Not quite Amazing enough for the stories forum here. Jets & misfires

[Just One-eye]

Rather than answering one Bob R. within JetBill's original thread, where ANOTHER Bob R. is asking for a little aid, I started a new thread here. 

I did Dyna Jet late 50's-early 70's---at my (then) weight of 276 I was the only one in the club who could handle the roaring beast from the Inner Earth, without getting dragged away. My audiologist wants to know why my hearing is not the best---"some serious ear injuries h-m-m-m-m?" I am sure he wouldn't know a Dyna Jet from his moustache. So I tell I served in the Artillery for 8 years---then he's happy. 

The main jet pilot that I pitted for was Hawk Hawkins, who weighed at most 160 pounds in those days, probably closer to 150 (and I also have some hearing loss now, but I blamed it on the combat engines I've been around a great deal more often than the few times I assisted Hawk).  I don't remember ever seeing anyone other than shooting enthusiasts and ramp attendants wearing ear protection in those days. 

I promised a short tale in the thread title, though.  One of the first times that Hawk brought out the jet, he had too large of a metering jet installed, and it was too rich to keep running.  It could, and did, let out a huge elephant fart of a noise, though, a great "FOOM!" once in awhile.  The real telling symptom was that some of these misfires were accompanied by a sizable fireball rising up out of the tailpipe. 

You have to visualize the scene.  There were just two of us, and instead of a compressed air tank, we had a bicycle air pump.  Hawk stood over his plane, gripping it by the wings, bent at the waist, with his knees bent, and legs splayed out on either side of the tailpipe.  I was on the pump (and battery / coil), to his right.  There was a much milder sounding "FOOP!" noise, but a much larger fireball, and it spread out rapidly before dissipating.  All the hair on Hawk's calves was singed right off, and he had fairly hairy legs before that happened. Right.  I didn't mention that he had on shorts that day. 

He had the most surprised look on his face when he looked at me after this.  He hadn't been hurt, more like surprised, by something he hadn't anticipated when choosing to wear shorts {unlike now, when I am wearing shorts by preference year round (weather permitting), shorts for men were uncommon then}.  All he said at first was something on the lines of "Whoops!" 

[dynasoar1948]

Hi Commander,

Back when I was a kid flying (other people's) Jets with the Trenton, New Jersey speed gang, you could tell the jet jockeys by their lack of eyebrows and, sometimes, the black ring around their mouths or eyes. In '49-'50 we used to burn Amoco pump gas and didn't realize the fireballs we inhabited while starting until late one afternoon-after sunset as a matter of fact, we were able to see what came out of the tailpipe and intake.  This explanied why our nose hair crackled during startup.  It made me pay more attention to reed valve sealing.

My hearing loss was probably equal parts B-36, Meyer Drake Roots supercharged 104 and DynaJet.

Will Stewart

[Just One-eye]

Hoo-ee!  B-36s!  I lived under the flight path for Kelly AFB in the 1950s, and seeing one landing B-36 at a time was fairly common.  Even a thousand feet up (or whatever it was, about 10-11 miles north of the air base), they were still a loud presence you always were aware of. 

Six at a time in a pair of Vees, at about the same altitude, was enough to make it seem as if the ground was shaking, the effect of all the sound was so pronounced.  I can barely imagine being any closer without hearing protection! 

[don Burke]

I remember B-36s overhead in the middle to late 50s.  If they were at high altitude you could hear them a long time before you could see them, then sometimes only the vapor trail.  And wow did they take a long time to go past.  I never saw one taking off or landing, too far from their bases.

[Clancy Arnold]

Speaking of B-36's.
While an enlisted Radar Tech in the USAF in the mid 1950's I was offered a local hop in a B-36. 

At the time the runways on our Fighter base at Presque Isle, ME were being modified,
we were standing Alert at Loring AFB which had B-36's.  After an altercation between the Fighter ground crews and the Bomber base security guards the Base Commander offered a "Local Hop" to any of the Fighter ground crews that wanted to take a ride in a B-36.  I wanted to accept but only one problem.  We were working 24 on and 24 off.  The only other Radar Tech was married and he refused to stay over a couple of hours to cover for me while I went on a hop.  The problem was that a "local hop" in a B-36 was a scheduled 25 hour flight.

Clancy

[Jim Rhoades]

You have to visualize the scene.  There were just two of us, and instead of a compressed air tank, we had a bicycle air pump.  Hawk stood over his plane, gripping it by the wings, bent at the waist, with his knees bent, and legs splayed out on either side of the tailpipe.  I was on the pump (and battery / coil), to his right.  There was a much milder sounding "FOOP!" noise, but a much larger fireball, and it spread out rapidly before dissipating.  All the hair on Hawk's calves was singed right off, and he had fairly hairy legs before that happened. Right.  I didn't mention that he had on shorts that day. 

If I remember correctly we called that the weenie roast position.  Love them jets.

Jim Rhoades

[Willis Swindell]

Here is a picture of a jet start. Joey pumping, me starting. Jim Welch on the coil. One Iron side on the way.
Willis 

What did you say? say that again.

[dale gleason]

Speaking of B-36s, I found this picture in some Texas Aviation archives. Built in Ft. Worth at the Convair plant, they were always in the air in the early 'fifties around here. They made a distinctive sound that once heard, you never forgot it. Hope the picture comes out ok,  dg 

[dale gleason]

One more photo....Peacemaker.......my favorite!    dg

[john e. holliday]

Thanks for the pics Dale.  In 1970 when my brother Bob and our wives went to the NATS, we had a quiet day and my brother went over to the speed circles.  He got to help one of the teams to fly an official jet flight.  He was on the air bottle.  He was told before third try at starting to keep the air to it.  Before he could move the plane was airborne and noisy.  He came back to racing circles and never mentioned going back to the speed circles.  Having fun,  DOC Holliday