Originally Posted by
Danny42C
Pilot looks jolly good for 51 !
Stearman looks jolly good for 71 !
Did 60 hours on them in '41 on the "Arnold Scheme" (Class of 42C) - with no ASI in the cockpit - instructor in front had one, of course ! I'd never flown before (nor had my classmates), so we felt no pain - what you've never had, you never miss. It was a wonderful idea, for we learned to fly "by the seat of our pants".
What have they done with this one ? The original 220hp Continental has been replaced by a Wasp Junior (?) with a 2-speed prop (lifted out of an old BT-13 ?). Should go like ###t off a shovel now. It was a tough old bird.
All the old open cockpit tail draggers had this visibilty problem. You had a good look round before climbing in, and then zig-zagged along when you got moving, poking your head out like an old steam loco driver. Accidents of this kind have happened before, and they'll happen again.
Happy days over the Everglades,
Danny42C
Thanks for the story Danny.
Concerning forward visibility in the cockpit. It could be a problem in flight as well. On final approach, if there is a person in the front seat, their head is blocking your view of the runway and the occasional sideslip is required to allow you to see it and maintain alignment. I suppose once you are on short final with a reasonably wide runway, the edges come into view and then peripheral vision takes over.