Alaska Weekend

[Dick Smith]

Here's a link to the recent May Day Flyin at Valdez, Alaska, which centered around the Short takeoff and landing efforts of mostly Supercubs...Jim Hartley and I were privileged to spend 2 days there. I flew to Birchwood Airport, north of Anchorage. Jim picked me up and we drove down to Valdez. Saw some masters at work. Work your way through the various galleries if you want a glimpse of the activities. (Once you click on a particular picture, click on the resulting screen to enlarge it a bit.) Would suggest you open the bottom gallery...No. 6 STOL...first.

http://www.printroom.com/ghome.asp?shopperid=ANNS3VEGXW7J9LKXJ8NL3XB0LM1L658B&domain_name=joephoto&group_id=10

Even though no Taylorcrafts were involved, we still measure our efforts against the Supercub machine and always gain something by watching them being worked.
Dick

[matsuthunder200]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Dick
Looks like it was a great weekend. Is there a link that tells who won all the compatitions. I have a few frends that competed curtis green was there also i wonder how he did.
I am on floats beside the lake at willow cant wait for the ice to go out.
the lakes are about to go out here in wasilla but it will be about 10-14 days for willow.

[Dan Mahalak]

Re: Alaska Weekend

geez, dick, i didnt see you there, but I flew 43143 from seward...left a little early..... The turbine otter was the machine that really impressed me!

[Dick Smith]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Dan, Jim and I headed your direction as soon as we saw a Taylorcraft, but you must have been in the process of leaving. You have the wing tank vents that have a "tee" built in to them? We walked all the way down to the end of the strip, but couldn't find you. Dick

[Dan Mahalak]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Thats a bummer. Would have liked, very much, to spend some time picking your brain. Left Valdez about half way through the Stol comps, right in the middle of the cub class. I was parked in the second row back, approx 10 planes towards runway 6 of the turbine otter. took the long way back to seward via whittier and grandview pass. what a marvelous afternoon. I thought i was the only tcraft present. never saw jims T.

We arrived approx 11:15 a.m. and the flour bombing was too long in my opinion....too bad they were so far behind schedule. The commander that was at the end of the taxi way is the aircraft we left for dead in Naknek a few years back. Gotta love a huge state with a great community of aviatiors.

Heading to the conference this weekend in anchorage anyone?
P.S. Lake hood is OPEN. Was there yesterday. Going to floats next week, and finishing the ASV today.(Aircraft Support Vehicle)

[Dan Mahalak]

Re: Alaska Weekend

DROVE DOWN??????
My bad, no wonder I didnt see any other T's. Lots of polished aircraft....but I did get the red lantern award from the guys I flew down with.........but I still had money to buy lunch and all they could afford was gas...suckers.

[VictorBravo]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Dick, I have a couple of questions for you, I hope you don't mind...

First, how did the Zenair STOL homebuilt fare against the Cubs and Maules? I saw a photo of one on that website and I am VERY curious. I have developed an interest in that cosmetically-challenged boxy thing, and I have always wondered how it does against the traditional STOL airplanes. How are the 2 and 4 seat Zenairs thought of by the bush pilot and STOL community up there? Do they think it is a viable airplane or a joke? If they don't take it seriously, how come?

Also, what are the real takeoff distances of the Cubs under what conditions? Waaay down here in Los Angeles you hear some pretty tall tales about modified Super Cubs lifting off in one wingspan at those Alaska STOL contests, leaping off the ground before the throttle is all the way in, just sitting there tied down trying to levitate up off the ground while parked, etc.

How poorly would a Taylorcraft do in one of those competitions, assuming equal engines and equal weights?

I appreciate the insight on this stuff. I may one day build a Zenair 701 to do things that I wouldn't want to do with a classic T-craft. I have no desire to sell my T-craft, I'd just want to have another airplane that I could really knock around in without taking a chance with a 65 year old classic.

[Dano"T"]

Re: Alaska Weekend

http://www.supercub.org/phpBB2/viewt...r=asc&start=30

I found all the results here.....51' takeoffs....sheesh. Paul Klaus....83' takeoff with 300lbs of dry concrete aboaurd...double sheesh. 60' landings....I wish I had been there to see the show!

[N96337]

Re: Alaska Weekend

If you ever get the chance, watch Paul Klaus prop that cub of his ... he pumps the throttle once...then shoves it all the way forward and swings the blade Scares me to death, but he's been doing it that way forever.... I guess to each his own...
JH

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Alaska Weekend

If you ever get the chance, watch Paul Klaus prop that cub of his ... he pumps the throttle once...then shoves it all the way forward and swings the blade Scares me to death, but he's been doing it that way forever.... I guess to each his own...
JH

I had to do that with my Tcraft on hot starts until I went to car gas.No more 100LL. I always planted my feet in a certain stance and held on to the door frame and could duck into the cock-pit in an instant. No doubt...a higher risk factor though!

Jim

[Dick Smith]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Jim, What time did you get up to the Anchorage show? I tried standing up on the stairway, to look for familiar faces and perhaps be visible. Quite a crowd. We had to leave about 1:30 or so. Certainly enjoyed the exhibits and seeing a lot of people from Alaska aviation. Sorry I missed you...hopefully we can soon be on floats...we can check out Lance's new VG's and Dan,s float setup! On the way home, we saw 2 brown bears, about a mile apart, right along the river downstream from Cooper Landing...one 2 year old and one really big bear. After seeing the bald eagles at the Valdez flyin, some within 50 feet of the crowd and in groups of as many as 18 circling right next to the runway...the bears added something special to the aviation overdose that the last 2 weeks afforded!! Dick

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Jim, What time did you get up to the Anchorage show? I tried standing up on the stairway, to look for familiar faces and perhaps be visible. Quite a crowd. We had to leave about 1:30 or so. Certainly enjoyed the exhibits and seeing a lot of people from Alaska aviation. Sorry I missed you...hopefully we can soon be on floats...we can check out Lance's new VG's and Dan,s float setup! On the way home, we saw 2 brown bears, about a mile apart, right along the river downstream from Cooper Landing...one 2 year old and one really big bear. After seeing the bald eagles at the Valdez flyin, some within 50 feet of the crowd and in groups of as many as 18 circling right next to the runway...the bears added something special to the aviation overdose that the last 2 weeks afforded!! Dick

Dick,
Sorry I missed you too, I could not make the show this year as I still am engaged in the 40 hours a week or more work force. Five more years! Five more years! Floats go back on the 25th of this month. How about you? I plan to go play a lot on wheels the next couple of weeks... most likely on the west side of Cook Inlet. Are ya up for some outings? I am batchin' through Sunday.The boss is in San Diego seeing the Grand kids.

Jim

[Dick Smith]

Re: Alaska Weekend

[QUOTE=VictorBravo]Dick, I have a couple of questions for you, I hope you don't mind...
First, how did the Zenair STOL homebuilt fare against the Cubs and Maules?

Bill, I am working on answering your questions...until I can get my head wrapped around everything Jim and I saw at Valdez, here is a link that shows the Zenith 701 at work here in Alaska.

http://www.zenithair.com/stolch701/7-photo69-alaska.htm

The Bob Jones referenced in the link has offered to talk to anyone interested in his plane and its use. Many Alaskans love to fly and will talk about it at the drop of a hat...they also love this place and how "their" aircraft can let them see and experience it. I wouldn't hesitate to call him and get the real skinny on how and what his rig can do. These pictures put the airplane's use into perspective I think...you wouldn't call what is shown as "hard-core bush flying" by any means...but the grins on the faces tell you a lot!

I will generate some response on the Zenair STOL and get back to you. Dick

[VictorBravo]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Thanks Dick. I'd really appreciate hearing about how well or poorly the 701 and 801 are thought of up there. The company and the designer are very well known for being honest and NOT telling tall tales... and if their performance specifications are anywhere near accurate then those little metal boxes will give traditional STOL ships a run for the money. Besides, the cost to put one of those in the air is less than half of a Super Cub.

[Len Petterson]

Re: Alaska Weekend

Zenith's 701 or 801 are made fly in and out of short strips, river banks, small lakes when on floats, etc.
They are Flying Jeeps.
I look at aircrafts like this, if the look good they fly good.
Take the Spitfire, Emarudes, RV's,Taylorcrafts (offcuarse) for ex. My old girlfriend also looked good, yet she din'd last.
I don't know how Cris Heintz look at it but to me a boxlike structure does not make for a nice looking aircraft structure,
but Cris say's they fly well.
I meet Cris Heintz the first time back in the late 70s and I thought he hade controversial ideas when, but over time he has proven what they work.
Back when his Tri Z was flown from Vancover to Halifax nonstop 22 + hr.
Red Morris went back and landed with full fuel as the alternator gave up shorly after take off, a testemony about the structual strenght of aircraft.
The thick wings genarating loads of lift, airfoils on the elevator is upside down, poprivets, soory Avex, all 6061 aluminium,easy to build,------?
Just don't expect any HIGH speeds or fuel effiency like the in the Taylorcraft
I most likely will see Cris Heintz agin at Canadian Aviation Expo in June.
Any questions to pass on?
Len