Keep em Flying Safely... and for a Long Time!

Transcription

1 Keep em Flying Safely... and for a Long Time! The story of N6360G by Dave VandenBerg EAA PHOTOS RON COOK (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED) 18 APRIL 2015

2 Rata-tat-tat-tat-tat was my way of shooting down Zeros as a 10-year-old boy while spending countless idyllic and adventure-filled afternoons playing in an old abandoned and wrecked hulk of an SNJ that lay out behind my dad s hangar. My father was in charge of the Continental Motors Aircraft Engine Research and Development Department located in a large hangar at the Muskegon County Airport in Michigan. In my boyhood days I spent every possible minute hanging around the hangar, helping the mechanics, holding wrenches, finding tools, and obtaining snacks for them at the cafeteria. And if I was VERY lucky, one of the pilots or my dad just might take me up for Dave and Julie VandenBerg a ride in one of the hangar s research aircraft at the end of the day! WOW! For a plane kid I was living large! However wonderful that was, I would always find myself gravitating back to that old abandoned SNJ behind the hangar, where I would once again for the millionth time live out my dreams of flying and dogfighting in the skies of my young mind. 19

3 From that very day, whenever I think airplane, always it is the SNJ I see. Sleek, low-winged, greenhouse canopy, radial engine THIS was an airplane. All others seemed to be pretenders, and despite flying and coming to love many aircraft over the years, none has ever held the same fascination. Fast-forward 30 years. I was an experienced pilot, a physician, a naval aviator having flown A-4s and A-7s off carriers, and a veteran of the Vietnam air war. One day in 1980, I landed my T-210 at Brown Field, an old World War II training field south of San Diego. There I saw to the side a large collection of many old T-6 and SNJ parts and pieces that had been collected from many sources by a local legendary warbird parts collector. WOW! I headed right over, checked things out, and the rest as they say is history. In a rush of emotion, I decided then and there that from these disparate parts and pieces, I was going to re-create the SNJ of my boyhood dreams and see it return to the air a beautiful flying SNJ resurrected to take its rightful place once again in 20 APRIL 2015

4 the skies of my imagination. Thus began many happy days collecting parts, subassemblies, and pieces everything the best of the best. For a specified sum, I was given the run of the place and, with my son, Tom, spent many happy hours going through everything there... every clamp, rod, turnbuckle, and screw. We collected the tail feathers, landing gear, the wings, and the all-important center section (which was still in the oak crate from North American). However, despite the riches we collected there, it was still not enough. So, we searched and obtained parts and pieces wherever we could find them. Always concentrating on the lowest time and best-preserved parts we could locate. As we neared the goal of collecting everything needed to build an SNJ, we were exhilarated. I remember one time in early 1983, noting that Oshkosh was in July and wondering, If we started assembly now, could we have it together by Oshkosh? (Six months away!) Put simply, we had a LOT to learn! And, it was to take 30 years to learn it! In a stroke of luck, I found that Paladin Aircraft Restoration, owned and operated by David Bieber and destined to become one of the premier aircraft restoration businesses in the country, was located at Brown. I had become aware of Dave s reputation as a real plane guy and a meticulous... some would say compulsive (!)... aircraft mechanic and restorer. Dave agreed to take on the project, and thus began a business relationship initially based on mutual goals and mutual respect, but eventually developing into a deep and abiding personal friendship. Dave gathered a crew of wonderfully skilled and meticulous craftsmen, and we began. I gave Dave only one rule: We will NEVER, under ANY circumstances... REGARDLESS of the cost in funds or manpower... cut ANY corners! Initially, we would build this aircraft in fits and starts. It was necessary to place the project on hold from time to time, based primarily on... money... not enough of it! With raising a houseful of kids and working to build my medical practice, time and money were both at a premium. However, 10 years ago, we were able to begin building in earnest and working consistently toward our goal. It was during this time especially that I realized one VERY important rule for anyone attempting to launch a project of this magnitude: MARRY THE RIGHT WOMAN! Despite the countless difficulties, the setbacks, and the cost in finances and personal time, Julie was always fully on board... always encouraging when discouragement set in, supportive when the going 21

5 DAVE VANDENBERG was tough, dispelling the clouds of doubt, and ALWAYS sharing the dream. Without her, its fulfillment would have been ABSO- LUTELY impossible. The aircraft was built literally from the rivets on up. In fact, every single rivet in the aircraft would be replaced, every skin new, every assembly and subassembly including the wings, the center section, the tail feathers, and the fuselage completely stripped down and rebuilt from the inside out. Everything from the propeller to the cockpits to the tail wheel entirely reconstructed as new. The instruments original WWII stock rebuilt and recertified. No glass cockpit here! However, there is another very important... perhaps THE most important... part of the story of N6360G. Although I was driven to authenticity, it was my decision to depart from the strictest definition of that word to ensure that this aircraft would be built with every possible safety and reliability upgrade we could install. These were carefully hidden beneath the surface in order to ensure visual authenticity and to stay true to the aircraft s heritage. Among others, these changes included: New HSP propeller hub assembly: STC SP7836SW Poly-Fiber re-covering of control surfaces: STC SA1008WE Installed Brackett induction air filter BA-8310/BA-8305: STC 22 APRIL 2015

6 TYSON RININGER SA71GL Installed Airwolf remote oil filter AFC-K10: STC SA01282 Installed Oilamatic pre-oiler Model 4010A: STC SA4094NM Avionics: Form 337 dated 5/9/13 Garmin GNC 250XL GPS/comm radio Ameri-King AK DC power reducer GPS antenna Comm antenna installed on bottom of fuselage Garmin GTX 327 transponder plus antenna P/N PS Engineering PM122 intercom Headphone and microphone jacks installed in both cockpits Designed and installed electric backup fuel pump leaving wobble pump in line and operative: Form 337 dated 9/30/2013 Installed new design running lights and strobes throughout: Form 337, 7/16/13 Installed new continuous flow oxygen system with cannulas: Form 337, 7/16/13 Installed Jasco alternator kit 7555T to replace generator: STC SA1001NW 23

7 TYSON RININGER

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9 Installed Ameri-King AK-451-X2 emergency locator beacon: Form 337, 8/9/13 Installed Airwolf air/oil separator Model AQFC-W360: STC SA02268CH Major total rebuilds of left and right wings and center section approved by FAA Form 337, 5/8/13 and 5/9/13 I realized that these changes departed from the definition of strict authenticity. However, I felt it important to do everything possible to provide safety and reliability of operation for both the crew and for those people over whom we would be flying. Hence, my insistence on making safety of flight my first and foremost consideration for N6360G. We were VERY gratified when, shortly before AirVenture Oshkosh 2014, our parent Warbirds organization also recognized the importance of this approach by initiating a whole new award, the Keep em Flying Award. This award recognizes the importance of safety and reliability considerations and allows a judging award somewhat equivalent to the traditional Grand Champion award, 26 APRIL 2015

10 but in which these changes and safety improvements are not considered judging liabilities. We were especially gratified to receive that award in 2014 in the plane s inaugural rollout. We found it amusing that this award category could give a new second verse to our warbird s motto Keep em Flying... adding... SAFELY... AND FOR A VERY LONG TIME! Additionally we were thrilled to receive the Phoenix Award, along with that wonderful TBM of Charlie Cartledge, for aircraft that truly represent planes rising from the ashes to fly once again. Certainly both aircraft well-deserved that award. WOW... what an honor just being on the same field as aircraft of Charlie s caliber. Last but not least, we received the highly coveted Gold Wrench award for the depth, quality, and meticulous attention to detail, which are hallmarks of the way David Bieber works. Congratulations to Dave and Paladin for winning that award; he certainly deserved it in spades! So... my childhood dreams have become reality in more ways than one. I have my wonderful flying career and a wonderful aircraft that to me is the embodiment of that wellworn hulk that so nobly spent its latter years kindling a dream in the mind of a 10-year-old boy so very long ago. I like to think that it lives on, at least in spirit (and... who knows... even in a part or two!) in N6360G today. How can we adequately thank the visitors, the participants, and especially the judges for their part in making this one of the best weeks of any of our lives! EAA and Warbirds... what wonderful organizations! Craftsmen and artisans who contributed their time, energy, and enthusiastic support to this project include: David Bieber: Owner of Paladin Aircraft Restoration and DAVE VANDENBERG project manager Pete Wilson: Master airframes and engine man and chief mechanic Carl Pozarowski: Master electrician and avionics Ron Cook: Photography, IT, and webmaster Rey Facal: Airframes Martin Tellier: Airframes Dan Ganoe: Airframes Sheridan Saxton: Airframes Richard Davidson: Records and documentation Hugo Castillo: Airframes And a special recognition to my wife, Julie, for her undying support and encouragement. A wonderful Thank you and job well done to each and every one. 27