A beautiful sight to see and hear

[WA1GFZ]

Eric,
I heard the ads on 880 AM yesterday. I bet that was very cool. My Dad had a Radial in his outside test stand. They used it to generate cross winds across the front of a jet engine inlet to try and make it stall. Very cool motors and not as loud as some of the APU's I have heard.

[VE1IDX]

Not sure if you guys get it down there but History Channel Canada carries a show called Ice Pilots NWT and profiles Buffalo Airways out of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. "Buffalo" Joe and his crew fly DC-3, DC-4, and C-46's everyday to supply far northern communities. His newest work aircraft is a 1950's Lockheed Electra turbo-prop. I love the sound of an old piston pounder on start-up. If you guys get it tune in,it's a great show.

http://www.icepilots.com/show.php

[w1vtp]

I'll never forget the deep rumbling sound of a B36 as it passed overhead back when I was a kid.  I had the thrill of going through one at Loring AFB when I was at camp as a CAP kid. An unforgetable experience

Now that was a big bird

Al

[WB2CAU]

I'll never forget the deep rumbling sound of a B36 as it passed overhead back when I was a kid.  I had the thrill of going through one at Loring AFB when I was at camp as a CAP kid. An unforgetable experience

Now that was a big bird

With six engines, that must've sounded impressive! Unfortunately, I've never seen one except in photos.  See photo of it in comparison to the B-29.  

Eric

[kg8lb]

I'll never forget the deep rumbling sound of a B36 as it passed overhead back when I was a kid.  I had the thrill of going through one at Loring AFB when I was at camp as a CAP kid. An unforgetable experience

Now that was a big bird

Al

  There was a squadron stationed nearby at Willow Run or Selfridge when I was a kid. The rearward facing engines were unique even to a 5 year old neophyte kid. The rumble of multiple engines always found the kids of the neighborhood in awe struck skyward gazes. Unlike the "so what ?" jaded attitude that prevails today.

[w3jn]

The later versions had 2 jet pods with 2 engines each in addition to the 6 R-4360s.  Hence the moniker "Six turnin' and 4 burnin'".

[W2PFY]

When I was a kid I remember seeing the B-36 airplanes flying to the west from my vantage point in NE PA. I could see the contrails but I can't remember if they had any jet engines on them. I think they may have been flying to the Air Force base in Syracuse, NY. That was around 1953.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Some fellow had a B-36 on his farm in Ohio or PA, can't remember which. He bought it along with many other surplus aircraft over the years and towed them to his land, in pieces. Inside the B-36 was stored a P-38 along with another aircraft, P-51 perhaps. He had a bunch of planes along the edge of the woods, too. He passed away in the last few years, never heard what became of the collection. The movie Strategic Air Command with Jimmy Stewart has some excellent footage of the Flying Cigar, including some great aerial shots. B-47, too.

After I posted, a friend of mine emailed photos he had taken at the show today of the B-29.  It's the only surviving airworthy B-29 named "Fifi". 

There should be another flying example out there soon, if not already, Eric. 'Doc' is being rebuilt to flying condition by Boeing's Witchita plant over the last few years. It's been a while since I checked, but it should be done by now. Pretty sure it was the last one pulled out of China Lake. Kermit Weeks also has/had one that was scheduled to be rebuilt, and another that escapes me now. Then there was the Kee Bird. Great documentary, very sad story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kee_Bird

[k4kyv]

The first time I ever flew in a plane was across the Atlantic in a Rolls-Royce "jet prop".  Don't know if that's the same thing as a turbo-prop, but I recall it had propellers  but jet exhaust came out the rear of each engine. The flight from New York to Luxembourg took 11 hours.

I flew in a commuter airliner DC-3 in East Africa once. The only thing I have ever flown in CONUS is a jetliner, except a couple of times in small private single-engine aircraft. That DC-3 flight was wild and exciting. I enjoy old buzzard industrial technology, but it does make one appreciate 21st century technology as well. I wish there still more DC-3s in commercial use. They have to be the BC-610s of commuter aircraft, and some claim they're one of the most stable and safest aeroplanes ever produced.

I recently visited San Francisco, and loved riding the cable cars, preferring to stand on the running board and hang on to the vertical rod, to elbowing my way inside to a seat. Also visited the cable car museum, where you can watch the mechanics of the one remaining power station in operation. The entire system was originally 100% mechanical, driven by steam engines, with gas lights on the cars. Now, geared down electric motors drive the cables, and storage batteries on board run the lights. I find the cable cars sort of reminiscent of ham radio AM. At one time, they were the primary source of public transport throughout the city.  Now, only a small fraction are still in operation, just three short lines (and one of those is currently down for maintenance), but the ones still in existence are highly appreciated and have their die-hard enthusiasts. There used to be cable car systems in many major cities in the US and abroad, but now, the one in San Francisco is probably the only one still in operation anywhere in the world.

[AJ1G]

We lost one today...luckily  all 7 on board walked away.....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-crews-responding-to-incident-involving-wwii-bomber-20110613,0,5852034.story

[KL7OF]

DC sixes  fly over my house here in Naknek every day this time of year....On approach to King Salmon airport...Northern Air Cargo and Everts Air Haul are still flying those old girls.....Interesting sound after take off until the pilot gets all 4 engines syncronised.....They are hauling freight , fuel and fish in the frozen north....

[KB2WIG]

""
The pilot managed to set the plane down in a gap between a relay tower about 60 to 70 feet high and a line of trees 25 to 30 feet high -- around 500 yards from his home. "He did a great job," Barry said.  ""