Lone Star Flight Museum today Feb. 7th, 2008 (pics)

[han freak solo]

Today I had a job at a usual customer of mine down in Galveston, Texas. I took a "lunch break" at the Lone Star Flight Museum (http://www.lsfm.org/) museum/hangar complex on the island while I was there. Many Texans have been there of course, but for those who haven't here's some pics. Some of the planes here are flyable and others are AI.

Don't hold me to the same standard as cawimmer (aka Christian). For one thing, I shot these with an old pocket camera with 110 film (http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/10.gif) and the fact that this place is a working hangar which means that you don't get the best angles to photograph and many planes are being serviced while you walk around. Plus, I don't have a sister to look at like Christian does, so no pin up pics here. Sorry.

I will tell you this though, there were at least a dozen visitors speaking German, and 4 other visitors speaking French. They were spying on our superior technology and probably forwarding pics to Christian. Evil doers! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

Anyway, I'm starting the pics with a jet. A Convair B-58A Hustler that is AI only.

Notice how the nose gear of the B-58 dwarfs a B-29 Super Fortress. Believe it, baby!

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b58a_2.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b58a_3.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b58a_4.jpg

Below, you can see clearly here the German spy pretending to take photos of a Stinson L5, but us Americans know the real truth.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b58a_8.jpg

Here you can see the not so clandestine Frenchmen, conspiring to plane-jack the B-58 just because they got the idea from seeing Firefox (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083943/) in their hotel room last night on cable TV. (Look at the lower right corner!)

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b58a_9.jpg

[leitmotiv]

GOOD GRIEF! The B-58 wasn't that big, was it!

Love this airplane. I saw one in 1965 go into what appeared to be a death dive over Greeley, Colorado. It was going straight down. My friend and I were watching dumbstruck. At the last moment it pulled out and shot upwards like a bullet.

[han freak solo]

Here's the Grumman F3F-2 they have there and it's not AI. It's flyable! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/11.gif

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f3f2_7.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f3f2_2.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f3f2_3.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f3f2_4.jpg

[BoCfuss]

The Hustler was one of my favorites growing up. Had a model and everything. Good Shoots.

[polak5]

Originally posted by han freak solo:
Here's the Grumman F3F-2 they have there and it's not AI. It's flyable! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/11.gif

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f3f2_7.jpg


Cute as a pug tho! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/34.gif

[han freak solo]

Radial engines - cutaway displays.


Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-1820) as used in the Douglas SBD-5.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/wright_r1820_cyclone9_1.jpg



Wright R-3350 Duplex Cyclone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-3350) as used in the Boeing B-29.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/wright_r3350_duplex_cyclone_2.jpg



The prop reduction planet gears for the Duplex Cyclone.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/wright_r3350_duplex_cyclone_1.jpg

[han freak solo]

Last pics for tonight, then I'll post some more tomorrow!

Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_and_Whitney_Twin_Wasp) as used in the Consolidated PB4Y Privateer they are restoring.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p&w_r1830_twin_wasp.jpg


Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_R-4360) as used in a Convair B-36.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p&w_r4360_wasp_major_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p&w_r4360_wasp_major_2.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p&w_r4360_wasp_major_3.jpg

[leitmotiv]

Beautiful F3F-2 and terrific shots---way to go HFS!

[woofiedog]

Excellent job with takng these photos. That B-58 is a real Beauty and really like the engine shots also.

Thank's for sharing.

[cawimmer430]

Very nice pictures! Love the detail! You just inspired me to get off my lazy behind and sort out the other A/C pics I took! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif


PS: The photos from my fellow German spies have not arrived yet! I suspect they've been caught and turned into double agents! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

[danjama]

Man those engine shots are perfect, beautiful works of machinery!

[han freak solo]

Originally posted by cawimmer430:
PS: The photos from my fellow German spies have not arrived yet! I suspect they've been caught and turned into double agents! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

I turned them in to the local sheriff when I left the island. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/10.gif

http://images.dawgsports.com/images/admin/blackandwhite_Buford_T_Justice_in_car.bmp

I think your fellow agents will escape, given a little time. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

[cawimmer430]

Originally posted by han freak solo:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by cawimmer430:
PS: The photos from my fellow German spies have not arrived yet! I suspect they've been caught and turned into double agents! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

I turned them in to the local sheriff when I left the island. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/10.gif

http://images.dawgsports.com/images/admin/blackandwhite_Buford_T_Justice_in_car.bmp

I think your fellow agents will escape, given a little time. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just gave the Kriegsmarine a ring. They're sending a U-Boat to pick 'em up! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/35.gif

[Breeze147]

The last time I was there (2004?), they were restoring a B-24. How did that turn out?

[Heliopause]

That's one hack of a lunch break! Love the F3F... http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[M2morris]

Bee-a-utiful stuff. I should drag the wife and kid down there and check that place out the first chance I get. Love that B-58.
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

[han freak solo]

Originally posted by Breeze147:
The last time I was there (2004?), they were restoring a B-24. How did that turn out?

There was no B-24. I'd really like to have seen that! I also wanted to see an I-16 they had on loan a while back, but it has moved on. There is the cousin of the B-24 there being restored, though.

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer soon to be flyable. No ETA though.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/pb4y-2_privateer_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/pb4y-2_privateer_3.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/pb4y-2_privateer_4.jpg

[han freak solo]

How about a flyable Douglas SBD-5?

Literature there states that it is actually a converted USAAF A-24B. Shhhh, you didn't hear it from me. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/sbd5_2.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/sbd5_3.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/sbd5_5.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/sbd5_7.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/sbd5_8.jpg

[han freak solo]

Another flyable, the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 Canary.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/naval_air_factory_n3n-3_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/naval_air_factory_n3n-3_3.jpg

[han freak solo]

A regular in the American airshow circuit is "Tarheel Hal", a very flyable Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p47d_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p47d_2.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p47d_3.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/p47d_5.jpg

[han freak solo]

Since the local sheriff had his handful with the German spies, and the museum security put a lock-down on the B-58 Hustler, the B-17G in the other hangar had it's main wheels stolen.

Since the thieves used jackstands instead of bricks, it's assumed the wheels were taken by the two Frenchmen. There was a croissant laying by one of the jackstands. It's being sent to the local crime lab for DNA testing. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b17g_6.jpg

[han freak solo]

Aside from the aforementioned crime, here are some more pics of "Thunderbird" a flyable (but not landable) Boeing/Vega B-17G Flying Fortress.


http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b17g_1.jpg


http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b17g_3.jpg


http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b17g_7.jpg


http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/b17g_9.jpg

[han freak solo]

Here's an inside view of the nose turret to a Consolidated Privateer.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/privateer_nose_turret_3.jpg

[han freak solo]

Here's the top turret they may be using for the Consolidated Privateer restoration.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/privateer_top_turret_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/privateer_top_turret_3.jpg

[han freak solo]

Here's some Navy birds. Unfortunately, due to cramped space, they had their wings folded up and parked close to each other. At least they left the Bearcat looking ready to go!

All flyable machines.

General Motors TBM-3E Avenger
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/tbm3e_4.jpg

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f8f2_1.jpg

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f6f5_3.jpg

Vought F4U-5 Corsair
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f4u5_1.jpg

[han freak solo]

Someone let in some flyable British machines, too. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif

Hawker Hurricane IIB
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/hurricane_IIb_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/hurricane_IIb_2.jpg

Supermarine Spitfire LFXVIe
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/spitfire_LFXVIE_1.jpg

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/spitfire_LFXVIE_2.jpg

De Haviland DH 82a Tiger Moth
http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/dh82a.jpg

[han freak solo]

Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina AI only, though.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/pby-5a_2.jpg

[han freak solo]

A really nice flyable Douglas DC-3A representing Continental Airlines based in nearby Houston.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/dc3a.jpg

[han freak solo]

A flyable Douglas AD-1 Skyraider.

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/ad1_1.jpg

[han freak solo]

Look what they hid in the backyard! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

An AI Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21).

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/mig21_3.jpg

[han freak solo]

Then there was a terrible accident in the front of the building. A North American F-100 Super Sabre overshot the runway and impaled itself on a small pyramid. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/f100_1.jpg

[han freak solo]

That's it from me y'all. There were a few more aircraft I didn't get good shots of, and there is a nice "Texas Aviation Hall of Fame" section worth going into as well with photos, paintings, and dioramas.

Thanks for visiting!

http://www.lssdigital.com/lwpilot/lsfm/lsfm_3.jpg

[Breeze147]

Thank you, bro'. Just up the Coast Rd. a bit is a terrific Mexican seafood restaurant. I had a great time that day, except it was about a 125 deg F.