The Airplane Thread

[Jbrown7403]

Unique perspective. Heroes all, for sure!

[Frostynorth]

Is it the condenser or the evaporator that leaks?
If condenser, I’d replace the coil under warranty. The evaporator, replace the entire thing, it’s just not worth the trouble.

Some leaks can be fixed, but it usually mangles up the coils as the copper is rather thin.
It’s unfortunate but it happens, have had coils less than a year old leak but labour and refrigerant are never covered after first year.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Llarry

@sygazelle -- Do you have the attached history of VMF/VMFA-312? When your Dad started flying jets, do you know which squadron he was assigned to?

Tell me more about your Dad's Marine Corps career -- was he a career Marine who retired or did he get out in the '50s?

He started flying jets in '53 when he got back from Korea. He was with the Checkerboard Squadron (VMF/VMFA-312)

Yes, I do have the history that you attached. It's been a long time since I read it. Thanks for sending. I'll give it another look. What a time it was!

I don't remember everything, but I've got several photos and his log books from 1944 through 1956. He flew a lot of different planes, starting with the Steerman and ending with the F2H. The Corsair was his true love!

I will PM you with more details if you wish.

[Lady Jane]

Bell YFM-1 Airacuda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_YFM-1_Airacuda

[3798j]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Bell YFM-1 Airacuda

I find reading about the history of the misfit/poor performing aircraft just as interesting as the reports on the planes with stellar credentials.
"Continuing problems gave the Airacuda a reputation as "hangar queens"."

[BMWGUYinCO]

Originally Posted by Llarry

The nose compartment of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress looks like a very busy place -- not only a bombsight ...

More fascinating trivia from WWII, this time regarding the famous Norden Bomb sighting mechanism.

Developed with the highest classification of top secrecy, [quoted from Wikipedia} it was an early tachometric design that directly measured the aircraft's ground speed and direction, which older bombsights could only estimate with lengthy manual procedures. It further improved on older designs by using an analog computer that continuously recalculated the bomb's impact point based on changing flight conditions, and an autopilot that reacted quickly and accurately to changes in the wind or other effects. Together, these features promised unprecedented accuracy for daytime bombing from high altitudes. During prewar testing the Norden demonstrated a circular error probable (CEP)[a] of 75 feet (23 m),[b] an astonishing performance for that period.

However....it did not deliver anywhere near the accuracy promised. Why? Simple: it required constant visual line-of-sight alignment with the target...and of course as often was the case in Europe...the skies were cloudy. For every 500 bombs dropped with the Norden bomb sight, only one came within 1,200 feet of its intended target.

[Sara]

I guess it’s time I make my contribution. Baby daddy doing his thing. Just another day at work.

[Jbrown7403]

A friend is just about done with his Vans RV12 Experimental Aircraft construction project. Started to vinyl wrap the tail (I pretty much “supervised” with beer in hand). It has been fun to see the whole project progress over the years.

[Lady Jane]

Moynet Jupiter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moynet_Jupiter

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

We moved into the house in 2020 and the company who installed the system won't honor anything since I'm not the original buyer.

Have you tried going to straight to Trane? The installer is surely looking for the money but perhaps Trane will honor the warranty.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Moynet Jupiter.

You sure know how to find the odd ones, Lady Jane!

[Llarry]

Pan-Am's first pressurized aircraft, the Boeing 307 of 1940. Definitely a class above the DC-3, but the timing was poor.

The 307 was based on the early variant B-17. The aircraft were taken over by the Army Air Force in 1941 and designated C-75. In 1944 they were returned to the airlines, as by then the four-engine Douglas DC-4 (Army C-54 and Navy R5D) was widely available. The 307s were then updated and placed back in commercial service. They were retired in 1951.

The B-17 had turbosuperchargers which enabled superior high-altitude performance; the 307 did not.

[Llarry]

A sampling of some triplanes...

-- Roe (late Avro) III of 1910

-- Sopwith Triplane of World War I

-- Fokker Dr I of World War I (probably the most famous triplane)

-- Caproni Ca.48

-- And if three wings are good, how about nine? The Caproni Ca.60 flew only twice and crashed the second time. I suspect that the first flight was not all that impressive, either. This is a model; I suspect it crashed before anyone could get a photo...

-- Mitsubishi 1MT carrier torpedo plane of the 1920s. Not very successful and served only briefly.

[Llarry]

U.S. Navy carrier aircraft of World War II -- Part 7:

OK, just kidding about part 7, but here is a post on the paint colors:

1941-42 -- At the beginning of the war, carrier aircraft were blue-gray on upper surfaces and gray on lower surfaces. They had a national insignia consisting of a blue disc with white star and a red disc inside the star. They also had red stripes on the rudder. See the attached photo of an F4F Wildcat.

Soon the Navy realized that trigger-happy anti-aircraft crews would shoot at any sign of red (e.g., the rising sun insignia on Japanese aircraft); the red dot on the national insignia and the red rudder stripes were painted out.

1943 -- Two different color schemes were introduced:

Atlantic -- In the Atlantic, it was judged that the prevailing weather was overcast (gray). Accordingly, aircraft were painted gray and white. I was unable to find a good photo, so see the attached photo of an Avenger model in Atlantic colors.

Pacific -- In the Pacific, it was judged that the prevailing weather was clear. Accordingly, aircraft were painted in a tri-color scheme: Sea blue on top (as seen from directly above), white on bottom (as seen directly from below) and intermediate blue on the sides to blend the two. See the attached photo of an Avenger in Pacific tri-color scheme.

In 1943, bars were added on either side of the national insignia. For reasons that are unclear to me, also in 1943 for a brief period, a thin red surround was added to the national insignia. See the F6F photo with the red surround. See the above comments about avoiding red -- the surround quickly went away!

1944 -- In 1944, it was decreed that fighters would be all-blue (see the attached photo of an F6F Hellcat); for a while, dive bombers and torpedo planes kept their tri-color scheme but by 1945, all carrier planes were all-blue. I suspect that the rationale was fiscal rather than camouflage-related. They stayed that way until the mid-1950s.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Llarry

You sure know how to find the odd ones, Lady Jane!

Well, I'm a bit of an oddity...

Potez 75

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potez_75

[lakefront]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Have you tried going to straight to Trane? The installer is surely looking for the money but perhaps Trane will honor the warranty.

Agree.....the warranty comes from the manufacturer, not the dealer. Try a different dealer. The coil should be warrantied from Trane.

[HappynHealthy]

Definitely go to Trane's website and look for an authorized Trane dealer. More than likely Trane will replace it under warranty, and re-imburse the dealer just like an automotive shop is reimbursed when there is a vehicle warranty.

HVAC companies will always try to sell a new unit, especially the " one day service " companies. Unfortunately the mom and pop companies that have always had great service are being bought out by huge companies where a customer is just a $$. They Don't seek to acquire a new accounts just get the $$ and flip to the next house. Sad but true as many retiring trades people aren't being replaced by a younger generation wanting to move up.
I see it all the time as i am a vendor in this and the plumbing field. Plumbing and mechanical companies are desperate for techs, whether green or journeymen. Trades have to be reinstated in high schools and vocational ed supported more. If only these kids would realize the potential they have for making over $100K rather quickly.

[2000cs]

The OP already posted that as the second owner, Trane’s warranty doesn’t apply. That was my experience with Trane and other HVAC vendors (clearly stated in their warranty) and with hurricane windows ($2k to replace one sliding glass door that had fogged). That’s why it might make sense to get a whole-house warranty when purchasing a home, or plan to take the risk.

[Lady Jane]

Someone had too much time on their hands.

[zx10guy]

I replaced my HVAC system almost a year and a half ago. A couple of my neighbors also had theirs replaced during this time frame. I don't know the details behind what brand units they went with and if they went with the original builder spec units, but this is their pricing. The one house with only a single zone system paid a bit over $7k. The other home had a dual zone system with a heat pump for the second floor. They paid a bit over $14k.

The unit I went with was a Bryant. I had it installed by a buddy that does HVAC work for a living. I was also able to use his contractor's discount with no mark up on his end. My old unit was the builder installed Comfortmaker with a 75k BTU furnace and I think a 4 ton A/C unit. The new one I got is a Bryant 135k BTU furnace with obviously a bigger blower and a 5 ton A/C unit. I paid $3600 for the parts. Paid $1500 to my buddy to put it in so all in I'm at $5100.

At the time I purchased the equipment, my buddy's supplier said they only show 9 at the warehouse and said they didn't know when any more would come in with the supply chain issues. With the supply chain issues, prices were climbing with any available unit. I don't know if supply chain has caught up. I suspect not enough to significantly bring prices back down to pre-pandemic levels (if this even ever happens).

[snowbimmer]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Well, I'm a bit of an oddity...


Potez 75

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potez_75


Attachment 3122476

Early Cessna 337

[Tyga11]

Well I am going with Option #1.

The problem is the part is back ordered with Trane. So I have the guy doing a 'charge-up' on Thursday and he says it's fine if it's leaking.

This is a different story vs. the company that came out on Saturday and said the unit shouldn't be ran at all (the company trying to upsell me)

So I don't know who to believe...this is the problem with HVAC.