Our friend Fred............

rsv1cox Sat Jan 26, 2019 2:06 pm

Is still at it.

Big box on my doorstep this afternoon, not expecting anything and surprised until I noticed the return address...Texas.

Couldn't imagine. Opening it up, what - Fred is sending me a locomotive. Nope, balsa carcass containing a fuel tank and a Tornado .35 Green head. My lucky day. Fred knows I love this stuff.

Well, what is it? WW-1 fighter definitely, but what? Wanted to make it German, gray finish. But nothing came to mind. British then. Yes, SE5A a familiar shape to me. Round cowl, squared off fuselage, exhausts in the right place. But what are those cooling fins? Several google minutes came up with nothing. PO add on I would think unless someone has a better idea.

Looks to be set up for C/L, severe engine off-set.

Now what to do with it? My Peter Rake Aircrate rebuild came to mind, most of a fuselage and little else.

Went looking for SE5A plans and came up with this:

https://aerofred.com/details.php?image_id=94617&mode=search&sessionid=c16lv8bac399ra3i5co05ic8t4

Aerofred after all. How can I go wrong.

Thanks Fred.

Bob

fredvon4 Sat Jan 26, 2019 4:23 pm

Recently you posted another basket case that you love.... last year a local rancher found that broke plane nose in one of his fields..... He knew me from Local VFW ( That I no longer go to)

He said he had it in his truck tool box for over a year before he saw me in the hardware store when he gave it to me...

No sign of the full airplane carcas, crash site...just the nose near edge of a coastal hay field...I band sawed off about 6 inches to fit in the box

Lack of significant deterioration or rust on the tank has me guessing it is really not very old in the field

NEW222 Sat Jan 26, 2019 4:36 pm

I know you like planes, but.... I also see it as a start of a body for a homemade prop driven car. That would be a fun project... But that's just me, and I know you like bringing things back to their original glory.

rsv1cox Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:51 pm

fredvon4 wrote:Recently you posted another basket case that you love.... last year a local rancher found that broke plane nose in one of his fields..... He knew me from Local VFW ( That I no longer go to)

He said he had it in his truck tool box for over a year before he saw me in the hardware store when he gave it to me...

No sign of the full airplane carcas, crash site...just the nose near edge of a coastal hay field...I band sawed off about 6 inches to fit in the box

Lack of significant deterioration or rust on the tank has me guessing it is really not very old in the field

Ah, the backstory Fred, makes it even more special.

A flyaway perhaps. Free flight probably. Would have loved to have been there.

Bob

rsv1cox Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:53 pm

NEW222 wrote:I know you like planes, but.... I also see it as a start of a body for a homemade prop driven car. That would be a fun project... But that's just me, and I know you like bringing things back to their original glory.

You might be on to something Chancey.

I have always thought this one of the neatest things I have seen automotive wise. Thinking hard.

Bob

NEW222 Sat Jan 26, 2019 8:20 pm

Ooooh. That's a neat looking propeller driven car. I had not seen anything like that before. Thanks for the picture.

**RknRusty** Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:27 pm

I thought the same thing when I read the back story, so thanks, Fred and Bob.

Lol, I'd hate driving that funny looking buggy in the cold of Winter. Good one, Bob.

As for the vents, that's the side of the Greeenhead where the bypass port is located... one of them backasswards engines. Looking at the cowl, that engine would probably overheat in a heartbeat without air blowing over that side of the crankcase, so that would be the exit vent. Even if it is an affront to the scale purity. Them Scale guys can get serious about that kind of stuff.
Rusty

rsv1cox Sun Jan 27, 2019 8:34 am

RknRusty wrote:I thought the same thing when I read the back story, so thanks, Fred and Bob.

Lol, I'd hate driving that funny looking buggy in the cold of Winter. Good one, Bob.

As for the vents, that's the side of the Greeenhead where the bypass port is located... one of them backasswards engines. Looking at the cowl, that engine would probably overheat in a heartbeat without air blowing over that side of the crankcase, so that would be the exit vent. Even if it is an affront to the scale purity. Them Scale guys can get serious about that kind of stuff.
Rusty

Another case of me not making myself clear Rusty. I should have said "vents" rather than fins. Sorry for the mistake.

I was talking about the brown, looks to be mahogany sheet, probably supplied in a kit on each side of the fuselage. I can't find them on any full scale aircraft of the era. Leads me to believe that it might be something other than a SE5A.

Also, Fred included the prop. a little bent but original to the engine as the dimple drive washer pattern matches. Still has a little Texas field dirt on it. Also interesting if somewhat conventional are the catch the breeze fuel tanks vents. Cheap pressurization.

I will never use the prop, but I will clean it up with Howard Feed-N-Wax. Makes a great display.

About that propeller car. Check this out and watch the 46 second video.

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=68679

If I do make a prop car out of it I would have to use a much smaller propeller and that might be a deal breaker. But that vintage car calls.

NEW222 Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:37 pm

Wow. Neat little video. I really liked teh way it did a u-turn on 3 wheels. Also I found it neat that they actually engineered safety in it when teh one guy threw his hat in the propeller, and the other guy his side of his jacket. Thanks for posting that.

**RknRusty** Sun Jan 27, 2019 2:15 pm

We're talking about these thingamabobs(for clarity, Lol), right?

rsv1cox Sun Jan 27, 2019 4:03 pm

RknRusty wrote:We're talking about these thingamabobs(for clarity, Lol), right?

Yup, those are those.... Smile

Bob

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