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Trimotor for Milton

S

SSI01

Charter Member
FlightSim's home page has an excellent little article about the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The author visited recently and got some photos of the museum's exhibits, inside and outside. One of the photos he posted is of an aircraft I can not identify; however, with apologies to FS I am posting it here on our forum for Milton's interest, since he seems to like trimotored aircraft. Here you go:


View attachment 67725

What do you think? Can this one join the queue of those waiting for consideration?:jump:
 
Looks like an Antonov An-2 Colt and a Grumman Hu-16 Albatross got amorous during the Cold War :kilroy: :jump:

As for what it really is I'd be stumped forever :isadizzy:

Thanks
matt:salute:


[h=1][/h]
 
We've had a number of cargo versions of the EC-1A and C-1 - this one, whatever it is, is crying out for bush flying and back country cargo paint jobs . . .
 
You can tell it's a slow flyer, thick wings, fixed gear, very pronounced flap hinges - looks like it might feature flaperons.

I've never seen that before, could not even guess what it might be.

It almost has an Avia look to it, especially the graceful curve of the bottom of the fuselage. Interesting that the curvature causes the tailwheel to be placed well forward. I wonder what effect that would have on handling? Most of taildraggers I'm familiar with place the tailwheel as close to the end of the fuselage and rudder as possible, there must be a reason for that.

I wonder if the fact that the museum is displaying it in rescue markings gives a clue to its origins. It does look like it would make a good bush plane.
 
To identify this plane...the first thing I did was walk over to my book case and pull out my official USAF National Museum collection guide. The plane was not in it....so it was added to the museum after 1982 (the year the collection guide was published). Then I went to the official USAF Nat. Museum site and began looking through the 88 pages of photos of the planes in their collection.

It is the Northrop YC-125B Raider.

There are 3 pics of the plane on this page:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/mediagallery.asp?galleryID=525&page=26

And the USAF Museum Fact sheet on the plane:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=784

OBIO
 
So it was actually based on a commercial cargo plane, I wonder how many of those are around? If the AF found it underpowered with three engines it doesn't sound good for the success of the civil version.

Too bad the AF bought 23 before they decided all they were good for was training aids, coarse those trainee mechs had to learn on something.

edit: After taking the time to actually READ the wikipedia page I see that Northrop never actually delivered a civil version, but a guy bought a bunch of them as surplus from the AF and sold them as bush planes in South and Central America.
 
I have been on this one already for 6 months, as a fun project, at the bottom of the list currently, possibly next year.
 
I thought I'd "catch you out" on this one, but as usual you're on top of things.:icon_lol:

Underpowered, huh? Maybe if we replace what it had with three R-2600s, maybe?
 
One commercial version, the N-23 Pioneer, was built. It was Northrop's first post-war design...and it received little interest....actually NO interest as so many mil-surplus cargo and transport planes were available for pennies on the dollar. The N-23 was powered by 3 Pratt and Whitney R-985 radial engines. That single prototype was lost in a fatal crash in 1947. The USAF ordered a total of 23 N-32 Raiders (as Northrop called them).....13 YC-125A for use as troop transport and 10 YC-125B for Artic Rescue use. The USAF versions were fitted with 3 1200-HP Wright R-1820-99 Cyclones.....and were found to be underpowered and less suitable for the tasks assigned to it than helicopters. Delivery of the 23 aircraft began in 1950 and all were removed from active use and delivered to Sheppard AFB in Texas for use as ground instruction trainers. They were fully retired and decared surplus in 1955. Most of the planes were purchased by Frank Ambrose and sold to bush operators in South and Central America. One blurb I read was from a guy who worked in Bolivia back in the 60s/70s and saw a number of these planes in use by a mining company.

OBIO
 
There is also one in the Pima County Air Museum next to Davis-Monathan AFB.

Milton, If you need pics, I have a folder full on my computer with a lot of detail shots.


Dave
 
p3aewguy said:
There is also one in the Pima County Air Museum next to Davis-Monathan AFB.

Milton, If you need pics, I have a folder full on my computer with a lot of detail shots.


Dave
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. I did download some of the best from the web for reference but if you have some you think may be different, pass them on. It will likely be a year before I consider doing this one though. And, if I do this one, it will not be underpowered but be more than adequate for cargo haulin' and short field ops. :wiggle:
 
Milton Shupe said:
Thanks Dave. I did download some of the best from the web for reference but if you have some you think may be different, pass them on. It will likely be a year before I consider doing this one though. And, if I do this one, it will not be underpowered but be more than adequate for cargo haulin' and short field ops. :wiggle:
Click to expand...

P.S. Also have a PDF flight manual for the YC-125A, good drawings of instrument panels and interior stuff also has performance data.

Dave
 
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