Re: When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled

Kim Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:34 pm

Agreed! Though I consider those to also be Man Parts !!!

Kim Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:01 am

Bad news for the old PT. It looks like John's PT-19 is totaled. The left wing's box-type spar is severely damaged from the span-wise crunch on it's impact with the ground. The center section was also compressed, with the fuselage's main tubes being bent at the wing's trailing edge attach points.

It still may be rebuilt by whoever buys it for salvage, but may also be parted out to support another rebuild. The sight of the WWII trainer is gonna be missed by it's many fans around here, along with the low, "Tractor Rumble" of it's six cylinder Ranger turning that big wooden prop.

John was always very generous in giving rides in the old bird, and now, my time in the front seat has dramatically jumped in "Memory Value".

When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 Pt-19_10

When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 Pt-19_10

When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 2_pt-110

When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 4_pt-110

WingingIt74 Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:37 am

Well that's a big bummer...

PV Pilot Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:26 am

That's Horrible!. Not many of those left I would imagine. It was a good trainer, as it taught the pilot a valuable lesson and he/they were able to walk away.

WingingIt74 Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:40 am

How many of you know what the thing is behind Kim's head?
When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 2_pt-110

SuperDave Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:42 am

May her salvagable parts help another PT come to life. All is not lost by any means. Sad

Edit:

Travis: Huh...

Haven't clue. Tell us.

andrew Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:25 am

WingingIt74 wrote:How many of you know what the thing is behind Kim's head?

Roll bar

**RknRusty** Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:37 am

I expect most of us here like me have a, dare I say, heartfelt fondness for precision machinery and the meticulous engineering that brings them to kinetic life. That being said, I too mourn the loss of a beautiful machine like the PT-19, and also for the pilot who will miss it and blame himself forever for wrecking it. I'll give my model PT a pat when I open up the shop today.

Now, what is the purpose for that triangular support with the beam welded on top? A(don't laugh) roll bar? Or something he used in his exhibitions? EDIT: Nevermind.

WingingIt74 Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:07 am

andrew wrote:
WingingIt74 wrote:How many of you know what the thing is behind Kim's head?

Roll bar

I believe it's a dirigible mount. I may be wrong though.

PV Pilot Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:15 am

WingingIt74 wrote:
andrew wrote:
WingingIt74 wrote:How many of you know what the thing is behind Kim's head?

Roll bar

I believe it's a dirigible mount. I may be wrong though.

Can you imagine that ride.

RELEASE!!,,yehaaaaa!

Kim Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:40 pm

RknRusty wrote:I expect most of us here like me have a, dare I say, heartfelt fondness for precision machinery and the meticulous engineering that brings them to kinetic life. That being said, I too mourn the loss of a beautiful machine like the PT-19, and also for the pilot who will miss it and blame himself forever for wrecking it. I'll give my model PT a pat when I open up the shop today.

Now, what is the purpose for that triangular support with the beam welded on top? A(don't laugh) roll bar? Or something he used in his exhibitions? EDIT: Nevermind.

Yeah, John is taking it REALLY hard, and it's a shame to see it. This was his third decade flying the PT.

Yes, the welded truss is actually a roll-over structure (or "nose-over"). It seems that student pilots had a knack for flipping planes upside down on the ground, and the support is to help hold the fuselage off the ground a bit to give the student ( and possibly his tortured instructor) a chance to get out of the plane while it was laying on it's back !

We always speculated that it would only do you some good on a hard surface runway, and sink right into sod, but appreciated the thought anyway !

Other planes such as the PT-17 and N-3-N had and extra wing to accomplish this chore.

SuperDave Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:34 pm

If the PT were insured that might be some consolation to John.

Is there such a thing as the equivilant of "collision" insurance for aircraft?

Kim Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:46 am

SuperDave wrote:If the PT were insured that might be some consolation to John.

Is there such a thing as the equivilant of "collision" insurance for aircraft?

Yeah, the PT was well-covered, and John's still got projects lined up to forever. The PT was the centerpiece of his work though. It is owned by a group of 5, 3 flyers and two non-flying supporters, and there may be another PT on the horizon for them.

John also built and flys a beautiful RV-7 that is his "normal" ride when the PT was out on it's circuits among the other owners, so he's still got a toy to play with, along with a couple Ranger engines that he's overhauling.

He's a busy dude!

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When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 1_28

When Bad Things Happen to Good Planes...The Old Bird is Totaled - Page 2 2_27

**Cribbs74** Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:12 am

Kim wrote:
SuperDave wrote:If the PT were insured that might be some consolation to John.

Is there such a thing as the equivilant of "collision" insurance for aircraft?

Yeah, the PT was well-covered, and John's still got projects lined up to forever. The PT was the centerpiece of his work though. It is owned by a group of 5, 3 flyers and two non-flying supporters, and there may be another PT on the horizon for them.

John also built and flys a beautiful RV-7 that is his "normal" ride when the PT was out on it's circuits among the other owners, so he's still got a toy to play with, along with a couple Ranger engines that he's overhauling.

He's a busy dude!

That's some good news Kim. He should be able to make a few bucks parting the PT out. Even with a damaged airframe it should be worth a bit of money.

fit90 Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:52 am

Typically when an insured plane is totaled the insurance company gets it. However, in the few times I have been involved in totaled aircraft, the insurance company is usually willing to sell it back to the original owner relatively inexpensively if the owner can "take delivery" before the insurance company has to start spending time and money on the totaled airframe. From what I have seen timing is the key to getting a deal.

Bob

SuperDave Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:19 am

As Bob has explained that standard insurance industry procedure in the case of a "total" whether an aircraft or an automobile or other insured property..

SuperDave Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:10 pm

The emotional loss is perhaps the greatest as is the loss of a beloved pet.

In time the grief passes and one comes to realize others will fit in to your life.

dckrsn Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:27 pm

SuperDave wrote:The emotional loss is perhaps the greatest as is the loss of a beloved pet.

In time the grief passes and one comes to realize others will fit in to your life.

Well put Dave.
Bob

SuperDave Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:45 pm

Bob:

I believe that we all have had or will have the experience of which I write.

dckrsn Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:36 pm

I've had, and will Dave.
Bob

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