Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/08/23

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as Seenin1972
From: jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols)
Date: Thu Aug 23 17:02:23 2007
References: <004901c7e4e3$13c2c870$6101a8c0@jimnichols><46CCE4CD.5040904@san.rr.com><00f701c7e530$feb9aa40$6101a8c0@jimnichols> <46CE1A7E.3010104@san.rr.com>

Jerry,

I mentioned the Gulf Hawk to a friend when I visited the local airport this 
morning.  He said for me to wait a minute while he ran out to his car ( as 
fast as an 80-something can move, anyway).  He came back with a pack of 
photos that he took in early July at Dulles.  Among the planes on display 
was the Gulf Hawk, suspended from the rafters.  There are elevated walkways 
and his photo showed the top of the wings and horizontal tail, which I had 
never seen before. They have markings like many other colorful biplanes, so 
that one can determine from the ground whether or not the plane is inverted.

He went on to say that he had encountered the plane once before, in the 
1930s, when Al Williams brought it to Lunken Field in Cincinatti, OH, near 
where he grew up.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jerry Lehrer" <glehrer@san.rr.com>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 6:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as 
Seenin1972


> Jim,
> I know what you mean by direction of flow!  Having flown cross country in 
> a B-57A from Maryland to Alabama and the relief reservoir
> overflowing,  I know why  the pilot dropped the  full  tank on  the 
> designers desk at the Glenn  L Martin  Co.when he returned.
>
> Jerry
>
>
> Jim Nichols wrote:
>> Jerry,
>>
>> At least, the venturi made one certain of the direction of flow when 
>> using the relief horn. It appears to be similar to a normal 4-inch 
>> venturi used for many years to provide adequate suction to spin up 
>> artificial horizons and directional gyros for instrument flight. These 
>> have all but disappeared with the advent of engine-driven vacuum pumps, 
>> which are now being replaced with more modern reference instruments.
>>
>> Jim Nichols
>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerry Lehrer" <glehrer@san.rr.com>
>> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 8:37 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as 
>> Seenin 1972
>>
>>
>>> Jim,
>>>
>>> I can almost guarantee that the Hamilton-Standard prop shown on the 
>>> plane is not the original style.
>>>
>>> BTW, that venturi must have provided quite a suction in the relief 
>>> "horn"!
>>>
>>> Jerry
>>>
>>>
>>> Jim Nichols wrote:
>>>> On a 1972 summer vacation trip with the kids, probably in Daytona, I 
>>>> came across a collection that included Al Williams' original 1929 
>>>> Curtiss Wright Gulf Hawk, Serial No. 1, powered by a 650hp Pratt & 
>>>> Whitney radial.  It was complete with all conveniences, which included 
>>>> a relief tube venturi beneath the cockpit.
>>>>
>>>> In searching to find more info on this airplane, I can no longer locate 
>>>> the place that I visited, and it is probably gone.  I believe that the 
>>>> airplane is now in a collection at Dulles.
>>>>
>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Cigar+Box/Gulf+Hawk+1972.jpg.html
>>>>
>>>> Comments and critiques welcomed.
>>>>
>>>> Jim Nichols
>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>
>>>> __
>>>
>>>
>>> _
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 



In reply to: Message from jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as Seen in 1972)
Message from glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer) ([Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as Seen in 1972)
Message from jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as Seenin 1972)
Message from glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer) ([Leica] IMG: From the Cigar Box- Al Williams' Gulf Hawk as Seenin 1972)