Eaa's Big Iron
By Brian Gilomen
The EAA's Ford Tri-Motor will be passing through our area in mid-July. From July 16th through July 18th, the Tri-Motor will be at Aurora Municipal Airport as part of it's 75th Anniversary Tour. Here's the blurb from the EAA Website:
The Experimental Aircraft Association is celebrating this year's 75th anniversary of its prized Ford Tri-Motor passenger airplane, and the 75th anniversary of transcontinental air service, by taking this rare aircraft to selected cities in the Midwest this summer. "As part of EAA's mission of preserving our magnificent aviation heritage, we are very pleased to celebrate this historic airplane's 75th anniversary by flying it to selected communities," said Adam Smith, EAA AirVenture Museum Director. "We welcome everybody to experience true living history by flying in the world's first mass-produced airliner or seeing it when we land in their area." The Ford Tri-Motor will land at cities that have a historic connection to the aircraft or the Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) Company, which began the coast-to-coast flights with 11 Tri-Motors in 1929. The airplane was fully restored by EAA over a decade-long span and first flown again in the mid-1980s. For this special anniversary tour, EAA's Tri-Motor has been completely refurbished and repainted once again to appear as it did when it made its first flights 75 years ago. At each tour stop, visitors will have the opportunity to take 20-minute flights aboard this unique aircraft, nicknamed the "Tin Goose." Those flights are available for $40 per person when booked in advance, or $50 per person the day of the flights. A secure flight-reservation system and complete information are available through EAA's Tri-Motor tour web site. "We invite people not only to experience this wonderful aircraft during the tour, but to also discover more about EAA's mission and activities which allows people to fully participate in the world of flight," Smith said. Throughout the year, the Tri-Motor is based at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis., where it actively carries passengers at the museum's Pioneer Airport facility. Pioneer Airport is designed as an aerodrome of the 1920s and 1930s, complete with round-roofed hangars and 2,000-foot grass airstrip. It operates from May through mid-October each year, allowing visitors to experience the early days of aviation including flights in rare vintage aircraft and other airplanes.
Unfortunately, the EAA's other piece of big iron is not doing so well. On May 5, 2004, the EAA's Boeing B-17 bomber "Aluminum Overcast," was damaged when its landing gear collapsed following its safe arrival at the Van Nuys, Calif., airport.
The airplane had safely landed at Van Nuys at about 4:30 (Pacific time) and was completing its 4,000-foot landing roll when both main gear mechanisms collapsed. The airplane was estimated to be traveling approximately 30 miles per hour at the time and was about to turn off the runway. There were no injuries among the crew or passengers, and all persons aboard safely exited the airplane.
Subsequent analysis of the landing incident, including recently obtained video footage showing the approach, touchdown, rollout, and gear collapse, is allowing EAA officials to get a clearer picture as to exactly what occurred after the airplane touched down. According to the EAA:
“The video shows the whole landing sequence in great detail,” said EAA Museum Director Adam Smith. “As had been reported by the crew, the airplane executes a normal approach and the touchdown is very smooth. As the landing roll out is completed, the tailwheel is unlocked and a severe shimmy is evident right away. A couple of seconds later, just as the airplane is beginning its turn to exit the runway, the right main undercarriage collapses followed almost immediately by the left.”
Attention at this time is focused on the position of the landing gear as the airplane touched down. Close scrutiny of the tape indicates that the gear was not 100 percent fully extended on both sides.
“On at least one side the downward travel of the gear appears to have stopped slightly short of the normal position,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, officials have a “reasonably good idea” of the repairs that will be needed, and they are working out the best way to go about making them. No timeline has been set for completion of the aircraft inspection or ensuing repairs.
EAA has a long-established B-17 Maintenance Fund that is specifically earmarked for maintenance of the aircraft. To learn more, visit EAA's B-17 website.
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