Getting Ready for the September 20th "International Cox PT-19 Fly It If You Got It Day"!

So, the rains go away for a bit, and I call Patrick to tell him he needs to check out these weird Sullivan Cables I bought for him.  Turns out, he was getting ready to go to the park in town and see if he could find an empty spot to fly his PT-19.

I told him to bring it out, if he wanted, and we'd do a PT-19 Day out in the front yard.  I've got three that are more-or-less flyable, and so, the crazyness was on!!!

I got the pile of parts out, along with a big bag of rubber bands, and started assembling me some aircraft. Two are left over from the late 1970's, another one, my nicest, I got no clue about...but the first two have been stretched almost to the limits of their repairableness.

The Super PT is looking a bit faded...need to hit it's lettering again with the correction pen:



Need Bernie or Matt to find me some PT rudders in a box somewhere.  I keep breaking off their little nose-nub...but as with most things...rubber bands save the day:



My "Sunday-Go-to-Church" PT.  Even my nicest 19 has some repaired dings, but she flys:



My Ultra-Rare (and super-secret) "RF-19".  The modifications around the cockpit area are for the accommodation of camera equipment, with the intent of capturing inflight formation footage of another PT-19...as soon as I get to where I trust Patrick NOT to fly into me when we share a flight circle.

In the interest of National Security, please destroy your computer after looking at this photo:




The Boys park on their tightly-packed plywood carrier deck, with Patrick's 19 staged on the official launch board, while his P-40 snubs the Cool Crowd.

Also, please note my high-tech "Runway Helper"...a slab of insulating foam...unceremoniously wedged under the corner of the regular runway.  I had to yell at Patrick not walk on it...people just don't respect my art!



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After receiving my usual lecture on what lead-sleds these little planes are, I attempted to help Patrick launch his from our little runway.  Ignoring my suggestion to just stay where he was, and let the plane accelerate WITHOUT yanking it around, Patrick hauled the PT sideways off the runway, and into the grass, where it flipped.  Interrupting his "I told you so" with a volumed-up rerun of my first suggestion, we tried again, and the little trainer lifted happily away, with runway to spare.









Of all the assorted Ringmasters, Strings, Busters, Winds, Swoops, Voodoo's, Otto's, and other cool stuff I've been able to get my hands on...NOTHING takes me instantly back to 1968 like a Cox PT-19 with a good-running .049, doing it's thing out at the end of 35' of line.





Suffering through yet another of Patrick's dissertations on the crumbyness of Mr. Cox's wonderful little model, I preceded to fly each plane, pulling easy loops on the downwind side...in an attempt to demonstrate that they need to be "flown" through their loops, rather than have their pilot just haul in a bunch of energy-wasting "Up" control.









Don't think I made any points as Patrick tends to simply dismiss any evidence that conflicts with his long-held views.  Just as well...I had fun !

Sunset, and the Boys all survived to have more adventures another day: