A Few More From Charlotte

[Jschmus]

I finally got around to processing the last batch of photos I'd taken at the Museum and other places last weekend before my trip to Virginia.  As usual, it's all civil stuff, but I did get a couple in motion shots.

Mmmm... tip tanks...  Mitsubishi MU-2B


Again, from the side


Piper PA-34


US Airways A330 landing


A little bit later, the Museum's DC-3


Every aviation museum I've ever been to has scale models, and ours is no exception.  Buried in the middle of one of our displays, I found this F-20.


A couple months ago, someone (Leigh, maybe?) put in a request for photos of aircraft in BMF that were left exposed to the elements.  The Museum's F-80 almost fills the bill, so I shot it from a few different angles just to share.  If anyone wants more, let me know.

[elmayerle]

That's definitely not a MU-2B, it's got the long fuselage with the narrow windows just in front of the door, that makes it a late-model MU-2N or a Marquise (final long MU-2 version with TPE331-10s), most likely a Marquise.

*chuckle* The only reason I know that much is that I worked on the bloody things.  I was an engineer with Mitsubishi Aircraft International, in "bustling" San Angelo, TX for the certification program on the Marquise and it's shorter Solitare sibling (long- and short-bodied MU-2s, respectively, with TPE331-10 engines and general systems and interior upgrade) and also supported field service when needed.

[B777LR]

US Airways 757 landing

Nononon, thats an A-330-300  

[dragon]

US Airways 757 landing

Nononon, thats an A-330-300

Perhaps he was hanging out at Terminal D's Wine shop (I have purchased wine from NC to be shipped to CA there).      

[Jschmus]

I corrected the note about the A330, but I left the MU-2, because that's what's listed in the FAA registry.

More to come, hoepfully later this week.  I got some gorgeous in-action stuff of NCANG C-130s, a Gulfstream G-V, and a Lufthansa A330.

[elmayerle]

Might the registry list a dash number after the MU-2B?  As I remember, the Marquise was something like a MU-2B-60.  All production MU-2s were certified under some variation of the basic MU-2B certification.

[Jschmus]

Might the registry list a dash number after the MU-2B?  As I remember, the Marquise was something like a MU-2B-60.  All production MU-2s were certified under some variation of the basic MU-2B certification.

Bingo, Evan!  The FAA lists N222FA as a "MU-2B-36A", with TPE331-5&6SER engines.  No disrespect, by the way.

[elmayerle]

None taken.  By that, I can guess that she was originally built with TPE331-5 engines and later upgraded to TPE331-6 engines with four-bladed props (as opposed to the original three-bladed props).  It was a common conversion since it reduced the noise level and improved some other aspects of the engine installation.

Comment by Edit:  You know, it's really an odd feeling when you look at something you wrote and realize that it's all information you gained 'tween a quarter-century and three decades ago and that it's still in your memory all this while later.  Makes you wonder 'bout the human memory, doesn't it?  Of course, there are other things learned around that time that I dast not forget, our anniversary and milady wife's birthday primary among them.

[Jschmus]

I'm still waiting a couple of days to process the latest batch, but I've got some good stuff coming: Lufthansa A330, JetBlue ERJ-190, Cessna 650 Citation, Wachovia GV-SP (G500) and an HS.125 Series 700.

[Captain Canada]

Nice work ! Makes me want to wander down to an airport and hang out for the day.....

Looking forward to the C-130 action !

Cheers Jason !

 

[Jschmus]

This library computer is darned finicky, so I've only been able to upload about half of the photos I wanted to do today.  I'll try to get the rest up tomorrow.  Anyhow, since I've been teasing for a couple of weeks, here's the first batch.

Herc Landing



Another one, coming in on runway 27


PSA Heritage A319 (I guess Jennings' retro profiles have made me fond of these schemes)


Piedmont Heritage A319

[Jschmus]

The fastest thing to visit CLT since the last time a SuperBug was here, the Cessna 750 Citation X


Mystere-Falcon 50


Another MU-2 - Can anyone make out the registry?  I keep feeding what I think it looks like into the FAA registry, and getting other types.


It's teeny in this view, but it's a Hughes trainer helo

[Jschmus]

I was thinking of Scooterman when I shot this one.  Cobra!!!


One thing I've learned at this museum is, if you can't get the picture to have, take a picture of it yourself.  Tilt-Fan VTOL, from a Grumman products poster of the early 1980s.


I don't know that the scheme is retro, exactly, but it looks slick on this United ERJ-145. (Thanks, B777!!)


Last one tonight, JetBlue ERJ-190


Still to come, the Lufthansa A330, Allegheny Heritage A319, a posed shot of the USAF inventory circa 1957, and assorted museum planes from different angles.

[elmayerle]

I think that MU-2 is N105WM, but I could be misreading it.

Doing a search for that registration on Google reveals that it is indeed a MU-2B-36A (Sold as a MU-2N), C/N 709SA, which means it likely was built and flight tested while I was in San Angelo, TX with Mitsubishi.

[B777LR]

I don't know that the scheme is retro, exactly, but it looks slick on this United Challenger.

Thats an Embraer ERJ-145, and it belongs to United Airways. Its the airlines newest paint scheme. United is planing to paint up a 777-2, 747-4 and a 767-3 in retro colours soon