Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/10/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 2003-10-12 jerryleh@pacbell.net (Jerry Lehrer) thoughtfully wrote: >That's a lot better! I've looked at too many airplanes in my 50 years >in the game to want to look at any more. (My former employer, Goodrich >Aerospace, makes all the landing gear for commercial aircraft, having >bought out all the competition). I grew up about a half-mile from one of the Goodrich brake facilities. I remember they had this huge flywheel with some monster motors and could test aircraft brakes to destruction. They designed and tested the B-70 liquid cooled brakes. When I was in high school - this is the mid-60s - we got to see a film they made of that destruction test. It was amazing with foundtains of sparks and burning metal pouring out of the brake assembly. The wonderful part - the plant was built ajacent to the old Waco airplane plant that still had a grass strip. I waxed and washed airplanes in exchange for rides, especially an insurance agent's Aircoupe with it's dural finish and dayglow wingtips. Boy I polished that sucker all summer. Now the airfield is an industrial park, the Waco hangers were a part of Chemlawn and there are acres of soccer fields. But no more fabric covered Taylorcrafts, or UPF-7s or J-3s fly in over the trees to the east to land a field of dandylions so white it looks like snow. Another age. Adam - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html