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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

GAS Travelair Mystery Ship

Spad54

Spad54

SOH-CM-2025
We're in the final stages of development and thought to share an album of screen shots of the project. Poncho Barnes' 613K is in development and that will conclude the aircraft modeling. A accompanying scenery package is in development that will revert Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Cleveland Municipal Airport circa 1932 home of the National Air Races with the pylon race course of that day.
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Can't wait to get my hands on these! Any chance of the inline engine version? B-)

Sent from my HUAWEI U8815 using Tapatalk 2
 
full said:
Can't wait to get my hands on these! Any chance of the inline engine version? B-)

Sent from my HUAWEI U8815 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

It's a remote possibility. The Chevrolair inline on 613K was a real dog and was replaced almost immediately after it's first race. Plagued by cylinder over heating and oil leaks. Edward Phillips writes in his book "Mystery Ship" that the performance was "bland" in comparison with the Whirlwind powered sister ship 614K. Clarence Clark was assigned to pilot the ship and from the first flight had to cope with overheating engine and oil temperatures. He discovered that he had more power at two thirds throttle than full because of problems with the twin Stromberg carburetors. When interviewd by the author in 1981, Clark described the Chevrolair-powered Model R an an unpleasant airplane to fly. It is interesting to note that although Clark placed third place in Event number 9 at Cleveland in 1929, the aircraft's power plant was deemed so unreliable that 613K was crated up and shipped back to Wichita to await its fate and the D-6 engine was removed and returned to the Chevrolair company. Eventually 613K was fitted with the Wright Whirlwind J-6-7 engine and eventually purchased by Florence "Poncho" Barnes and the rest is history. Poncho's version is currently being modeled and will be part of the package. If we decide we have time to build the D-6 version we will endeavor to make it as unpleasant as Clark described. As it is these planes are a handful in the sim.
 
I can't wait to have these in FSX - I have always been a big fan of the various designs.

I collected a few photos off the internet and did some research into these a few years ago when I was thinking of possibly modeling them. It was interesting to me to find out that Pancho Barnes' original "Mystery Ship" still remains to this day in (very) private hands, in England (!), having been restored to immaculate condition: http://legendofpanchobarnes.com/film/production-journal/312-a-mystery-no-longer.html

The intention has always been to have the aircraft flying when completed, though I don't know if that has yet occurred or if that is what the owners still want to do with the aircraft. For the amount of privacy surrounding the aircraft's owners, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the aircraft has been flying, just without anyone else knowing about it.

The well known Younkin (air show) family also has a "Mystery Ship", though it is a superb reproduction, rather than an original, that was built in the late 70's from the original blueprints by the Younkin family. Apart from still performing in air show routines today (the only "Mystery Ship" known to be flying at this time), this aircraft was also used in the movies "The Rocketeer" and "Pancho Barnes".

These were also extremely fast aircraft for their time (having even exceeded what the designers had thought they would achieve - something like 225-235 mph max speed, and a 170 mph cruise) - beating out the military designs for the same years.

The following two photos are of Matt Younkin in the Younkin family's "Mystery Ship" reproduction, taken at Oshkosh. It was because of this aircraft that the other Younkin family air show aircraft have been painted in red and black paint schemes.

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I'm also quite excited about the Cleveland scenery! The Cleveland racing pylons was one of the details of the old Bill Lyons FS9 "Golden Wings" scenery that I used quite a bit, including doing some online 1930's racing.
 
This is some really great stuff Paul! Reminds me of the various models that we're done, way back in FS98! Always good times, and lots of memories.

Anxious to see more!

Joseph
 
Poncho's Mystery Ship

Just added Poncho's Wright J 6-7 powered ship. The last to be developed will be the Chevrolair Mystery Ship with the temperamental Chevrolair D6 inline inverted 6 cylinder boat anchor

613VC_zps08ffaa74.jpg


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Great work, guys!! I think the lines of the Pancho Barnes type example are my favorite of the Mystery Ship variations.
 
Bomber_12th said:
Great work, guys!! I think the lines of the Pancho Barnes type example are my favorite of the Mystery Ship variations.
Click to expand...

I agree with you it's my personal favorite flier of the set. Also notable for this release all, except for two gauges, the Cylinder head Temp and Fuel Flow in the 614 and 1313 aircraft, are 3D modeled. If I can develop code for those they will be modeled as well. First time for us and won't be the last.
 
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