Just out of curiosity - Airplane Guys

The Mosquito was primarily plywood, wasn't it?
The article I read says, spruce, birch plywood and Ecuadorean balsa. Here's the link if needed.

https://www.historynet.com/the-miraculous-mosquito.htm
It was plywood made in situ. The birch sheets were laminated over a mahogany mold... effectively making "plywood." In between the inner and outer laminates was a balsa core. So yes, not sheets of plywood, thin sheets of birch laminated into plywood.
 
Here's a bit of airplane trivia. In the Led Zeppelin song, "Going to California," he says, "Took my chances on a big jet plane, never let them tell you that they're all the same!" Yes, they bought a 727 in the early 70's, but what was he referring to? Anyone? Marty?
I also thought the 727 was cool with 3 engines in the back! Very sleek!
 
More pics from my hard drive cleanup...
My sister in law standing in front of one of my 727's... circa mid to late 90's. Yes, we were contracted to the Postal Service.

Dawn in front of a 727.jpg



Giving one of her kids the nickel tour. Don't think she was too impressed.


Amber in a 727.jpg



Neither was her boy... Pre-glass cockpit days.


Dawn in a 727.jpg
 
Was a line and flight mechanic on 727's for about a decade. It was a tough, reliable airplane. Still one of my favorites.
I did line maintenance on them from 1984 until until they retired. I liken it to an old F100 (truck) or a Timex watch. Takes a licken......

Here's a bit of airplane trivia. In the Led Zeppelin song, "Going to California," he says, "Took my chances on a big jet plane, never let them tell you that they're all the same!" Yes, they bought a 727 in the early 70's, but what was he referring to? Anyone? Marty?
I also thought the 727 was cool with 3 engines in the back! Very sleek!

I don't know what the song means. :shrug: Three engines back there was a lot of weight. As a mechanic, to taxi or tow it meant putting a lot of fuel in the center tank if you were going to do it safely. Taxiing on a hyperextended nose gear invites a strong pucker factor.
 
Taxiing on a hyperextended nose gear invites a strong pucker factor.
Ever back one up Marty? Rule #1.... feet flat on the floor. Never EVER touch the brakes. To stop you go to forward thrust. If you touch the brakes, you'll sit on your ass. :yikes:
 
Ever back one up Marty? Rule #1.... feet flat on the floor. Never EVER touch the brakes. To stop you go to forward thrust. If you touch the brakes, you'll sit on your ass. :yikes:
Yes, but in the right seat running the radios. Light on fuel and drawing up the seat cushion! :laugh: I expect other times, but that one I did not forget.

My favorite 727 story involves takeoff power runs on Engine #1. The mechanics in the cockpit had failed to secure the cowlings on Engine #2. Old Fred drove up, plugged in the headset and gave them the all clear. A moment later he gave the FIELD GOAL signal as the cowlings cleared the blast fence! Now THAT, was funny! (Except to the responsible parties) I can only imagine sitting there with the throttle pushed way up and seeing that seasoned mechanic standing out in front of the airplane with his arms raised straight up. It had to be that feeling you get way down in your gut when you know you just screwed up real bad.
 
Yes, but in the right seat running the radios. Light on fuel and drawing up the seat cushion! :laugh: I expect other times, but that one I did not forget.

My favorite 727 story involves takeoff power runs on Engine #1. The mechanics in the cockpit had failed to secure the cowlings on Engine #2. Old Fred drove up, plugged in the headset and gave them the all clear. A moment later he gave the FIELD GOAL signal as the cowlings cleared the blast fence! Now THAT, was funny! (Except to the responsible parties) I can only imagine sitting there with the throttle pushed way up and seeing that seasoned mechanic standing out in front of the airplane with his arms raised straight up. It had to be that feeling you get way down in your gut when you know you just screwed up real bad.
I suspect that over a few beers we could swap some tall ones. ;) :cheers:
 
I don't know about all that stuff. I do know about, USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and FA-18 Hornet, Strike Fighters. Great little bird in a knife fight! Gulf of Hormuz Highway Patrol. Jet Mech SCPO. Doesn't get any better!
Knife fighters.jpg
 
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I don't know about all that stuff. I do know about, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and FA-18 Hornet, Strike Fighters. Great little bird in a knife fight! Gulf of Hormuz Highway Patrol. Jet Mech SCPO. Doesn't get any better!
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Near the end of my military career, I was stationed at Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center. The FA-18 was a new airplane there in testing. It was fun to see some of it.
 
No canvas on a Spitfire!

It was an aluminium plane and families all over Britain donated their aluminium saucepans to the War Effort. Doubt they got made into Spitfires though.
Turned out almost none of the 'drive for scrap' aluminium was used in the war effort.
Piles of it were sold to scrap dealers after the war.
 
ZACKLEY!

RE: Spitfire, I think that at least in the earliest Marks, the rudder and elevators were aluminium framed but covered in fabric. Marlin may have been thinking of the Hawker Hurricane which did have a partially fabric covered fuselage along with the tail surfaces (as can be seen in the photo below).
hurricaneiib_hangar11_g-hhii_ott09_02.jpg
The airframe fitters loved the Hurri, as it was so easy to repair. The Spit, on the other hand, was a total bitch to fix, with panels needing to be removed laboriously, damage fixed internally, then panels laboriously fixed back on.
 
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