By John Beyl
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It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight months since the Red Tail Mustang’s first flight in mid-July 2009. All of us on the team are, in one way or another, still in the process of feeling our way through the transition period between restoration and flying. Hopefully, by early summer we will have found a suitable equilibrium. There have been challenges.
Last November, the FAA added another layer of complexity to the transition by revoking our airworthiness certificate. The short version of the story is they were not satisfied with the paperwork or engineering that accompanied the FAA Form 337 for our propeller, which allowed us to use Grumman Albatross blades rather than original blades. To make this situation a little more interesting, the airplane was in Midland, Texas when we were informed it was grounded until the issue was rectified! The plan was to display it at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas through mid-winter. It’s not that far from Dallas to Midland, but we still needed to fly the plane over; it’s not like you can put it on a truck and haul it.
In order to work through this situation, Doug Rozendaal filed for, and was granted, a ferry permit to move the airplane to Dallas. Displaying the airplane at a high traffic aviation museum in the Dallas area would afford more people the opportunity to see it than if it was snowed in at the CAF Minnesota Wing hangar in South St. Paul, Minnesota.
When people hear about the propeller issue, often their first question is: why not just use one of the two types of Hamilton Standard blades originally used on this model of Mustang? Cost and scarcity are the answer. A cost analysis of the original blades available looks something like this: Original serviceable
condition paddle blades run about $8,000 to $12,000 per blade (the Mustang has four). Original serviceable cuffed blades are $15,000 to $18,000 per blade. Another batch of new paddle blades is in the process of being manufactured as I write this, but at $18,000 per blade, their pricing is prohibitive as well.
When the propeller we currently have was purchased, Albatross blades were selling in the range of $2,500 to $4,000 per blade and had been used on and proven in many prior Mustang applications. Although they do not have the cuff on them, they are the preferred blade since their measures and profile are very similar to the original cuffed blade. You’ve probably seen them and didn’t even know you were looking at them!
So what to do? We pondered several options available to us:
- Do nothing with the propeller but re-register the airplane to “Experimental Exhibition”; This is the least desirable option since this registration is far more restrictive than the “Limited” category we’re in now. As an interim solution, this option may be exercised in order for us to meet our air show obligations.
- Purchase a set of standard blades - a big chunk of change.
- Complete the required engineering and testing and then file a 337 for a one-time field modification.
- Complete the required engineering and testing and then file for an FAA STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) to make this a legal application for all operators currently using the Albatross blades to use.
With the help of Tri-State Aviation, Bob Odegaard, and an independent engineer who has offered his services at a rate we can afford, we have elected to move forward with Option 4 with the end owner of the STC being Tri-State Aviation. Significant headway has already been made, and we are hopeful the STC will be granted before the flying season begins.
The airplane is scheduled to fly from Dallas to Wahpeton (with a ferry permit in the cockpit!) in mid- to late February. There are several items that need to be finished/added/reworked in addition to performing the annual inspection so we don’t have to worry about that in the middle of the flying season. The flight schedule indicates that, potentially, the Mustang’s first air show appearance could be as early as mid-March, but that still should allow ample time for the team and the staff at Tri-State to knock out the items on the “To Do” list.
By now, it’s no secret that last summer an in-flight fuel flow issue surfaced. It required Doug to use all of his piloting skills and calm nature, and thankfully resulted in a non-incident except for a dry-cleaning bill and a bottle of aspirin for him the next day. The problem was identified as debris in the fuel discharge nozzle. The issue was fixed by cleaning the fuel delivery system.
No further incidents have occurred, are expected to occur, or are likely to occur. However, with safety ever-present on our minds to make this and all Warbirds safer to fly, as part of our Tri-State work schedule mentioned above, we will be adding a safety feature called a “gallon-a-minute switch” to the engine. This is an emergency only, secondary fuel delivery system that will allow the engine to operate at a specific power setting in the event of a carburetor malfunction. The system is operated manually from the cockpit. Hopefully, it will never need to be pressed into service!
All of us with the CAF Red Tail Project are looking forward to a busy flying season and bringing this special airplane and its message to enthusiasts across the country. If your path should happen to intersect with ours, stop by and say hi!
