Aircraft pics

[SS427]

Originally Posted by Crush

Wow! Is this a hobby for your brother or what he does full-time? Very impressive

He owns a few companies, one being a large guest service co, Starplex Corp, crowd and alcohol management, uniformed security, parking and traffic, and safety training services company. Another company that makes electronic management systems for large warehouse and office buildings. His last is Custom Connections AZ that rewires WWII warbirds and fighters as well as modern civilian and military contracts for customer such as Valkyrie Aero where he retrofits aircraft and vehicles with the latest technologies, radio, armament, and navigation items. He has quality people that run the other two companies while the airplane/vehicle wiring and retrofitting is his main focus and takes up 90% of his time. When I get bored working on muscle cars I often times fly out to work with him for a week at a time. He has some really cool projects that he is currently working on. A TBM, P40, B23 just to name a few that I saw when I was there.

The last 3 photos are an A4. He starts out with junk and turns them into flyable airplanes.

[Crush]

Incredible, thanks for sharing!

[RPOLS3]

Wow - very cool.

[69M22Z]

Wow. That is very cool.

[mssl72]

Awesome work!!! Love it! Cool job!!

[427TJ]

Originally Posted by SS427

I recently went to Tucson to help my brother on one of his many projects, a B23 bomber converted to a transporter that was previously owned by Howard Hughes. It is being restored back to the way it was when he flew it. He was also doing restoration work on a TBM but we did not get to work on that during my visit.

I remember that B-23 very well. It was owned by Mike Bogue at Oakland for many years from the latter '70s until the widow sold it sometime in the last decade. Bogue was a very nice guy and let me sit in several Warbirds at Oakland's hangar 5 back in 1980. I remember the B-23 flying over my house several times.

[SS427]

Originally Posted by 427TJ

I remember that B-23 very well. It was owned by Mike Bogue at Oakland for many years from the latter '70s until the widow sold it sometime in the last decade. Bogue was a very nice guy and let me sit in several Warbirds at Oakland's hangar 5 back in 1980. I remember the B-23 flying over my house several times.

That's cool! We had dinner with Mike G and his wife (he owns the local P51, F4U Corsair, P40 and about 17 other warbirds) Saturday night and were discussing this B23. He informed me that he was a buyer when it came up for sale but passed on it due to the cost of restoring it. I am pretty sure it will far exceed $1m when completed. Small world.

[SS427]

My latest adventure and this time at the controls of this TF51. It has been a 40 year dream of mine and finally after several years of planning I made it happen. 33 years ago I flew as a passenger in the P51 "Ho Hun" and finally this year I was able to actually fly a TF51 "The Little Witch". I was in control the entire 47 minute flight other than take off and landing as I do not have a pilots license nor am I tailwheel certified. We did many aerobatic maneuvers over the course of the flight and I really have to thank my close friends here at home for giving me some stick and rudder time in their sport aviation planes over the last couple of years so that I could practice. Special thanks to Mike George (owns a P51 and Corsair) for taking me up in his T34 a couple weeks ago and really letting me ring it out to prepare me for this TF51 flight. The TF51 is truly a dual control airplane with full instrumentation, trim, gear, throttle, etc. You are even required to wear a shoot in case you really make a fubar or if the airplane has a major mechanic issue. If any of you guys really like flying and warbirds, make a date with Stallion 51. You won't be disappointed. There is also a full length video of my flight on YouTube for anyone with a lot of spare time.

[TimG]

That looks like fun, I'd be happy just going for a ride. Glad you got to "drive".

[SS427]

Originally Posted by TimG

That looks like fun, I'd be happy just going for a ride. Glad you got to "drive".

They also do 1/2 hour introductory rides but I think you will wish you were driving by the end of the ride.