Good time in Tulsa - Maiden photos.

[Grasshopper]

Well, today turned out to be a great day in Tulsa. Smoke Johnson (James), Lieutenant Loughead (Guy), gfdengine204 (Kev) and I all got together in Tulsa to do a little flying today. Kev and his family were in town visiting family so it was great to be able to meet him. Guy came out and braved the cold with his kids so we got to meet another Watthead too. Buy the way, his kids were very well behaved for a 35 degree morning.

We got to maiden several planes today and finally get some pictures of my P-47. We took quite a few pictures so everyone could enjoy them (hopefully). Thanks for James and Guy for having us over.

It was a little on the chilly side with temps in the mid 30s and a light breeze but it did warm up a little. In all, it was a fun day.

I'll be posting several more pictures but I've got to re-learn how to add text by the picture.

James kicked it off with his P-40 from Saucerguy

A shot of James's P-40

Another shot of the P-40

Then Kev maidened his new Easy Star

Easy star in the air

Down safely

Then James flew his profile combat P-47.

He kept taunting us with his streamer but there were no takers.

Looking good!

James's P-47 trying to take out an "Easy" target.

[firemanbill]

Hey Tom welcome home! Looks like you had a great time! Wish I could have been there too!

[Grasshopper]

Thanks Bill,

I'll keep posting pictures till you all fall asleep. We did have a great time. Wish you could have been there too!

[Grasshopper]

Then it was time to maiden my Ultrafly P-40. James got the honors of tossing for the first time.

After a slightly squirrly start, she was off and flew very nice.

A few clicks of elevator and aileron trim and she was flying straight.

Thanks to LL for taking the photos.

One more

Some big goofy guy flying a P-40

What a motley crew.

LL Getting his new profile P-38 ready for maiden.

What a nice flyer. Flew very straight and would slow down to a crawl.

Now she's ready for her colors!

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Wow! That telephoto lens is really throwing me off! I don't recognize any of the buildings (or stoplights?!) in the background! Is that REALLY the field we were all at today? (Or did you guys sneak off and fly without me at some point today?)

I had fun -- I wish I could have spent more time out there. However, I flew three airplanes (one was a maiden, and one was the third time I've ever flown it), and all came back safely -- NO SPEKTRUM LOCKOUTS! Gotta love it.

Hey Tom -- did you manage to get a picture of the "near miss"? :o

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Holy smokes! That camera takes some really great pictures!!!

[Grasshopper]

So enough with these stupid warbirds, Kev breaks out the combat foamy!

A little toss and she's up.

A sheet of flying foam?

LL flys his P-51 for the third time.

Smooth roll out and take off.

Warbirds are just cool!

Looking for bogies.

On approach for landing.

[firemanbill]

good shot of James holding the P-40...

"uuhhhhhhh... should I throw it that way?"

Nice looking bird Tom, looks even sweeter in the air!

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by Lieutenant Loughead

Wow! That telephoto lens is really throwing me off! I don't recognize any of the buildings (or stoplights?!) in the background! Is that REALLY the field we were all at today? (Or did you guys sneak off and fly without me at some point today?)

I had fun -- I wish I could have spent more time out there. However, I flew three airplanes (one was a maiden, and one was the third time I've ever flown it), and all came back safely -- NO SPEKTRUM LOCKOUTS! Gotta love it.

Hey Tom -- did you manage to get a picture of the "near miss"? :o

I didn't get a picture of the near miss. For some reason James said he had to go change after that. I didn't realize when Kev meant he wanted to do combat it was going to be with his plane attacking James!

Originally Posted by Lieutenant Loughead

Holy smokes! That camera takes some really great pictures!!!

Thanks, it's amazing what good glass will do.

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Wow -- thank you so much for the pictures of the Sureflite Mustang flying! Now I have proof she flys (even if it took me a year to get her in the air)!

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

I didn't get a picture of the near miss. For some reason James said he had to go change after that. I didn't realize when Kev meant he wanted to do combat it was going to be with his plane attacking James!

Well, that was funny too, but I was talking about the P-38/EZ Star near miss. James was standing directly under it when it happened, and he said we were easily within two feet of eachother -- moving head on, so probably around 80 mph closure.

[CHELLIE]

You Guys Were just having way To Much fun today Good for you, Great pics too, the planes look super cool in the air, Take care, Chellie

[Grasshopper]

Well finally I have pictures of my P-47. Yes, she really does fly! Thanks to Kev for running the camera. I flew it twice. Both times it flew great. The first landing was smooth as silk the second one....well more like smooth as wool. Right after she touched down the second time, one of the little keepers that holds the wheel on came off losing a wheel and made her skid to a stop. Not pretty but easily fixed with some wheel collars instead of those cheap little keepers that come with the retracts.

Ready to take to the sky.

Cruising the skys. Where are those Germans?

On approach

Almost down.

Home safe.

LL Came back again with his GWS P-51. Another nice flyer. I didn't think it was ever going to run out the battery.


LL Flying the GWS P-51

GWS P-51 in flight

The Master and the plane.

[Kosh]

Just some fantastic shots, Count me as impressed.

Nice work guys !!!

[Rugar]

Looks like you guys had a good time today. Awesome pics!

[CHELLIE]

Hi Tom Your P47 Jug really looks nice, what happened to the smudge marks on the cowl, there Gone Very nice paint job on it, very much impressed, Chellie

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by Kosh

Just some fantastic shots, Count me as impressed.

Nice work guys !!!

Thanks Kosh. We had a good time. Pretty good day considering we flew a total of 12 different planes and only two went home with minor damage. My wheel came off the P-47 and James wrinkled the nose of his Profile P-47. Both easily repaired. Hmmm, now that I think about it, it wasn't a good day for P-47s.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by CHELLIE

Hi Tom Your P47 Jug really looks nice, what happened to the smug marks on the cowl, there Gone Very nice paint job on it, very much impressed, Chellie

Thanks Chellie. I finally got rid of the smudge after painting it 3 times.

[CHELLIE]

All Of the planes that were flown by your Group today look Awesome

[Kosh]

When 8 go to the field and only 2 need some fixing from my fleet I call that a good day in any book. Friends, Fun and Flying, What more could you want. :p

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by Kosh

When 8 go the field and only 2 need some fixing from my fleet I call that a good day in any book. Friends, Fun and Flying, What more could you want. :p

A lot more days like today.

[Airhead]

Hey you guys,
What a great bunch of photos!.. I'm glad you had such an awesome time... Too good..... Your planes look super...all of them.

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

LL Came back again with his GWS P-51. Another nice flyer. I didn't think it was ever going to run out the battery.

Thanks Tom -- this GWS P-51 Mustang flew for 15.3 minutes, and only used 47.3% of the Tanic 2220 mAh 3s LiPo.

[smokejohnson]

Today was a fantastic day , even if it was a little cold . Tom's P47 looks even better in person than it does in the photo's. I always have a good time flying with Tom and checking out all his cool planes.

I don't know what I did to make Kev mad but he tried to take me out with his combat delta . Lucky for me I know the killer self defense technique known as the fetal position .

I'm lucky to get to fly with Guy enough to know how well his planes fly . His Mustang's are sweet and I really liked the new profile P-38. Looked like it was a lot of fun to fly.

It was a great time that I hope we all get the chance to do again some time.

[Grasshopper]

It was a great day. The only thing missing was Rabbitcreekok. Sorry you couldn't make it Jim but we understand. We'll do it again some time. Maybe it will be a little warmer.