Mesa, AZ CAF Museum

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Those of you who follow this travel blog probably wonder if we fell over the edge, but no, it is because we have done less sight-seeing and more family-friends kind of visiting.  
We know several families that we have been friends with for many years, and yet this was our first time to the Phoenix area when we had time to visit.
HOWEVER, we met some really neat folks from British Columbia, Canada, and that leads us into this posting.
It was Jim's 60th birthday, and his wife was being devious and manipulative, wanting him out of the scene whilst she prepared a surprise party for him.  Tic was to be an instrument in this great deception.

So Jim and Tic went to the CAF (Commemorative Air Force) Museum in Mesa, AZ.

The entrance to the museum, the men are reading about Arizona military men.

This was just outside the entrance and is a weather vane.  The propeller was really spinning!  It is a replica (obvious to the most casual observer), of a Corsair, which happens to be one of Jim's favorites.

Stinson aircraft with a rotary engine.  Tic is fascinated by rotary engines.

This is the instrument panel in the Stinson.  Check out the "wheels"!  And the woodwork.

Something for the little ones to investigate.

The Mustang every Corvette would like to be.

I did say that Tic is fascinated by rotary engines?; this is a 28 cylinder rotary, 7 banks of 4 cylinders.
Pratt & Whitney R-4360 excerpt from Wikipedia:
The R-4360 was a 28-cylinder four-row air-cooled radial engine setup inspiring the engine's "corncob" nickname. Each row of pistons was slightly offset from the previous, forming a semi-helical arrangement to facilitate efficient airflow cooling of the successive rows of cylinders.

Engine displacement was 4,362.50 in³ (71.5 L), hence the model designation. Initial models developed 3,000 hp (2,240 kW), and later models 3,500 hp, but one model delivered 4,300 hp (3200 kW) using two large turbochargers in addition to the supercharger. Engines weighed 3,482 to 3,870 lb (1,579 to 1,755 kg), giving a power-to-weight ratio of 1.11 hp/lb (1.83 kW/kg).

Tim the tool-man Taylor would like this too!

The next series of photos was truly the highlight of the visit.  A B-17 undergoing restoration.  We were allowed to travel through-out the aircraft; touching feeling, squeezing, and taking photos,  Nothing classified any longer.

 Up the ladder in front of the bomb-bay doors.

Standing at a gunners position looking into the cockpit.  Nose gunner photo was too dark to share.

Still at the upper gun position looking aft thru the bomb-bay.  Tic had to turn sideways to fit thru to the next compartment.  In the next compartment, on the left side is the radios and navigation, on the left are two seats for the gun crew.

This is the mid-ship's gun section.  Roomiest part of the aircraft.  At the rear is the entrance to the tail gunners position.  TIGHT FIT!

Tail gunner had a great view, bet is was frightening at the time of combat.

Great place to visit, neat gift shop, and all the staff were outstanding.  This concluded Tic's part in the great deception and he and Jim were right on schedule.  Jim arrived at his party and was surprised.
Mission accomplished!  

Just in case you did not figure it out, Tic wrote this post since Dusty did not go to the museum.