Its official, I'm getting back into flying.....

[djester]

vtdeucedriver, notice the end of the fuselage on the yellow float plane. The rudder bottom is square, where the rest have a rounded bottom. Curious.

You have a varitable smorgasbord of airplanes to fly! Poor fellow!

I have a couple of good -- rich -- friends that I fly with. Between them they have a Tigermoth, Tri-pacer, Citabria, T6, two Stearmans, and a Cessna Citation. Fortunately, I have the opportunity to regularly fly all of them but the Tigermoth. (He doesn't let anybody fly it, I think he is afraid of it -- and probably me.)

In addition, one of them just bought a Staggerwing and the other is seriously looking for a Model 18 Beech. (Unfortunately, they found a crack in a wing attach point in the pre-purchase inspection of the Staggerwing, so the wing is being rebuilt.) Can't wait to fly those airplanes, has always been a dream of mine.

Sure is nice to have friends who can afford all the airplanes I'd like to have!

Dave

[vtdeucedriver]

The square rudder is the N3N-1


The fuselage and tail were totally a different design. Even some -1's had a different main gear, but as aircraft were built and flown for testing. They found that the airplane was still tail heavy on takeoff and landing so they redesigned one airplane as the -2.

-2 in flight

Only one was built as this was worse.

The -3, they got it right!! In this pic you can clearly see the relationship of the horizontal to the bottom wing. By raising it, they got the tail in clean air during takeoff fixing the problem

[djester]

Very interesting. Last model just looks right.

Another thing I noticed in the last picture it is being flown from the front cockpit, unlike a Stearman. Is that normal, or is it due to the floats.

That's the last question, now I'll leave you alone. Good fun!



Dave

[vtdeucedriver]

The N3N was front solo only as the primer and electrical switches (few that their were) are up front. A balast bag of 120 lbs was to be in the rear seat. Now that being said. The little book printed by the navy called "Meet the N3N" says that you can fly solo from the back but that you need to start the airplane from the front seat and then climb in the back to go fly.

Todays N3Ns are all from the back but thats not being said that you cant put the ballast in the back and fly up front, that all depends on how your airplane is set up.

Keep asking questions, I can talk about N3N's all the time. Maybe one day you can convince your buddy to part with the cheap whores and dance with a classy girl

[vtdeucedriver]

Hey DAVE!!!!!!!! I need to make a correction!!!! THANK YOU for pointing out the rudder in the early pic!!!!!!!!! I got some info to share with the boys on that one!!!!!! I was looking at it again and i got so excited, and very confused!!!! But that N3N on the float is the N3N-2, they only built one airplane but in that pic, it has a -1 Rudder installed...........Pretty dam cool!!!!!! I dont think any of us ever noticed!!!!

[djester]

I don't want to tempt my friends, they'll probably have to have one! If your uncle has a good Model 18 for sale, I'd almost guarantee it.

Very interesting about the ballast in the rear. Never heard of doing that in a Stearman, but no reason why you couldn't, I suppose.

As to my observation, I'm glad to know I finally made a contribution to something! That may make the top ten in my eulogy.

Good fun, I've enjoyed the information. Thanks. (Hope we haven't hogged this thread too much.)

Dave

[Av8r]

Hello all,

I couldn't help but tag onto this thread. I haven't been active on this group for some time. My "unrestored" M-37 has been chugging along beautifully for several years now - and without the need for help or advice I didn't venture around these parts, instead hanging out on various aviation groups. But lately I have decided to do some unnecessary but long overdue "sprucing up" of my M-37 and GPW. As a result I started browsing around this forum again which led me to this tread.

I must say I really enjoyed the discussion of the N3N because I nearly purchased one a couple of years ago. In fact it would be sitting in my hangar now if it had not had some issues with the fabric. I'm still keeping my ears to the ground for the right one with the right/Wright engine.

I do have an airplane or two that fit right in with the personality of the M-37 however. So I thought I would post a couple of photos for the dual purpose of sharing and to see if I could simply figure out how to post them.

The following photo is of my '43 Stinson L-5 and my "52 M-37.



My GPW would be more appropriate with it but this is the M-37 forum! This particular L-5 spent it's entire WWII career in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, was sold off at the end of the war and never flew again until restored in 1986. It was a wonderful airplane but I sold it a couple of years ago when I purchased.....................




.........this L-19E/O-1 Birddog. This Birddog is rather interesting in that it is a combat veteran - but not with the US. It was built in '59 for the French and was used in the war in Algeria where according to the logbooks it was damaged by enemy fire. It was repaired, survived the war, finished out it's service life in France, and then led a rather low-key life in the States until finding it's way to me.

I have another Stinson L-5 project that served with the US Army in Korea and last flew in Okinawa 40 years ago. Unfortunately I have so many projects on the table who knows when it will once again grace the skies.

I always find it interesting how many people have the crossover interests. It seems most of the warbird folks I know either have or want a military vehicle. And I have often wondered just how many MV folks have a Stearman or L-4 in the hangar. In fact if I am not mistaken the previous post to this one is by a fellow Birddog enthusiast.

Anyway, hope no one minds me sharing the photos and reviving this thread. I'll be back with questions and looking for a few parts soon.