Tigermoth flight

[Adam the Akrodude]

Well it appears that I'm now the proud owner of a 1/32 Tiger Moth thanks to Willy Wong Gotta love that

Well done! Can I recommend Rabu Brinzan's excellent photo etched flying wires. I've used these on a 1/32 Bucker Jungmeister and they are brilliant. They are flat, just like flying wires. Being metal, you don't have to paint them either.

http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_68

[Graeme H]

If you want to know some of the Rego's try her to see what they are up to

http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/rego ... ANY/DH-82A

This was the one I flew back in 74, in fact the top photo by Geoff Goodall was taken just after Bob Tait and I came in from an Aero session

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/a ... H-SNR.html

[hrtpaul]

So did you check if the lower wing tie rods had been replaced ?

Good gig when you can get one however. Another one to add to the log book !

Ray's ex-work mate's Tiger down at PCK was grounded for sometime whilst awaiting replacement tie rods after that horrific accident near South Stradbroke Is back in 2013. There was quite a lead time for these replacement tie rods (coming from the UK?). If indeed the Tiger Paul had a ride in had used those s/steel tie rods and they had not been replaced (highly unlikely), then it simply would not have been airworthy. How can it have gotten through it's last Annual without the tie rods being replaced (if indeed it had these s/steel tie rods fitted). Aside from being illegal, I can't see any Tiger owner not complying with that AD - no way - not after that horrible crash in Qld.

What a debacle that tie rod bullshit is. ATSB and CASA need to hang their heads in shame for what they have done to the Tiger Moth owners of this country. It hasn't even been proven that the tie rods were the cause. Just a typical CASA knee jerk reaction to make it look like they're doing something. And that doesn't come from AMY's owner. I've been doing a lot of reading on the subject and once again CASA's investigations are so full of holes it's not funny. It's lucky I don't own a Tiger cos I'd be tearing them a new one. No surprises though that a govt department are a bunch of deadshit morons that wouldn't know 1 end of a plane from the other. END OF RANT. Back to plastic.

[hrtpaul]

The owner, Graeme has tried to keep this as original as he can. So that means no radio (though the internal antenna is wired should he want to fit a radio), no transponder, no brakes, no tail wheel (just a tail skid), no lights and no electric starter motor. I had to sit inside while Graeme hand swung the prop. It was really interesting seeing such an old aeroplane operated (She was built in 1940 in England). So after starting and warming her up we flew from Ingham to Ayr which was about a 1 1/2hr flight. We cruised between 1000'-1500' most of the way with a few "low level" scenics on the way. We had to climb to 2500' to clear a mountain range but then back down to 1500'and it was pleasantly chilly but you wouldn't do it in a t shirt. The view was bloody amazing and I got a few pics along the way. We had to fly outside controlled airspace due to not having a radio or transponder. Communication between me and Graeme was very old school by means of yelling into a pipe connected to the other persons flying helmet and hopefully the other person hears you. Consequently there was very little talking cos it was so hard to hear above the engine and wind noise. I flew it for about 10-15min and it was a blast. It's all the pilot flying with none of the modern shit that flys the plane for the jockey in the L/H seat like today's planes. I have a new found respect for the guys that had to fly like that back in the day. You had to use the rudder if you wanted to turn as it wouldn't turn just by banking like a Cessna 172. My flying was shit compared to the owner but that's to be expected. All up I took about 400 pics of her with most being detail shots of everything I could think of. I wanna go nuts on the 1/32 version with as much detail as I can. Hopefully I'll learn a few things along the way as I've never really detailed a model before. The 1/72 Airfix kit won't go to waste though. I'm gonna build it sans rigging and a lot of detail and present it to Graeme the owner. He just doesn't know it yet. Up until now, my ride in a P-51 Mustang a number of years ago was THE best flight I'd ever done. This one equaled the Mustang ride without a doubt. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Anyways onto just a few of the many pics I took

PS Yep I'm still smiling and my darling dearest is probably sick of hearing about it

Ingham Airstrip












My cockpit. The funnel thing is what ya had to yell into to talk to the guy in the back


Another guy going for a fly before me






It sounded awesome outside. Even better from the inside




My view


Ayr Airstrip






This made an awesome day even better. POWERED BY HOLDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Baron von hrtpaul in the front


Probably my favourite pic I too on the day. It looks awesome in black and white

[Cap'n Wannabe]

Mate....you should go for a fly in a Tiger Moth....you'll really enjoy it!

[hrtpaul]

Meh. Been there done that

[Graeme H]

OK, now I know you are a total wuus, you let Graeme start it?, I mean c'mon what are you chicken or something

[Adam the Akrodude]

OK, now I know you are a total wuus, you let Graeme start it?, I mean c'mon what are you chicken or something

Personally, I'm happy being a big chicken when it comes to props - BWAK BWAK BWAK!

I knew a guy who almost had his arm and leg chopped off by a MTV-9 prop behind a M-14P engine on a Yak-55. This guy was pulling through the prop to clear any oil in the bottom cylinders when it fired. The electrics were off, but the cylinders were still hot enough after the previous flight one hour before for the engine to fire. He showed us the x-rays and it looked like something out of Frankenstein with his arm and leg put back together with these large chunks of stainless steel plates and screws - very agricultural stuff! It took over one year for his radial nerve in his arm to grow back - 1 mm per day. He did finally regain use of his arm after this.

Yep, for the me the place to be is in the cockpit away from that nasty swirling fan up front! Out of interest, anyone here got a prop swinging endorsement - Paul, Damo, Salty? I've had a couple of instructors in the past who have told me it rather smarts to get wacked on the back of the hand by a prop when if doesn't catch and flicks back - OUCH!

[Cap'n Wannabe]

OK, now I know you are a total wuus, you let Graeme start it?, I mean c'mon what are you chicken or something

Personally, I'm happy being a big chicken when it comes to props - BWAK BWAK BWAK!

I knew a guy who almost had his arm and leg chopped off by a MTV-9 prop behind a M-14P engine on a Yak-55. This guy was pulling through the prop to clear any oil in the bottom cylinders when it fired. The electrics were off, but the cylinders were still hot enough after the previous flight one hour before for the engine to fire. He showed us the x-rays and it looked like something out of Frankenstein with his arm and leg put back together with these large chunks of stainless steel plates and screws - very agricultural stuff! It took over one year for his radial nerve in his arm to grow back - 1 mm per day. He did finally regain use of his arm after this.

Yep, for the me the place to be is in the cockpit away from that nasty swirling fan up front! Out of interest, anyone here got a prop swinging endorsement - Paul, Damo, Salty? I've had a couple of instructors in the past who have told me it rather smarts to get wacked on the back of the hand by a prop when if doesn't catch and flicks back - OUCH!

Like you, Adam, I'd rather be behind the engine than in front of it. Been whacked a few times just pulling a prop through and being a little careless - they can give you a bit of a thump.

[Adam the Akrodude]

Thanks very much Paul for this fantastic photo story of your adventure! Have you come down to planet earth yet?

Thanks Graeme for that Rego link. I feel like a complete numbskull (situation normal some would suggest ), as the very Tiger I had a ride on 21 years ago now resides at Point Cook and is owned by the very gentleman who almost made me vomit whilst inverted at 500' over the Werribee River in a Yak-52 - Gary Hearne. Gary is a A330 captain and a one time Pilatus and Nomad driver for the Army. I had a good look over his Tiger after my Yak-52 flight, but was not switched on enough to make the immediate connection to my ride all those years ago (the post traumatic stress of having had a mouthful of regurgitated breakfast to deal with whilst inverted I guess!). It wasn't until I followed Graeme's link that the light bulb went off in my head and I checked my logbook to confirm - Bingo!

I'll post the pic's in the photo section for anyone interested in this Point Cook Tiger.

Cheers

Adam