Rear Bear POTW

[rnichols]

It's great to see the Bear flying again!

In the POTW, it looks like there is a big oil streak running down the side of the plane. I don't remember noticing that in other years of watching the Bear (or other round-engines) fly. Is that normal? Is it part of the "break-in" process?

thanks,

Russ

[Unregistered]

Bear break-in

Yes, that is normal during break-in....and after break-in!

during break-in, before the piston rings get completely seated, there is a lot more oil blow-by, that ends up on the exterior of the plane.

John Penney

[bearfan1]

Bear stains

Amussing <sp> side note, ( to me anyway ), during the Bears performence at Oshkosh in 1994, the Bear came down in just about the same shape. I have videos of her after a twenty minute flight and the trail of oil is almost identical. After the Bear taxied in and shut down, there was an English gentleman that walked up to the Bear, took out a small piece of white cloth, wiped a little of the oil onto the cloth, stuffed it into a film container and packed it away with a smile on his face that pretty much said he had just gotten his most prized possesion. Imagine that, dirty oil..............

Great Pics Wayne. what do you do for the next 11 months, LOL

Duane

Go Bear at Reno 2002. It's all about the Bear man, always has been and always will be, till I take my last breath.

[Unregistered]

Question for John Penney

I see Russ lives in Wilton, Ca. Were your first flying lessons at a small airstrip near there?

Steve in EG

[rnichols]

Not John, but...

I assume you actually meant that question for me anyway...

I didn't learn to fly in Wilton. I took my lessons at Executive Flyers. The are located at Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC). Ed (the owner) is a great guy and I highly recommend them.

Now, I do live on a residential airstrip in Wilton... However, I assume you're talking about Sunset Skypark just south of Elk Grove. I've flown in there, but don't know anything about the person(s) that gives lessons from there.

Russ

[Leo]

Is there a round engine out there that does'nt coat everything with OIL? A few years ago (quite a few) I crewed a B-25 for a season of Airshow flying. She was a little tired and now days probably would'nt be flying at all. My only job on the crew was wiper. When we landed, or anytime we ran the engines, I wiped up the OIL. There was a lot of it. Seemed we used as much OIL as fuel! Engines, nacelles, gear wells and tail were definately well lubricated.
I don't think I've ever seen Rare Bear or any of the air cooled racers dry after engine runs or flight.

Leo

[Unregistered]

Where I learned to fly...

For the question about Wilton, California, flying lessons, and the Sunset skyranch.

I grew up in Elk Grove, California, and learned to fly from ole' Gus Windmiller. In 1964, Sunset was the Windmiller Ranch (private), and Gus's landing strip was grass, worn down by tractor tires. I used to ride my bicycle from town out to Gus's place, before sunup in the summer of '64, where Gus GAVE me my first flying lessons. That was in his Piper J3 Cub. The J3 is normally powered by the 65 hp, Continental A-65, but Gus's Cub had the BIG engine; the 90 hp Continental C-90. I guess that's where I learned to like big engines...

Gus, now in the autumn of his years, taught me everything I ever needed to know about how to fly a plane.

My mom still lives in Elk Grove, and when I visit, I occassionally drive out to Sunset to revisit the place where I first soloed. If you ever fly into the now, Sunset Skyranch, land on the dirt strip on the north side of the paved runway next to the fence. That's where the real runway is...

John Penney

[mayday51]

oil consumption

....some where along the way on the 3350s achange was made to the oil control rings and possibly the pistons.....any better knowlege on this?

.....wasn't it some dash # of Skyraider that you couldn't run out of gas?.....(it burned more of it's oil reserves than fuel ?)(at least by the numbers ?)

........

[AAFO_WSagar]

John,

Shoot me an email, let's get you signed up as a registered user with a proper title.. Like

RACE PILOT!!

You jammed at Nellis!

Wayne

["Bear" Driver]

Registration

Wayne,

I guess I'm now registered...at least I hope I did it correctly!

John

[GWB]

Great name........!!!

[wolfee]

"Bear Driver".

It has nice ring...... ah....... growl to it.

Its a keeper.

Wolfee