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**The OFFICIAL All Sims Air Tour Thread**

With no desire for further flight in the Wright B, I looked around for whatever else was available. Seems a pilot was needed for a new aircraft that needed publicity, I saw nothing nearby, but a long walk past the end of the runway disclosed ... a "whatsit"
kffa.jpg

The Shavrov SH2 prototype was constructed in 1928 though due to political turmoil it didn't fly for another year (two of the mechanics working on it were arrested for espionage; the charges were later dropped but Shavrov distanced himself from the incident, personally dismantling the aircraft, and shipping the parts by truck to Neva airport, where it was reassembled and tested). The first flight was from Neva to Moscow, in 5 hours 30 minutes; designed as a civil aircraft, the military expressed interest, though it seems they only used it for recon and liaison work. The plane entered construction in 1930, records are spotty and inconsistent but it is believed at least 700, maybe as many as 1200, had been made when production ended in 1954. The last ones were retired in 1964. Little known outside the USSR (and Finland, who captured several during WWII), only two are known to exist today, one in a museum in Moscow and one in a museum in Missouri. One (maybe both) still airworthy
shavrov.jpg

The FS2004 model (from Alex Belov) represents a standard production 100hp aircraft, underpowered, cruise only 65-70kt, and climbing faster than 300ft/min risks stalling; postwar planes had 120-135hp (think I'll rebuild mine). No idea the significance of this color scheme, it's the same as the university I attended. FWIW the SH2 is available for MSFS and XPlane.

Still climbing as I reach the mainland.
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9W7, Currituck County Airport, now known as KONX. Built by the Army in 1942 as Barco Flight Strip, an emergency landing strip for training flights. Closed after the war and turned over to the local govt, it became Maple Airstrip, though was used mostly as a drag strip, until 1959 when a couple of people were killed in an accident there and it was shut down. Eventually the county took it over and it has grown steadily since.
9w7.jpg

KCPK, Chesapeake Regional (neither wiki nor the airport's own site give any interesting info ...Chesapeake Regional Airport Does NOT Ship Animals, CHESAPEAKE AIRPORT DOES NOT PROCESS SHIPMENTS OF ANY KIND, Avionics Services Not Available at CPK)
kcpk.jpg


Cruising past that lake again, 68kt at 3000ft (took ten minutes to reach that altitude)
lake.jpg
 
Tooling along, 68kt seems so slow
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KPVG, Hampton Roads Executive Airport, a privately owned corporation near Norfolk VA. Opened as Portsmouth Airport in the late 1940s by local businessmen with GI Bill backing, the facility wasn't profitable and the mortgage was foreclosed. One of the original investors bought it at the auction (for $25k), three grass airstrips, some gravel roads, and a few Pipers and Aeroncas. In 2000 it was bankrupt again; purchased by new investors, who were aviation enthusiasts, it was completely modernized and now is the second busiest non-towered airport in the state and home to 250 aircraft; and currently designated as a reliever airport for Norfolk International Airport..
kpvg.jpg

15 miles to go
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And there's KRIC, Richmond; opened in 1927 as Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field, it is now the third busiest airport in VA, after Reagan and Dulles.
richmond.jpg

Remember to lower the gear
gear.jpg

139 miles in 1hour 48 minutes (I could have driven there faster)
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