his wife have been active members of Washington Flying
farmers for about 60 years now and the following is an account of
this accident that happened about 10 miles or so from where I grew
up on a farm in Othello WA. "Al" is mentioned in the article. That
is my father. I have attached two composite photos, each with 4
scans on them. They are pretty big so if you have a modem
connection you might act accordingly.
MEMORIES STILL VIVID AFTER FIFTY YEARS!
by Vic and Phyllis Franz, Washington Flying Farmers
Even after fifty years, Vic Franz and his cousin Earl Franz are not
likely to forget what happened to them on October 16, 1949. For
them, the memories of what transpired that day during their flight
in Eastern Washington are as vivid as if they happened yesterday.
The Sunday was one of those cloudless bright autumn days just
perfect for flying. After attending the morning worship service,
Vic and Earl made plans to enjoy an afternoon flight. Vic, a pilot
with 532 hours, was anxious to show Earl what his plane, a 1948
Luscombe Sedan, Model 11A, could do with its new propeller that had
been installed just two months earlier. Flying was Vic's passion
and this was the fourth airplane he had owned since he began to
learn to fly at the Lind airport. His check ride for his private
pilot's license had been given to him by Opal Hicks three years
earlier in November, 1946.
Vic had purchased his new Luscombe, paying $6,995 for it, in
August, 1948. About a year later, in a quest for more speed, he
had the Hartzell Snap-O-Matic prop with metal blades installed on
the four passenger plane at Wallace Aviation in Spokane. The day
the installation was checked out and approved, it was not necessary
that every Civil Aeronautics Administration inspector in the
Spokane office fly in the plane, but they did out of curiosity and
interest.
Vic took off from his farm strip west of Ritzville and quickly made
the short flight into the Ruff area where his cousin lived. After
Vic landed in the wheat stubble field near Earl's home, Earl hopped
in and off they flew south to the picturesque but rugged scab rock
country northwest of Othello.
Soon they were over the farm strip of John Para, a fellow Flying
Farmer friend of Vic's. Vic "buzzed" the strip and pulled up in a
steep climb. After leveling off at around 800 feet, Vic shifted
the propeller into high pitch....and suddenly there was a violent
vibration and for a moment it seemed as if the plane was hanging in
mid-air...then silence. Vic had no way of knowing exactly what had
happened, but he was sure the plane's whole engine had been torn away.
Ironically, earlier, Vic and Earl had discussed what Earl should do
if they had an engine failure. Vic had told Earl he should climb
into the back seat to protect himself. With this is mind, Vic
started to tell Earl to climb into the back and then immediately,
Vic changed his mind and told Earl to remain in his front seat to
help stabilize the plane.
With his mind racing, Vic thought about a family that had recently
died in an airplane accident in the Ritzville area. Vic was sure
that he and Earl were going to die also and yet he wasn't afraid of
dying. Earl also had the same feeling, he was not afraid of the
thought of death but he was terrified at the thought of a plane crash!
Not panicking, Vic automatically put his piloting skills and
knowledge of flight to use and put the control wheel all the way
forward. The plane handled well with not much forward speed but
enough to maintain flight. Vic did not have much control over his
choice of where to land and made some quick decisions in the two
or three minutes he had to guide the gliding plane own. With the
plane headed directly into a bluff, Vic made a ninety degree turn
and in the remaining few seconds, he realized the fence posts along
the road where he was going to land were too high to pass under the
wings
so he landed the plane in the adjacent field. As he was making the
turn to land the tail went down even with full forward pressure on
the controls and as a result Vic made the best three point landing
he had ever made with that airplane.
Vic and Earl can not remember what they said to each other after
they were safely on the ground. Surely, they each uttered their
own prayer of thankfulness as they walked to the front of the
Luscombe and found the whole engine gone!
A short time later, a young couple happened by on the country road
and gave them a ride into Othello where Vic phoned his brother
Walter to come pick them up. Sleep did not come easily that night,
as the incidents of the accident flooded Vic's mind. He then
remembered that he had been smoking a cigarette when the engine
tore loose. Wondering what he had done with the lit Camel, he
felt his fingers. They were blistered; automatically he had
snuffed the cigarette out in his hand.
John Klettke, in his Stinson Station-Wagon, flew Vic over the
terrain the next day and they located the engine in a rocky field
about a mile from the location of the airplane. A few days later,
Vic took an inspector from the Spokane CAA office to see the plane
and engine. Later, personnel from the Seattle office also visited
the accident sites. It is interesting to note that a CAA
Airworthiness Directive on Hartzell Propellers was issued the next
month, November 28, 1949!
Vic had to finish the fall seeding before he could get a truck and
bring the plane back to the farm. With the help of his hired man,
he removed the wings and loaded them and the engine on the truck
and towed the plane home. Within a few weeks, he purchased a J3
Cub so he could get back into the air and also to use it as a spray
plane. The next spring, Vic hauled the Luscombe to Spokane and
traded it in on a metal wing Cessna 170A. It was a thrilling day
when he took delivery of 9553A at the Cessna factory in Wichita,
Kansas. About fours years later, after his brother Al had started
farming in the Othello area, Al heard about a sheep herder that had
found a piece of a prop. Sure enough, it was the blade that left
the plane with the failed hub. The two pieces were reunited and
now hang together in the farm shop.
After reading an article about the Luscombe Sedan in the January
1989 AOPA magazine and also one in the Private Pilot magazine, a
lot of curiosity was sparked in Vic as to what had happened to
Luscombe 1615B. He located it in the FAA Aircraft Registry and
contacted the owner, Charles M. Bratton of Kaufman, Texas. Charles
was delighted to hear from Vic, the original owner of his restored
Luscombe. He said the plane's logbook recorded that the plane had
had a new firewall installed but he did not know
the engine had been torn off. However, Charles had wondered about
the dent on the front corner of the fuselage. Vic sent him a copy
of the original Bill of Sale/Application of Registration of the
Luscombe and Charles sent Vic a photo of the plane.
Later while traveling in Texas, Earl was able to visit Charles and
see Luscombe 1615B. When Earl sat in the plane....the whole
hallowing experience once again tumbled through his mind.
What happened to Vic and Earl that Sunday afternoon could have
abruptly ended their young lives. But fortunately the story has a
happy ending. Each young man got married, raised a family, were
successful farmers and an asset to the community, and now is
enjoying his grandchildren and retirement. Vic went on to fly
another forty years, owning a total of twelve different airplanes.
His interest in flying was passed on to his family with his wife,
Phyllis, and two sons, Randy and Curt, all obtaining their pilot's
licenses. Now his grandson, Peter, has soloed. Vic's love of
flying took him on flights over much of Canada and the United
States. He also flew into Mexico thirteen times and to Central
America twice. Many of these trips were to take part in Flying
Farmer conventions or tours. Vic was the 1984-1985 International
Flying Farmer president.
Harry Blunt, a former Alaska bush pilot friend of Vic's, after
hearing about the
incident told Vic that since he had survived this accident, he
would always be safe while flying from then on. This proved to be
true and Vic also has an unique flying story to share with other
pilots.
--------
Paul A. Franz, P.E.
Registration/Aircraft - N14UW/Merlin GT
Engine/Prop - Rotax 914/NSI CAP
Bellevue WA
425.241.1618 Cell
425.440.9505 Office
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 42370#242370
Attachments:
http://forums.matronics.com//files/luscombe_sedan_1_129.jpg
http://forums.matronics.com//files/luscombe_sedan_176.jpg
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|
_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
|
| Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 9:03 am Post subject: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
|
|
So we can now take the wooden propellor off the dangerous list, and
put it in the category of things that are safe, but have gotten a bad
rap. Good story...scary for the fliers, of course. I hope hearing
this clarification will allow you to put the fears to rest, Paul, as
there are thousands of wood props out there, and people fly behind
them every day...I do.
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger
Jabiru 2200, #2062, 635.2 hrs
Sensenich 62x46
Electroair direct-fire ignition system
Status: flying
do not archive
On May 1, 2009, at 11:07 PM, Paul A. Franz, P.E. wrote:
| Quote: |
<paul(at)eucleides.com>
A couple weeks ago, the current thread of interest was propeller
failure. I had
recalled the story of what I thought was a wood prop failure on
nearly new aircraft owned my uncle Victor R Franz with a mailing
address of Ritzville WA but actually residing on a farm in the
Warden Lind area very close to Shrag WA which has a railroad siding
and wheat elevators about half a mile from what is now I-90, but on
the track of former US-10. The photos and memory of this
significant event are still vivid in my mind even though this even
occurred when I was not quite 4 years old. I was just talking to
Vic via e-mail and informed me that the prop that was replaced was
not wood, but rather composite and the one that failed in flight
was an all metal one.
Vic had this to say in particular: "The propeller was a Hartzell
Snap-o-matic prop with metal blades. The original blade used on
this type prop were composite. I was surpised when the prop showed
up with metal blades. This heavier metal blades probably
contributed to the hub failure. The Whole propeller hangs on the
wall in the farm shop."
Vic and his wife have been active members of Washington Flying
farmers for about 60 years now and the following is an account of
this accident that happened about 10 miles or so from where I grew
up on a farm in Othello WA. "Al" is mentioned in the article. That
is my father. I have attached two composite photos, each with 4
scans on them. They are pretty big so if you have a modem
connection you might act accordingly.
MEMORIES STILL VIVID AFTER FIFTY YEARS!
by Vic and Phyllis Franz, Washington Flying Farmers
Even after fifty years, Vic Franz and his cousin Earl Franz are not
likely to forget what happened to them on October 16, 1949. For
them, the memories of what transpired that day during their flight
in Eastern Washington are as vivid as if they happened yesterday.
The Sunday was one of those cloudless bright autumn days just
perfect for flying. After attending the morning worship service,
Vic and Earl made plans to enjoy an afternoon flight. Vic, a pilot
with 532 hours, was anxious to show Earl what his plane, a 1948
Luscombe Sedan, Model 11A, could do with its new propeller that had
been installed just two months earlier. Flying was Vic's passion
and this was the fourth airplane he had owned since he began to
learn to fly at the Lind airport. His check ride for his private
pilot's license had been given to him by Opal Hicks three years
earlier in November, 1946.
Vic had purchased his new Luscombe, paying $6,995 for it, in
August, 1948. About a year later, in a quest for more speed, he
had the Hartzell Snap-O-Matic prop with metal blades installed on
the four passenger plane at Wallace Aviation in Spokane. The day
the installation was checked out and approved, it was not necessary
that every Civil Aeronautics Administration inspector in the
Spokane office fly in the plane, but they did out of curiosity and
interest.
Vic took off from his farm strip west of Ritzville and quickly made
the short flight into the Ruff area where his cousin lived. After
Vic landed in the wheat stubble field near Earl's home, Earl hopped
in and off they flew south to the picturesque but rugged scab rock
country northwest of Othello.
Soon they were over the farm strip of John Para, a fellow Flying
Farmer friend of Vic's. Vic "buzzed" the strip and pulled up in a
steep climb. After leveling off at around 800 feet, Vic shifted
the propeller into high pitch....and suddenly there was a violent
vibration and for a moment it seemed as if the plane was hanging in
mid-air...then silence. Vic had no way of knowing exactly what had
happened, but he was sure the plane's whole engine had been torn away.
Ironically, earlier, Vic and Earl had discussed what Earl should do
if they had an engine failure. Vic had told Earl he should climb
into the back seat to protect himself. With this is mind, Vic
started to tell Earl to climb into the back and then immediately,
Vic changed his mind and told Earl to remain in his front seat to
help stabilize the plane.
With his mind racing, Vic thought about a family that had recently
died in an airplane accident in the Ritzville area. Vic was sure
that he and Earl were going to die also and yet he wasn't afraid of
dying. Earl also had the same feeling, he was not afraid of the
thought of death but he was terrified at the thought of a plane crash!
Not panicking, Vic automatically put his piloting skills and
knowledge of flight to use and put the control wheel all the way
forward. The plane handled well with not much forward speed but
enough to maintain flight. Vic did not have much control over his
choice of where to land and made some quick decisions in the two
or three minutes he had to guide the gliding plane own. With the
plane headed directly into a bluff, Vic made a ninety degree turn
and in the remaining few seconds, he realized the fence posts along
the road where he was going to land were too high to pass under the
wings
so he landed the plane in the adjacent field. As he was making the
turn to land the tail went down even with full forward pressure on
the controls and as a result Vic made the best three point landing
he had ever made with that airplane.
Vic and Earl can not remember what they said to each other after
they were safely on the ground. Surely, they each uttered their
own prayer of thankfulness as they walked to the front of the
Luscombe and found the whole engine gone!
A short time later, a young couple happened by on the country road
and gave them a ride into Othello where Vic phoned his brother
Walter to come pick them up. Sleep did not come easily that night,
as the incidents of the accident flooded Vic's mind. He then
remembered that he had been smoking a cigarette when the engine
tore loose. Wondering what he had done with the lit Camel, he
felt his fingers. They were blistered; automatically he had
snuffed the cigarette out in his hand.
John Klettke, in his Stinson Station-Wagon, flew Vic over the
terrain the next day and they located the engine in a rocky field
about a mile from the location of the airplane. A few days later,
Vic took an inspector from the Spokane CAA office to see the plane
and engine. Later, personnel from the Seattle office also visited
the accident sites. It is interesting to note that a CAA
Airworthiness Directive on Hartzell Propellers was issued the next
month, November 28, 1949!
Vic had to finish the fall seeding before he could get a truck and
bring the plane back to the farm. With the help of his hired man,
he removed the wings and loaded them and the engine on the truck
and towed the plane home. Within a few weeks, he purchased a J3
Cub so he could get back into the air and also to use it as a spray
plane. The next spring, Vic hauled the Luscombe to Spokane and
traded it in on a metal wing Cessna 170A. It was a thrilling day
when he took delivery of 9553A at the Cessna factory in Wichita,
Kansas. About fours years later, after his brother Al had started
farming in the Othello area, Al heard about a sheep herder that had
found a piece of a prop. Sure enough, it was the blade that left
the plane with the failed hub. The two pieces were reunited and
now hang together in the farm shop.
After reading an article about the Luscombe Sedan in the January
1989 AOPA magazine and also one in the Private Pilot magazine, a
lot of curiosity was sparked in Vic as to what had happened to
Luscombe 1615B. He located it in the FAA Aircraft Registry and
contacted the owner, Charles M. Bratton of Kaufman, Texas. Charles
was delighted to hear from Vic, the original owner of his restored
Luscombe. He said the plane's logbook recorded that the plane had
had a new firewall installed but he did not know
the engine had been torn off. However, Charles had wondered about
the dent on the front corner of the fuselage. Vic sent him a copy
of the original Bill of Sale/Application of Registration of the
Luscombe and Charles sent Vic a photo of the plane.
Later while traveling in Texas, Earl was able to visit Charles and
see Luscombe 1615B. When Earl sat in the plane....the whole
hallowing experience once again tumbled through his mind.
What happened to Vic and Earl that Sunday afternoon could have
abruptly ended their young lives. But fortunately the story has a
happy ending. Each young man got married, raised a family, were
successful farmers and an asset to the community, and now is
enjoying his grandchildren and retirement. Vic went on to fly
another forty years, owning a total of twelve different airplanes.
His interest in flying was passed on to his family with his wife,
Phyllis, and two sons, Randy and Curt, all obtaining their pilot's
licenses. Now his grandson, Peter, has soloed. Vic's love of
flying took him on flights over much of Canada and the United
States. He also flew into Mexico thirteen times and to Central
America twice. Many of these trips were to take part in Flying
Farmer conventions or tours. Vic was the 1984-1985 International
Flying Farmer president.
Harry Blunt, a former Alaska bush pilot friend of Vic's, after
hearing about the
incident told Vic that since he had survived this accident, he
would always be safe while flying from then on. This proved to be
true and Vic also has an unique flying story to share with other
pilots.
--------
Paul A. Franz, P.E.
Registration/Aircraft - N14UW/Merlin GT
Engine/Prop - Rotax 914/NSI CAP
Bellevue WA
425.241.1618 Cell
425.440.9505 Office
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http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 42370#242370
Attachments:
http://forums.matronics.com//files/luscombe_sedan_1_129.jpg
http://forums.matronics.com//files/luscombe_sedan_176.jpg
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Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
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Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
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| Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 9:16 am Post subject: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
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Sorry for the double posting.....now triple... : )
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger
Jabiru 2200, #2062, 638.7 hrs
Sensenich 62x46 Wood prop
Electroair direct-fire ignition system
Status: flying
do not archive
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Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
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Lynn Matteson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan
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| Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 9:24 am Post subject: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
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I used a 1/8" cable routed through the firewall, and around the
engine, secured to itself with 4 cable clamps. I did this after
reading of Gary(?)'s episode where the prop shucked a blade, and the
resulting vibration tore the engine loose from the mount. Adding this
cable is why I now only eat half the french fries that are included
with my Big Mac. : )
I figure that if the engine at least stays inside the cowl, it was
time and weight well spent.
Lynn Matteson
Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger
Jabiru 2200, #2062, 638.7 hrs
Sensenich 62x46 Wood prop
Electroair direct-fire ignition system
Status: flying
On May 2, 2009, at 2:07 AM, Cwehner wrote:
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Wow, amazing they weren't hurt. So this brings up a question I have
not yet tackled. My father and I are in the finishing stages of our
Kitfox IV build and just recently were discussing if anyone was
securing the engine to the frame by cable. He seems to remember
discussions of it in the past. Just wondering if any one has done
this?
--------
Chris Wehner
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Kitfox IV, 912, Final push for completion!
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 42380#242380
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Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM |
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caveboy_98
Joined: 14 May 2009
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
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I happen to own that plane now.
derek
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Fox5flyer
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 4:39 pm Post subject: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
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That is really awesome! Very small world we live in. Hopefully, Paul will
see this.
Deke
do not archive
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caveboy_98
Joined: 14 May 2009
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: Re: Propeller failure - 1949 account of frightful event |
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Just happened to stumble on this website doing some research on the 11A. Think its neat to find out the history on my plane and who has owned it in the past. Wonder if anyone happens to have any pictures of the inside of N1615B as I'm trying to get all the parts to it with it. Purchase approx 3 luscombe 11A with enough parts to do 2. N1615B basicly needs a new painted job as its been stripped down to the metal and put back together.
derek
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