Wings & Wheels - Every year the small aviation museum in our small town puts on a show at our local airport featuring both cars and aircraft. This past weekend we attended with one of our cars and I snapped some shots fighting the morning sun, before I got called to registration duty. Attendance of both cars and planes, as well as spectators, was down this year due to the unseasonably hot weather. Still it was a nice event with plenty of cars and aircraft to catch my interest. Here are some.
1935 "Wimpy" One of the first successful low wing plane designs, which was to influence many modern aircraft that followed. Our state was on of the first in the nation to license airplanes and became a hot bed for home built aircraft like this. From a time when if you wanted to fly, you most likely had to build it yourself. Our airport has remained home to many experimental aircraft through the years.
1954 Storey Thomas. An early kit built experimental plane powered by a 4-cylinder Continental motor. Continental was the largest builder of auto engines in the 1920's, eventually concentrating on aircraft engines. The A/C65 engine in this plane is the same type that powered the evergreen Piper Cub.
I missed the year on this Lincoln touring car, but love its original condition and patina. A lovely motor I'm sure Julio will approve of.
This is an Adams Arrow, a more modern continuation of a Stearman bi-plane. It is powered by a big seven-cylinder Continental radial engine. The original Stearman's like this were used extensively for both military and civilian pilot training.
The owner of this plane has a hangar at the airport where he not only houses his plane, but collection of early Harley Davidson motorcycles.
He also owns this Model T race car, sitting next to one of our club members MGTD.
The same guy who owns the MG, built this scooter from four VW bug fenders he picked up for free at a garage sale. Thought this one might be of interest to you Tom.
Perhaps my favorite car there, this 1929 Model A Pickup. I have a soft spot for Model A PU's from my experience building an old Hubley metal 1/25 scale version of one when I was a pre-teen. It was built by the gentleman who also built the float plane next to it. He was a very interesting guy to talk to. It turns out that at one time he set national class records in a Hudson Hornet at Bonneville. Never know who you are going to meet at one of these shows.
What really struck me about this Model A was the flat-head Offy engine. 200 HP and small drum brakes!
Great Lakes was a well known small aircraft builder in the 1930's until about 1960 when the company fell on hard times and its assets were sold. Since then a succession of owners who hold the rights to the original designs have sold them to home built aircraft builders. This plane which is a continuation of a Great Lakes Sport Trainer, a popular plane originally used to train aerobatics to pilots, was built in 1996 by the guy that owns the MGTD and VW fender scooter. It is powered by a period Fairchild Ranger in-line six-cylinder engine.
One of our club members brought out his recently acquired Caterham Super 7. It won peoples choice in the car division. Sitting next to it is another club members original Triumph Spitfire. An aptly named car to bring to a show like this.
This 30's Chevy looked great in a dove gray against all the chrome. Unfortunately, my side shot didn't turn out.
I really wanted to get a better shot of the Ryan PT-22 in the background, but they were doing a piece for the local news and I didn't want to interfere. So, I got one with this Lincoln in it as well. They are a rare enough site here now that seeing one anymore is pretty cool in itself. The Ryan, made by the same company that built Charles Lindburg's famous plane, made this first purpose built monoplane WWII trainer in 1942. I doubt it was ever polished this much in its service life and rumor has it the owner hires someone to do so regularly. That would be quite a job!
A very original Willys Jeep Wagon. At the end of the day, it was a toss up for me which was my favorite, this Willys or the Model A.
Yesterday while getting one of my cars serviced, I shot some images of the cars awaiting service (mostly waiting on parts). A bit dusty, but a nice Ferrari F355 F1 Spyder.
I love the body style on this vintage of Alfa. Early 60's? Not sure if it is a Sprint 1600.
Not something you see everyday, anywhere. This A110 Alpine Renault just arrived here from France and I am definitely going to pester its owner fro a drive!
Its a Jaguar Mk2, I had to take its picture!
What a beautiful reminder of a different time and this is further affirmation why I was so fascinated by your island from an early age.
