OLD STORY. The fall 03 AAHS Journal carried a story about WW II Martin PBMs which brought to mind a story I heard told some time ago. A group of WW II airmen were swapping stories when one mentioned an experience he had while serving at a base on the east coast of the United States. A PBM returning from a long patrol was only a few minutes from base when he ran out of gas. The seas were light and he made a successful ditching but the wind quickly took them to shore where the plane struck broadside knocking off the left wing float and grounding the wing tip in the sand. The crew got ashore and hitched a ride back to base. Next day the speaker was assigned to take a crew and some gas to see what could be done with the plane. Inspection showed it would float and even fly if the wing could be leveled. The plane was gassed up with a few gallons of fuel and using the weight of some of the crew on the wing it was floated off at high tide. My memory is a bit fuzzy on the next step but leaving one man lying on the wing tip the engines were started and the plane was flown back to base. That seems unlikely and it may have been that the plane was taxied back as it was close by. As long as it had enough headway the wing could be held level with the ailerons. When they got back, a motorboat with several men ran along side the moving plane and several men climbed on the remaining float to balance it. When repairs started it was found that the grounded wing had about 700 pounds of water still in the wing. Anyway, it makes a good story...

MUSEUM RUMORS. On October 8 The Cincinnati Enquirer carried a story that G.E. is planning an expansion to the front of their building along I-75. This will include training facilities and the present inoperative museum will be included, making it more accessible.

It appears that a Cincinnati Aviation History Society is coming to life in Cincinnati. It is an outgrowth of conversations between Lou Miller, a retired civil engineer and planner for CVG who has much experience in the field of aviation, and me. He brought together 8 or 9 persons who he thought would be interested and we are off and running. One of the first projects to arise is the fact that FAA has ordered one of the old hangars to be removed as too close to the runway. The hope is to move it and make it a museum. It appears there is some solid interest in collecting the Cincinnati story. We will see.

SLOW DEVELOPMENT. The Wall St. Journal, 10/22/03, pointed out that more than half of aircraft sub-assemblies are produced by other than the main manufacturer.
A sidebar to the article gave a history of the F/A-22:
"1981: Air Force decides it needs a replacement for the F-15.
  1983: Concept contracts go to seven companies.
  1986: Lockheed, Boeing, General Dynamics compete with Northrop for the contract.
  1991: Lockheed gets contract for 648.
  1994: Contracts reduced to 422.
  1997: First plane completed, contract reduced to 339.
  1999: Congressmen claim it is too old.
  2003: Contract reduced to 276."
I have always wondered how they know they need 276 instead of 275. Money available?

ECONOMY CRUISE. Popular Science, 11/03, reports on a project I think I mentioned some time ago. Using a modified 4 stroke 10cc engine with an oversize prop, a satellite nav system, and less than a gallon of Coleman lantern fuel, model plane expert, Maynard Hill and his group have flown a 6 ft long 11 pound gross plane 1888 miles from Newfoundland to Ireland. It took just under 39 hours at an average speed 49 mph.

NEWS. Northrop-Grumman is developing an unmanned attack helicopter. Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Atlantic Airways, has duplicated the glider built by Sir George Caley in 1849. Piloting it scared his coachman-pilot into quitting his job when the glider crashed. Branson has flown it and landed successfully.
 

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