Convention Highlights
Sacramento, California Wednesday July 9 through Saturday July 12, 2008
If you are an air race fan this is a convention NOT to miss. We are fortunate to have the most talented crew chiefs and engine builders in the world available for your questions during our panel discussion. If you want to learn the speed secrets that make these remarkable Unlimited Class air racers perform the way they do, you can get it straight from the horse's mouth. Even if you not enamored with air racing we still have a varied and fascinating program for your enjoyment-including field trips touring the world famous California State Railroad Museum and the Aerospace Museum of California. As an added attraction, there will be informal activities for spouses and guests.
Download Advance Registration Form (91K PDF) for details
2007 Convention
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Photo Courtesy of Richard Loftis |
Report from the 4th Annual AEHS Convention
Dayton, Ohio (July 19-22, 2007)
by Larry Rinek
It was my pleasure to fly from San Francisco, California (with one stop in Minneapolis) to attend the 4th AEHS convention in Dayton. The turnout of aero engine enthusiasts numbered around 75, including two who flew over from Holland. The convention hotel headquarters (Holiday Inn) was on the north side of Dayton right off of I-75, a short distance from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the star convention attraction this year. I toured this Air Force museum decades ago, and what a difference today: most aircraft are now displayed inside (formerly weathering outside) and new exhibit halls are now in place, including the recent Cold War hangar housing the truly impressive B-36J giant intercontinental bomber (saw this aircraft fly once as a youngster in Connecticut, in May 1956). As a former USAF officer serving on active duty during the Cold War, and an aviation historian, this museum—with its priceless original aircraft and engine collection, is a rather special place (hallowed ground) for me.
Upon the Thursday July 19 arrival, the group got acquainted inside the hotel with evening drinks and a fine buffet (supposed to be appetizers—but resembled a full luncheon!).
The program got under way early the following morning (Friday 20th) with introductions and then a special guided tour of the restoration shop near the museum on Wright-Patterson AFB. Among other aircraft, the famous Memphis Belle B-17F bomber was in pieces getting a total makeover, as well as the rare Fisher P-75A fighter with contra-rotating props and Allison V-3420 power. The backlog of restoration projects stretches many years out.
The afternoon was devoted to first an engine demo in the back parking lot,
luncheon, and then sessions back at the hotel. Graham White (AEHS VP & TM
Editor) fired up his Continental IV-1430 inverted liquid-cooled V-12 on a
custom-built trailer, getting much boost—requiring water injection (ADI). A
“hyper” engine delivering up to 2,100 hp (War Emergency) from 1,430 cubic
inches, this loud screamer with open short stacks (ear protection mandatory) was
a delight for the aero motor heads in attendance, if not for Holiday Inn guests.
Your reporter got a little too close (standing off to the side) during the
breathtaking run and was forced to retreat, getting prop-blown debris into my
eyes plus a moisture mist assault. The afternoon sessions included two excellent
speakers:
• Jan Schilling (GE Aviation, Chief Engineer & General Manager, Evendale, OH):
nice overview of GE turbine aero engines from WW II to present
• Pete Law (Reno air races pit legend & former Lockheed Skunk Works
thermodynamics engineer): complete history of the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance
plane history (culled largely from public sources) and the inside view of engine
change-out of P&W J75 (for
U-2R) to GE F118 turbofans (for U-2S) in order to reduce size, weight, and
specific fuel consumption. The U-2S first flew in 1989 and the production run
ended in 1994.
Friday’s program concluded with a group dinner (optional) at a local Ruby Tuesday’s.
On Saturday the 21st (9 AM to lunch) we enjoyed two excellent speakers:
• Dave Newill (Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust—President of Allison branch, and
executive at Allison engines in Indianapolis): brought us up to date on their
new museum (or “exhibition”) housing current and historical Allison products,
museum now in development and already funded, will rotate exhibits (too much to
show)
• Scott Wood (National Air & Space Museum, A&P mechanic,
restoration/preservation expert): briefed the group on tricks of the trade for
collectors. He is also restoring a Wright R-2600 from a TBF/TBM Avenger to
eventual running condition.
At the end of the buffet luncheon, attendees viewed a most interesting and
detailed video concerning the WW II manufacturing of Wright
R-3350 radial engines. As a guy formally trained in manufacturing engineering,
metalworking, and metallurgy, this subject material was right up my alley. Never
knew how radial engine builders nitrided (hardened) those steel cylinder
interiors, until the video.
The entire afternoon was allocated to an unguided walking tour (no admission charge) of the museum, preceded by an AEHS convention group photo. Packing a new digital SLR camera, I went wild shooting over 150 images inside and outdoors (no film rolls!). Photographers discovered how difficult it was to get good indoor exposures at the museum even with flash (often too dark), due to the minimal ambient lighting—so many shots were deleted. I went back and had to re-shoot many in a special “night mode” (shutter open a long time) with better results—if the camera was still. Many engines (piston, gas turbine, rocket), were on display—too many to list here. One of the more unique engines was a 1918 experimental high-output Liberty V-12 (a Lincoln conversion) with turbocharging, intercooling, and gear reduction to the prop shaft (way ahead of its time, not reliable).
Lee Hodgson, former P&W test engineer (East Hartford CT, where my father worked 1941-1945) and notable scale-model radial & rotary aero engine builder, was the well-received after-dinner speaker for the annual banquet on Saturday night. Kudos to Lee and his wife Peggy who helped host this year’s event in Ohio, doing much of the advance prep work—such as securing the convention hotel.
The convention ended on Sunday AM July 22nd with:
• Round table discussion/slides by Lee Hodgson (Bentley 9-cylinder radials),
Murry Rozansky (aero steam engines, for both models and full-size biplanes—most
unusual), and Kim McCutcheon on barrel aircraft engines (such as the Almen A-4)
• An auction of donated goods
• Closing remarks and good-byes
AEHS’s most likely convention venue in 2008 is on the “left coast” (finally, for the many members like myself out there), either in Southern or Northern California. All together, an outstanding gathering this year, and attendance was up over 2006.
2007 Convention Presentations
Establishing a New Engine Museum -
by Dave Newill (1.1M PDF)
The Almen A-4 Barrel Engine - by Kimble D.
McCutcheon (1.6M PDF)
Preservation/Conservation - by Scott Wood
(0.9M PDF)
2007 Convention Sights
National Museum of the United States Air Force - by Tony Ward
Earlier Conventions (2004 - 2006)
