In the works...

[Tango_Romeo]

...and coming soon is a new AI aircraft to enchance Korean and VN era missions. The military version of the Martin 404. This bird, along with the more numerous Convair 440, served as the RM-1 and C-131 respectively in the roles of transports, air ambulances and navigator trainers. :wavey:

It's one of several dozen unfinished projects laying about that I suppose I should finish or abandon. :isadizzy:

Most people, including a lot of websites, can't tell the two aircraft apart, though there are distinct differences in appearance, if not performance.
I spent time in these birds learning to navigate and hitching rides, so I have the old soft spot for them....as I suppose many others do who flew the civilian versions on Eastern and Frontier Airlines....to name a couple. :friday:

The screenie below shows the WIP model in the skin of a CG RM-1 transport. :kilroy:

Heck, if she turns out to be nice enough, we'll make her flyable. :costumes:

[Jagdflieger]

TR,

Great Choice! While I never flew in the Martin, I did fly in the Convair twin on several occasions. Those big Pratt & Whitney Doublewasps were great to listen to whether it was in the C-131 or the civilian version (CV 220 & 330) operated by Southern Airways, Frontier or numerous other airlines. It was often my chariot to adventure or just to go home on leave.

I think the last operational C-131s that I saw were operated by the Air Guard well into the 1970s and of course the civilian turboprop versions (CV440) were pretty well in place by the early 70s. It seems like they just disappeared from the sky about 1980 or so. Haven't seen one since, but I soon will, if only in the cyber skies of CFS 2.

[Tango_Romeo]

..folks will get too excited about this one, but I just finished the CG skin and am getting motivated to get the animations finished on the FSC so I can get her posted. I started her a long time ago.

[Pen32Win]

Good lookin' Bird TR.

[Tango_Romeo]

...about the 131 was always pointed-out to the nav trainees on board. She only had two hatches. One directly in front of the #2 prop and the other six feet in front of the port horizontal stab. Baling-out could only be accomplished by opening the port rear hatch, rigging a long cargo strap and thowing it out the hatch. The object was to hold onto the strap when you exited the aircraft and 'slide' down it until you were clear of the horizontal stab. LOL.

The RM-1 had that wonderful aft stairwell, which made abandoning the aircraft a simple matter.....in D.B. Sweeney/727 style.

Oh, no! I can't talk without icons....what will I do?????

[Tango_Romeo]

I'm doing a CFS2 original based on Dee Waldron's source file. She's just a pretty face right now, but the shell is filling in. Got to do a Navy skin....and I'll throw in a ficticious Air Force one as well....with her masqerading as a 131. Heeeeeeeheeeeeheeee. Don't laugh! I don't have any icons!

[Bill Kestell]

That's a pretty bird. Very early in my flying life (as a passenger) I had a chance to be on either a Martin or a Convair (don't remember ... if I ever knew), but sitting there as they started her up, all I could think of was how WWII this all sounded and felt ... God it was great. Kinda like hanging out at Midway in Chicago with my cousin when we would visit ... all those big Douglas's and those super-sweet Connies ... starting up ... running up their engines ... taxiing out and back ... taking off and landing. Little did I realize that this too was a scene fast passing from my view ... never to return. Like watching those Milwaukee Road F6's being used on local freight ops. Swear to God, I'm an 8 year old kid and I'm standing within touching distance from one of these big, panting beasts as it switched box cars at our local canning factory. Yeah, it was cool ... but I never thought it would end up being just another fond memory. Guys ... you gotta hold all this stuff real close ... 'cause it's like smoke ...

Thanks, TR ... you done good, as usual!

[Tango_Romeo]

What a coincidence! I flew on the Connie just once, and it was at the age of 8 or so. I'll never forget how big it was outside on those long-legged gear, how small it seemed inside and how great the stewardess treated me when my Mom turned me over to her, as I was flying alone. (You'd never see that happen these days, would you?) Then there was the trip to the cockpit during the short flight from Nashville to Atlanta. :jump:

The 404/RM-1 was a regular for me on Eastern and Southern Airways, while the 440/C-131 was a ride in the military. :kilroy:

[Jagdflieger]

Man that brings back some memories of childhood. While I never got to fly in a Connie, I did fly in the DC 6 and DC 7 on a few occasions as a boy. It was treat to walk out onto the ramp and smell the flight line's oil, rubber and hydraulic fluid smells and then climb the ramp that was mounted on a truck up to the big aeroplane. The stewardesses were as friendly and caring as my mom and brought you chicklets chewing gum to help you valsalvate (make your ears pop) and adjust to the altitude changes when climbing and then descending again. One time the stewardess made me a special sandwich with lots of onions (which I still devour gleefully) that made everyone around me green.

Now compare that with my last ordeal earlier this year with TSA treating me like the enemy (even while flying on military orders) and a flight crew that didn't give a damn whether we flew with them or not...

[Tango_Romeo]

...between the 404 and the 440, particularly after the radomes and pilots' windows of the 404 were modified in later models. The dead give-away is he shape of the vertical stab....the Convair's being 'pointy'.

Initially from the first production run of 103 Martins, Eastern got 60, TWA got 40, the CG got 2 and Howard Hughes got 1, which he used as his personal aircraft. :running:

[Tango_Romeo]

Now compare that with my last ordeal earlier this year with TSA treating me like the enemy and a flight crew that didn't give a damn whether we flew with them or not...

..the point that I won't fly commercial at all, if there is any option available. What used to be a luxury ride has become a cattle car. :costumes:

[Tango_Romeo]

...Kunsan to Tokyo. Last call for you pendulous penuses to hit the big city. :wavey:

Will one of you jerks please close the rear hatch? What do you mean that lazy, no-good Tango hasn't animated it yet? :banghead:

[Tango_Romeo]

....can be such a drag, but we're getting there. :ernae:
I have to hurry or OBIO and Bearcat will convert the FS2004 version and do twelve repaints before I can finish. :costumes::costumes::costumes:

[Pips]

It was treat to walk out onto the ramp and smell the flight line's oil, rubber and hydraulic fluid smells and then climb the ramp that was mounted on a truck up to the big aeroplane....

Now that was when flying was a real experience - you actually felt part of the whole process.

Nowadays you wait in sanitised air-conditioned concrete and glass monstrosities, shuffle like sheep down long souless corridors and board without ever seeing the outside of the aircraft you are about to journey in.

Progress huh!!
:isadizzy:

[OBIO]

....can be such a drag, but we're getting there. :ernae:
I have to hurry or OBIO and Bearcat will convert the FS2004 version and do twelve repaints before I can finish. :costumes::costumes::costumes:

I already have it converted and am about to put the finishing touches on the 13th repaint. Just kidding.

OBIO

[Tango_Romeo]

I already have it converted and am about to put the finishing touches on the 13th repaint. Just kidding.OBIO

I was just fishing. :173go1::costumes:

[Collin]

Last flew on a twin Convair in 82, belonged to Caribou Airlines I think.
Edmonton to Port Radium (Echo Bay) via Yellowknife, then a Cessna float-plane to Coppermine. Got some piccies of the Convair landing and taking off from the dirt runway at Echo Bay, you can see the top of the nearby hills on the flight path where the undercarriage has knocked the tops off the tree's:kilroy:

See if I can dig 'em out and scan 'em in.

regards Collin:ernae:

[Devildog73]

Man that brings back some memories of childhood. While I never got to fly in a Connie, I did fly in the DC 6 and DC 7 on a few occasions as a boy. It was treat to walk out onto the ramp and smell the flight line's oil, rubber and hydraulic fluid smells and then climb the ramp that was mounted on a truck up to the big aeroplane. The stewardesses were as friendly and caring as my mom and brought you chicklets chewing gum to help you valsalvate (make your ears pop) and adjust to the altitude changes when climbing and then descending again. One time the stewardess made me a special sandwich with lots of onions (which I still devour gleefully) that made everyone around me green.

Now compare that with my last ordeal earlier this year with TSA treating me like the enemy (even while flying on military orders) and a flight crew that didn't give a damn whether we flew with them or not...


Jagd, Bringing back memories guy. You and I are hanging in too many of the same crowds........:ernae:

I no longer fly in uniform on orders unless I have no choice in the matter. Our current crop of flight crews are basically rude, crude and socially unacceptable, especially to those of us still serving in uniform. It was different for about a year after 9/11/2001, but how soon our spoiled citizens forget.......

[Tango_Romeo]

Got some piccies of the Convair landing and taking off from the dirt runway at Echo Bay, you can see the top of the nearby hills on the flight path where the undercarriage has knocked the tops off the tree's:kilroy:

See if I can dig 'em out and scan 'em in.

regards Collin:ernae:

....we want them NOW. :kiss:

[Tango_Romeo]

...landing gear and flap systems, parts hierarchy and parenting problems and steerable nose wheels... OH, THE AGONY OF IT ALL. :help:

Is there no mercy? :faint:

[Jagdflieger]

DD,

For security, I don't fly in uniform either, although, as you know, the conventional army is encouraging it for soldiers. Back when we got 50% off of our ticket price when going on leave if we flew in uniform I did though.

It's amazing the change in attitude and how you're treated when you transfer from your US flag carrier to a foreign flag carrier for your international leg. It's kind of like... yeah, when we rode in Constellations, Douglass, Martins and Convair aircraft.

[Bill Kestell]

Kinda' reminds me of the "Tommy" poem (most of which I don't remember) ... but the gist of it was that you ( the military) get no respect from anyone at all ...until the you-know-what hits the fan ... and then EVERYBODY loves you.

[Jagdflieger]

Kipling is the author of that one as well as many more. Kipling was the soldier's poet and he hit the nail on the head with that one.

... And it's Tommy this and Tommy that.

[Tango_Romeo]

Kipling is the author of that one as well as many more. Kipling was the soldier's poet and he hit the nail on the head with that one. ... And it's Tommy this and Tommy that.


....You're a better man than I, Gunga Din! :amen:

Hey, only persons senior to myself in age are welcome to address me in that familiar way.....so lay off this Tommy stuff. :sheep:

[Tango_Romeo]

.....against cruel mistress of FSDS2.24, but making headway. :typing:
I love it so. :kiss:

A little known form of Air Sea Rescue provided by the USCG in Korea!

[Tango_Romeo]

... now for those pesky multi-part gear doors.....:rollerskater:

Sacre' Bleu! :pop4:

[Dirtman]

Will one of you jerks please close the rear hatch?

Sorry TR; that wuz me ..... I wuz just havin' a quick "squirt" before takeoff.
Had to use the back hatch cuz the toilet is all backed-up .... could ya please animate the flush handle on it too? .... Collin wuz in there first ..... what a mess!!!

...........70033

.
.