CFM May 2016 Quarterly Newsletter

Forwarded message - From: Cavanaugh Flight Museum <museumstore@cavflight.org>

From the Director Warbirds over Addison is just around the corner (May 21-22) and will be a great event. We have several Mustangs scheduled to appear and fly. There is no sound like a formation of P-51's overhead. We will be flying many of our aircraft that weekend, including Barbie III, the B25H that arrived at the museum last month. The maintenance team is hard at work putting the finishing touches on our P-51 The Brat III getting her ready for the event. The AD-5 Skyraider is back in the air after an inspection and maintenance. Speaking of Skyraiders, we have an AD-6 Skyraider planning to attend our event. And, other aircraft are planning to attend as well. Last month we performed at Ft. Worth Joint Reserve Base (Carswell AFB) for their airshow. We put on a Vietnam reenactment, featuring the CV2 Caribou, AD-5 Skyraider and O2 Skymaster. It was a great show and we hope to perform this act at other airshows across the US. Our Volunteer program is growing. We have many new volunteers to welcome and get involved. Many projects, old and new, for the volunteers to work with. If you want to volunteer, call the gift shop and speak to Laura and she can get you started. Warbirds over Addison is one of our best events. See you there! Blue skies, Doug   Warbirds Over Addison 2016 | P-51 Mustang Round Up! Join us in celebrating the famed P-51 Mustang during our annual Warbirds Over Addison Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22, 2016, 10am to 5pm. This special Mustang Round Up will feature up to six visiting P-51s from other aircraft collections around the state, including actual combat veterans like the Cavanaugh Flight Museum's P-51D Brat III. Sleek and elegant, the North American P-51D Mustang was truly a 'fighter pilot's dream.' It is perhaps the best-known fighter aircraft of all time. Designed in record time at the request of the British in 1940, the Mustang possessed a deadly combination of speed, endurance, maneuverability and firepower. By the end of the Mustang's production run, more than 15,000 P-51s had been built and the aircraft had seen service around the world as an escort fighter, fighter-bomber, dive-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, and finally, a race plane. The Mustang first drew blood in the spring of 1942 and the last Mustangs were withdrawn from active service more than four decades later - a service record which no other fighter aircraft has been able to match. Manufacture of the Mustang began in early 1941 at North American's Inglewood, California plant. As orders for the new fighter quickly increased, North American opened a new plant near Dallas, in Grand Prairie, Texas to assist in the production of the P-51. Originally fitted with an Allison V-1710 engine, the Mustang proved to be a superb fighter at low-to-medium altitudes, but its performance dropped off above 12,000 feet. At the urging of a Rolls Royce test pilot, RAF P-51s were tested with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine and the Mustang found new legs. The P-51D rolled out of the factory with a Packard V-1650. The Packard V-1650 is a US built Rolls Royce Merlin produced under license by the Packard Motor Car Company. With the powerful, supercharged Merlin, the Mustang's high altitude performance drastically increased, as did the plane's range. This immediate boost in range allowed the plane (with drop tanks) to escort American bombers into the heart of Germany and Japan and back. Once the bombers had full mission fighter protection, the air war for Europe and the Pacific was as good as won. Warbirds Over Addison will be an exciting weekend that will include formation flying demonstrations, aerial displays, warbird rides, Sherman tank demo, and military vehicle rides. Snacks, drinks and lunch available. Don't miss this very special event. Click here to buy tickets online! Tickets available at the museum starting May 20. For more information go to www.cavflight.org   In The Collection | B-25H Mitchell Named after General Billy Mitchell, the Army Air Corps' most famous figure of the 1920s and 1930s, the North American B-25 proved to be one of the best American weapons of World War II. First flown on August 19, 1940, the B-25 was a rugged, adaptable and accurate medium bomber. Famed for its role in the Doolittle Raid on Japan, the B-25 served around the world and flew with several air forces. North American produced the Mitchell in many different models, nearly 10,000 B-25s in all. The Mitchell proved to be highly flexible and was fitted with a wide variety of armaments. Some versions of the B-25 were armed with no less than fourteen forward firing .50 cal. machine guns; while the B-25H boasted a 75mm cannon mounted in the nose. Besides being used as a horizontal bomber, the B-25 was used as a low-level attack and anti-shipping aircraft. Since the end of World War II, B-25s have been used as private transports and are common participants at air shows. The museum's B-25H, s/n 43-4106, was manufactured in the North American Aviation factory in Englewood, California in 1943, and is the #2 prototype of the 'H' model. During WWII, this B-25H served stateside until 1947, when it was declared surplus and sold it to the Bendix Corporation who used it as a test aircraft, in the development of new jet fighter landing gear systems.   Although 43-4106 did not serve in combat, the restoration group decided to paint the aircraft in the colors of a combat veteran B-25H. Their choice was the B-25H Barbie III as flown by Lt. Col. Robert T. 'R.T.' Smith in 1944. Lt. Col. Smith was one of the original members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) also known as the Flying Tigers, protecting China as part of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force before the United States entered WWII. After the AVG disbanded in 1942 he returned stateside for a time as the Commanding Officer of the 337th Fighter Squadron, 329th Fighter Group in California. Smith volunteered to return to the China-Burma-India theater (CBI) of the war with the 1st Air Commando Group of the 10th Air Force as commander of the group's B-25 Mitchell squadron in low-level attack and bombing missions. His aircraft, Barbie III, was named in honor of his wife, Barbara Bradford, who he married shortly before he departed for the CBI. Lt. Col R.T. Smith flew a total of 55 combat missions in the aircraft over Burma and was awarded the Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Silver Star.   What's New in the Museum Store? The CFM Museum Store has some exciting new items and clearance items that speak to all aviation enthusiasts! • Coming soon, we will have our very own Barbie III shirts. • Also in stock, we have new women's apparel. Shirt prices range from $15.99 to $21.99. • Flying the Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project DVD & Blu-ray are available for a limited time only. • During our Warbirds Over Addison event, we'll have several P-51 Mustang items such as our Brat III t-shirts and P-51 models available for purchase to suit our theme Mustang Round Up. The CFM Museum Store has marked down many of our items in order to make room for new merchandise this summer. Many of these items are great for aviation enthusiast interested in specific World War II events such as The Doolittle Raiders or Ghost Calendars with amazing pictures of WWI and WWII warbirds. • 2015 World War I Ghosts calendar: $5.00 • 2016 World War II Ghosts calendar: $8.00    • The Doolittle Raid book: $10.00 Looking for a unique and cool place to have a child's birthday party? Party with the planes! For more information, or to book a party, please contact Laura Sanchez at 972-380-8800 ext. 100 or lsanchez@cavflight.org. Visit www.cavflight.org, or call the museum gift shop at 972.380.8800x100 to ask about our Warbird Ride Program and memberships. Membership benefits include: • Free admission    • 10% discount on all warbird rides • 10% discount off Museum Store merchandise • Free admission to museum special events and fly days • Discounted rates on museum facility rentals    Plane Ride Load Volunteers Make a Difference Ever since CFM's inception in 1993, volunteers have been vitally important to our growth. Volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life have helped make us a recognized leader in the aviation community. Many volunteers have joined us to be a part of our tradition of excellence, while helping us continue to provide high quality programs and services to our members and visitors. In keeping with the CFM tradition of recognizing excellence, in this issue we are paying tribute to our Plane Ride Load Volunteers. This team of dedicated aviation enthusiasts includes Jack Schulz, John Townsend, Don Patty, Mike Tillman and Mike Schneider. The motto of this group could be "We Help Keep 'em Flying." They don't just help people taking plane rides into aircraft and buckle them in for the flight of their life time in a warbird or a vintage biplane. Their role is a vital and multi-faceted one to say the least. They are part safety-first expert, part flight prepper, part hot ramp services provider and part museum tour guide all wrapped into one role. Their overriding goal is to help all plane riders have the most enjoyable and safe flight experience possible. And, in most cases, they also play host to any family, friends or business associates who have come along to watch the take off. The Adventure Lives On Like all of our volunteers, our Plane Ride Load Volunteers share the love we all have for old aircraft. They help promote and encourage the preservation and safe operation of vintage aircraft of all types. The amazing aircraft in the growing CFM collection are an important part of our human history. Seeing vintage aircraft in a museum or seeing flyable ones in an air show is very powerful by itself. But nothing can substitute for the exhilarating experience of flying in one! In the case of warbird riders, the experience reminds them of the many sacrifices made by veterans who flew these aircraft in actual combat. They truly are a history lesson brought to life. Based on condition or lack of parts, some rare aircraft belong on permanent static display in museums. At CFM, if possible, we'd rather see them flying. Depending on specific aircraft, pilot availability, and weather conditions our plane ride volunteers are called on, many times on short notice, to help load passengers seven days a week. We offer rides in a variety of vintage aircraft including our P-51D Mustang, Corsair, Skyraider, AT-6 Texan, Stearman, Bell Helicopter OH-13 Sioux, T-28B Trojan, Travel Air 4000 and Cessna O-2A Skymaster. Our ride loaders are thoroughly trained in passenger safety procedures for all of our flyable aircraft to ensure flight readiness. Safety First The continued safety of aviation is the responsibility of CFM and the entire aviation community. By following best practices and holding our personnel, pilots, volunteer teams and aircraft to a high standard, we ensure the safety of our plane rides every time we fly. This same core value applies throughout our organization. So whether we are restoring or flight testing an aircraft, or just flying around, we think safety first and take this responsibility very seriously. Enough can't be said about the plane ride loader team's ongoing commitment to safety and providing an excellent rider experience. They are some of the most passionate stewards of the history of aviation, and dedicated to preserving, promoting and sharing that history with like-minded people from around the world. If you are interested in becoming a member of the plane ride load volunteers please contact Jack Schulz through the CFM front desk. We'd be glad to have you join us!   Have Your Special Event at the Museum The Museum has seen so many unique events this year and the calendar is filling up quickly. Corporate events, non-profit fundraisers, private parties, and even weddings have chosen the museum for its unique venue. Nathan and Nicole Rankin tied the knot, in March, in front of the P-40 Warhawk and celebrated the reception with the P-51D Mustang as a backdrop! The Museum will soon be hosting The Girl Scouts of America and integrate a program similar to the Boy Scouts Aviation Merit Badge. The Girls Scouts will have the opportunity to earn the badge for their sashes and vests and receive a Cavanaugh Flight Museum patch so that they can spread the word about their fun experience. If you are interested in hosting your next event at the Museum, please call Rachael at 972-380-8800 ext. 103 or email rmarsellus@cavflight.org. She will be happy to help you make your special event 'fly high' at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum! 2016 Event Calendar May 21: Photo Squadron – P-51s photographed at sunrise May 21- 22: Warbirds Over Addison Mustang Round Up June 17: Photo Squadron – Bombshell model photographed with B-25 at sunset July 3: Kaboom Town Fireworks August 19: Photo Squadron – Fokker DVII morning photograph September 23: Photo Squadron – Two Stearmans photographed at sunset September 24-25: Fall Fly Days and Car Show October 15: Photo Squadron – Shoot aircraft departing to Alliance, morning November 18: Photo Squadron – P-40 evening photoshoot December 16: Photo Squadron – TBM Avenger photograph in hangar, evening Cavanaugh Flight Museum 4572 Claire Chennault | Addison, TX 75001 972.380.8800 | www.cavflight.org

Cavanaugh Flight Museum : CFM February 2016 Quarterly Newsletter

Forwarded message - From: Cavanaugh Flight Museum <museumstore@cavflight.org>

Date: 19 February 2016 at 03:26

From the Director There's always something new to see at the museum. We are constantly adding rare and unique aircraft to our fleet. This spring will see another addition. A B25H model 'Barbie III'. This is the only 'H' model flying. The H had a special role during WWII, and we are excited to have her. Barbie III is undergoing maintenance in Florida and will soon be flying. If all goes as planned, it's a warbird you know, we will have her at Sun-n-Fun in April and bring her home after. Here is a some information about the B-25H*: In anti-shipping operations, the USAAF had an urgent need for a hard-hitting aircraft, and North American responded with the B-25G (see comparison below). In this series, the transparent nose and bombardier/navigator position was changed for a shorter, hatched nose with two fixed .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns and a 75mm (2.95 in) M4 cannon, one of the largest weapons fitted to an aircraft similar to the experimental British 57 mm gun-armed Mosquito Mk. XVIII and the German Ju 88P heavy cannon (up to a 75mm long-barrel Bordkanone BK 7.5). The shorter nose placed the cannon breech behind the pilot where it could be manually loaded and serviced by the navigator; his crew station was moved to just behind the pilot. The navigator signaled the pilot when the gun was ready, and the pilot fired the weapon using a button on his control wheel. The B-25H series continued the development of the gunship concept. The H had even more firepower. Most replaced the M4 gun with the lighter T13E1, designed specifically for the aircraft, but 20-odd H-1 block aircraft completed by the Republic Aviation modification center at Evansville had the M4 and two machine gun nose armament. The 75mm gun fired at a muzzle velocity of 2,362 ft/s (720 m/s). Due to its low rate of fire (about four rounds could be fired in a single strafing run), relative ineffectiveness against ground targets, and the substantial recoil, the 75mm gun was sometimes removed from both G and H models and replaced with two additional .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns as a field modification and re-designated the G1 and H1 series respectively. Our restored B-25H Barbie III has four .50 Browning belt-fed machine guns and one 75mm gun mounted in the nose. The H series normally came from the factory with four fixed, forward-firing .50 machine guns in the nose; four more .50's in two side-mounted forward-firing gun packages, two .50's in the manned dorsal turret behind the cockpit, one .50 in each waist position, and a pair in the tail gunner's position. Company promotional material bragged that the B-25H could "bring to bear 10 machine guns coming and four going, in addition to the 75mm cannon, eight rockets and 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) of bombs." The H had a modified cockpit with single flight controls. The co-pilot's station and controls were deleted, and instead had a smaller seat used by the navigator/cannoneer. The radio operator position was aft of the bomb bay with access to the waist guns. Elimination of the co-pilot saved weight. Moving the dorsal turret forward counter-balanced the waist guns and the manned rear turret. A total of 405 B-25G's and 1,000 B-25H's were built with 248 of the latter being used by the Navy as PBJ-1H.     *Source: Wikipedia Click here to watch a video of B25H models in the Pacific during WWII. • Drone Wars III is Saturday, February 20. This will be an action-packed event. So come out and watch the drones race the new course. The action starts at 12 noon! • Volunteers are making great headway on the Stearman and the C47 control surfaces recovering. We always look forward to seeing you. Come out and get involved! Blue skies, Doug   Drone Wars III-February 20! Head to head drone racing! For 2016, we are adding what has become the fastest growing segment in Drones – FPV or 'First Person View.' What is FPV? It's a camera system on the front of the drone that broadcasts a signal to goggles the pilot wears so that it appears to the pilot that they are actually aboard the drone! In fact, it's the most realistic '3-D video game' out there where your skill in flying the drone around the course is not regulated by a computer but is limited only by the ability of the pilot. The format is similar to car racing where there can be up to five drones racing at one time. The drones will have five laps to complete the course that goes around pylons and through hoops with the drone crossing the finish line first being the winner of the race. The museum's new large screen projector will be broadcasting the views from the FPV pilots while they are racing so the audience will have a first hand view of what the pilots are seeing.  In addition to FPV racing, we will have LOS, or 'Line of Sight,' racing on an obstacle course where two drones compete head to head, similar to our past two events, but on a new and faster course. The spectator area is all around the drone course protected by nets, and there will be drone vendors and pilots to answer questions and demonstrate drone flying. Also, the museum will have drones available for the public to try out in between races. Why is a historical museum, full of airworthy vintage aircraft, interested in drones? Simple, our mission is to promote aviation studies for the young and old. Drones are a big part of aviation and will play a larger role in the future. More drones were registered by the FAA in the last three months than there are airplanes flying today! Career opportunities for designing, building, flying and maintaining drones are already popping up and demand will only continue to grow! So whether your are coming to fly, learn about drones, or just want to watch the action, Drone Wars III should be our best event yet! When: Practice & qualifying: Friday, February 19: 3pm to 8pm     Saturday, February 20: 9am to 11:30am Racing - Saturday, February 20: 12:30pm to finish, trophy presentation to follow. Racecourse: 11,000 square feet, enclosed hangar at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum. Netting on all 4 sides of the rectangle course for spectator safety. Who can race? Open to the public. Drones must all be electric, one pilot, no more than 4 rotors, less than 12-inch rotor span, and less than 3 lbs. Classes: Line of sight (LOS) and first person view (FPV) Trophies: First through third, beginner and advanced LOS and FPV classes. Pricing: Pricing: $25 for competitor, $10 for spectators. Racing Rules LINE OF SIGHT RACE RULES (LOS) All racing will be head to head. The winner of a race is the drone that crosses the finish line first after completing the course properly. The racer that wins two out of the next three races held back-to-back will move to the next heat. A racer must complete the course by going the correct direction and in the order of obstacles marked on the course to have completed the course as a finish. If a racer misses an obstacle or goes the wrong direction, the racer can go back and repeat the course from that point and still finish the race. If a racer passes through the finish gate without completing the course properly, the racer will be scored the loser of the race. Two judges will be on hand to point out course infractions. However, it's the racers responsibility to complete the course properly. Course deviations include: pylons not rounded below the top of the pylon, not flying the proper course direction, and a pilot stepping out of the Pilot Zone (space the pilot stands while flying the course). If a pilot steps out of the Pilot Zone for any reason, including retrieving their drone on their side of the racecourse, they can stay in the race if they start the course from the beginning. Each race will start with a whistle and the drone can be running but not moving on the starting pad. Drones moving early will forfeit that race. Each race has a two-minute time limit. The drone that is furthest along on the course when the two-minute time limit is reached is the winner of that race. FIRST PERSON VIEW RACE RULES (FPV) Two classes: Silver and Gold There will be six heats per class; lowest total point score wins the event. Up to six drones can race at one time. Each heat will be six laps on the course. The score for a heat is determined by your finishing order after completing the course. A racer must complete the course by going the correct direction and in the order of obstacles marked on the course to have completed the course as a finish. If a racer passes the finish line without completing the course properly, the racer will be scored six points for that race. Each race will start with a whistle and the drone can be running but not moving on the starting pad. Drones moving early will forfeit that race. Each race has a three-minute time limit. The drone that is furthest along on the course when the two-minute time limit is reached will be scored in that position at the time limit. Click here to register for Drone Wars III Click here to watch a video about Drone Wars III   In The Collection: MiG-17F Fresco C The deadly Soviet fighter MiG-17 earned the respect of U.S. pilots in the war-torn skies over Vietnam. It has excellent maneuverability, heavy cannon armament, and has seen combat throughout the world in the service of more than 40 countries. The design team, at Mikoyan Gurevich, began the prototype MiG-17 as a conversion of the older MiG-15 airframe. The prototype had a thinner wing that incorporated a mid-span bend in the leading edge as well as a longer fuselage and a larger vertical fin. In August 1951, after successful completion of a test program, the aircraft was ordered into mass production and officially designated the MiG-17 (called 'Fresco' by NATO). The MiG-17F (Fresco C) first rolled off the production lines in the spring of 1953 and was the most widely produced variant of the MiG-17. The main difference between the MiG-17 and the later MiG-17F was the power plant. The MiG-17F used the more powerful VK-1 F after-burning turbojet which provided a substantial increase in power for takeoff and combat maneuvering. The 'F' in MiG-17F designates 'with afterburner.' The MiG-17F's most visible role came during the Vietnam War. The MiG-17 proved the continued worth of automatic cannons in an era of advanced air-to-air missiles. American flight crews repeatedly stated they feared North Vietnam's elderly MiG-17's far more than the newer, faster and missile-armed MiG-21. The Cavanaugh Flight Museum's MiG-17F Serial No. 1228 was manufactured by the Polish Aviation Factory (Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze) in Mielec, Poland and given the Polish designation of Lim-5. It was delivered to the Polish Air Force on July 30, 1958 and was initially operated by the 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (2 Pulk Lotnictwa Mysliwskiego) at Goleniow Airport in Szczecin, Poland. After many years of service in Poland, the aircraft was released for private sale and shipped to the United States in 1993. It was acquired by the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in 1994 and placed on static display. The aircraft features a complete cockpit, including its original ejection seat, gun sight, radios and instrumentation.   What's New in the Museum Store? • To start the new year, we have stocked a variety of aircraft shirts from $22.99 or less. We also have a large selection of books, toys, hats, and other aviation related items. • Build your favorite E-Z Build 1:72 scale model airplane kit which also includes a collector's card – all for the low cost of $10.99. • Premium collector's edition of diecast metal helicopters on sale for $19.99. These serial numbered, highly detailed, 1:60 scale models have doors which open and have authentic markings. • 2016 Ghosts, A Time to Remember aviation calendar – each month contains a breathtaking photograph of a vintage World War II aircraft.   Visit www.cavflight.org, or call the museum gift shop at 972.380.8800x100 to ask about our Warbird Ride Program and memberships. Membership benefits include: Free admission    10% discount on all warbird rides 10% discount off Museum Store merchandise Free admission to museum special events and fly days Discounted rates on museum facility rentals    Crew Chief / Plane Captain Update The Cavanaugh Flight Museum volunteers started 2016 with several new opportunities. In order to enhance the volunteer's experience at our museum, they have the opportunity to become a Crew Chief /Plane Captain for a particular aircraft. Volunteers will  work with Cavanaugh employees to maintain appearance as well as learning historical significance of not only our particular airplanes, but other models of the same plane and their contributions to our history, both war and peacetime. The Crew Chief/Plane Captain terms come from Air Force and Navy usage. Crew Chiefs are responsible for Air Force aircraft readiness and Plane Captains for the Navy aircraft. Since the museum includes many non-US aircraft, we will use Plane Captain for US Navy aircraft and Crew Chief for all others.  Crew Chief/Plane Captains responsibilities include bi-weekly (or regular) dusting/cleaning, checking that the tires are adequately inflated, ensuring historic signage is in place, representing the plane at any special events and educating other volunteers. Training and materials will be provided for cleaning processes, so please ensure you have instruction prior to beginning on the aircraft. Responsibilities excluded are aircraft flying operations and aircraft operational maintenance. For any issue, related to functional or operational discrepancies, notify the museum maintenance staff for corrective action. We are also asking the Crew Chiefs and Plane Captains to learn the history of the particular aircraft so that they become the go-to person for facts about the aircraft in the collection. We are off to a good start with 18 aircraft spoken for so far. Cleaning up flying aircraft is more work than keeping non-flying planes cleaned/dusted. A person may sign up for more than one aircraft if desired. The sign-up sheet is in the volunteer meeting room. If you have questions, please contact Don Patty. Thank you to all that have signed up so far: Sopwith Camel: Dave Serpas      Fokker Dr.1: Chuck Roche North American B-25J Mitchell: Ken Langley      Douglas C-47 Skytrain: Bill Hurt Messerschmitt Me-109: Dick Helms      Eastern/Grumman FM-2 Wildcat: Ted May Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VIII: Bernie Mayoux     Goodyear/Chance-Vought FG-1D Corsair: Chuck McClain Curtiss P-40N: Warhawk Daren Lee      North American P-51 Mustang: Don Patty Grumman S2F-1 Tracker: Paul Edwards      Bell Helicopter OH-13 Sioux: Mike Hance/Jack Schulz Lockheed F-104 Starfighter: Dennis Hogan      Grumman F9F-2B Panther: Dick Helms Cessna O-2A Skymaster: Ted May      McDonell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II: Matt Noland Grumman OV-1D Mohawk: Michael Schneider     de Havilland CV-2B Caribou:  "Caribou" Bob Schroeder 2016 Event Calendar February 20: Drone Wars III May 21-22: Warbirds Over Addison 'Mustang Round-Up' July 3: CFM Kaboom Town Celebration and Airshow September 24-25: Fall Fly Days & Car Show December 10: Drone Wars IV Cavanaugh Flight Museum 4572 Claire Chennault | Addison, TX 75001 972.380.8800 | www.cavflight.org