Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

[supercub]

Does anyone remember the red and white Ford Tri motor that use to be at Morgan Hill? Does anyone know whatever happened to it? Thanks
Brian

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

I was there ("Flying Lady") a couple of times when I lived in Morgan Hill. They had tons of models that went above you on a moving track while you ate,etc. I also remember a P51 being outside & I don't know what happened to it. It was quite a place.

[Plane Nuts]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

I went to the Flying Lady in the early80's. While eating in the restaurant I was intrigued by an airplane on the "dry cleaners"
overhead track. Irv Perch, the owner was in the restaurant, so I asked him what it was, he told me it was Howard Hughes XF-11. I bought a book on Howard Hughes in the gift shop to read about it. It looks like a P-38 with 2 4360's. Would love to see one racing a Tigercat at Reno. I agree, it was quite a place. I took a lot of pictures there. The Tri Motor is now owned by Kermit Weeks.

Here is a link to a video on the Flying Lady by Irv Perch's daughter.

https://vimeo.com/42041627

[Samuel]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Does anyone know if Kermit's Tri Motor is still airworthy?

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraft/golden-age/1929-ford-5at-tri-motor/

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

I was there ("Flying Lady") a couple of times when I lived in Morgan Hill. They had tons of models that went above you on a moving track while you ate,etc. I also remember a P51 being outside & I don't know what happened to it. It was quite a place.

That Mustang is flying again.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95185795@N06/10602389385/

[supercub]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

That Tri motor use to be a regular at the various flyin's and airshows here in the central CA area back in the 70's. One year at merced we had 3 Tri Motors. This one, Harrah's had just finished the rebuilding of another Ford and it was there...........and the 3rd was a Bushmaster. Pretty Kewl to see 3 tri motors at the same time.

[Pete]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

I went to the Flying Lady in the early80's. While eating in the restaurant I was intrigued by an airplane on the "dry cleaners"
overhead track. Irv Perch, the owner was in the restaurant, so I asked him what it was, he told me it was Howard Hughes XF-11. I bought a book on Howard Hughes in the gift shop to read about it. It looks like a P-38 with 2 4360's. Would love to see one racing a Tigercat

There was only one of those. Howard crashed it dramatically into an upscale residential neighborhood on its maiden flight while touring the LA basin instead of performing the test flight prescribed by the engineers...

[Lon Moer]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Also at the "Wagons to Wings" Museum at Irv Perch's Hill Country in Morgan Hill, was a tall tailed P-51 and a F6F Hellcat, which both belonged to Mike Coutches. I have several pictures (slides) of both I'll scan one day.
The Hellcat had flipped on its back when landing on the golf course runway and it sat damaged in the museum. I remember Roger Brower brought two action pictures to a NAG meeting in '79~'80 that showed the Hellcat up on its nose and then over on its back. They weren't great pictures but you could see enough to see what happened.

I saw in the Registry that the Hellcat was flying in Texas now, with a second seat and some blue tinted canopy.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fregistry/f6f-94204.html

The Coutches still own the P-51 and it flies, but it has been listed for sale in Feb ~Mar.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/p51-4484864.html

I believe the Ford Tri-motor is now Kermit Weeks.

[Plane Nuts]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Actually there were 2 XF-11 built. After recovering from crashing the first one, a second one was built minus the contra props that caused the first one to crash. After testing by the Air Force it was dropped from inventory in 1949, then scrapped. Seeing one racing a Tigercat is just a daydream. Sure would sound good.

[Lon Moer]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Also, when the Flying Lady restaurant closed a couple guys from the Wings of History Air Museum in San Martin were able to make a 'late night withdrawal' of a bunch of the airplane models that are supposed to be on display in their building at South County airport.

[supercub]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Their were several airplanes on display in the museum. I believe at least a couple of WWI fighters. I believe it was a Lockheed Q airplane. Engine behind the cockpit with a long drive shaft extending forward to drive the prop.

[Plane Nuts]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

I remember that one, a Lockheed Q-Star based on a Schweizer glider powered by a Wankel rotary engine.

[CJAM427]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Does anyone know if Kermit's Tri Motor is still airworthy?

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircr...5at-tri-motor/

Yes it is, had an annual back in November. -At the time Kermit need to get a re-currency check, and since he hasn't posted anything about it since I would imagine that hasn't changed. He's a busy guy.

https://www.facebook.com/KermitWeeks/photos/pb.271937182875368.-2207520000.1431201365./748286118573803/?type=3&theater

[440_Magnum]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

There was only one of those. Howard crashed it dramatically into an upscale residential neighborhood on its maiden flight while touring the LA basin instead of performing the test flight prescribed by the engineers...

And ignoring warning signs.

I've read one account which indicated that the oil reservoir on one of the contra-prop pitch control systems kept needing to be topped off after every flight (or ground test- can't remember which). There was no obvious leak (it was most certainly leaking, though), so HH pushed on with his testing (which may have amounted to 'touring' also...) The accident flight was long enough that the pitch control reservoir on one side went dry, the contra-prop went flat, and the plane went down. A flat contra-prop of the size being turned by a 4360 and with a healthy 4360 on the other side amounts to a whole lot of asymmetrical thrust/drag. Throw in the fact that it was a new design with a lot of unknown characteristics, and it wasn't a good situation.

I may have a few details off, but it was one of those times when HH's obsession outweighed caution for sure.

[W J Pearce]

Re: Flying Lady Tri Motor, where is it?

Re the XF-11, as it seems to be of some interest. I posted the below back in 2012 (and have edited it a bit here).

If Hughes had...

1) Not performed the first flight for over 45 minutes like the AAF had requested
2) Not performed the first flight in a populated area like the AAF had requested
3) Not performed the first flight at dusk like any normal test pilot / company / government body would suggest
4) Not retracted the gear like the AAF had requested
5) Executed an emergency landing at the first sign of trouble
6) Communicated with his chase

... then things might have worked out differently.

Oil leaked out of the seals on the rear set of props on the right engine causing them to eventually reverse pitch. Because of the poor lighting and being distracted by a faulty gear indicator, Hughes never noticed the oil leak. Because of the poor lighting and flying some distance behind the XF-11, the A-20 chase plane never noticed the oil leak. If the flight had occurred midday rather than at 5:20 PM, the oil might have been spotted. But it is entirety conceivable that it could have been missed.

The problem with the propellers occurred about 1 hour and 15 minutes into the flight. This would have been 30 minutes after Hughes was already on the ground if he had kept to the 45 minute flight. When the prop started having issues Hughes maneuvered (to maintain control) thinking the right main gear had dropped down. This thought was because of the indicator light issues he had earlier in the flight. If he had left the gear down, there would have been no distractions from the gear.

Chase thought he was banking to set-up for landing at Culver City, so chase broke "formation" and landed. Had he been communicating with chase, not only would chase have known he had a problem, but they could have told Hughes the right main gear was not down allowing him to rule out that thought.

While troubleshooting, Hughes, now alone, flew away from the airport. This left him with few options when things got worse and in the very difficult position of making an off-field landing at around 6:40 PM in a populated area. Had Hughes opted for the runway at the first sign of trouble or made the flight in an unpopulated area, he would have had more options.

Like with almost all accidents, it is a series of events that led up to the final outcome. You take out any one of the six items noted above and that completely changes the odds. Maybe it would not change the outcome, but it is very possible that it would have.