Fifteen minutes after takeoff from Santa Paula Airport northwest of Los Angeles, California, Matthew Taylor heard a loud whining sound coming from the Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial mounted just beyond the firewall of his 1943 Howard DGA.
It was May 2008 and Taylor, his wife Candi, and their two-year-old daughter Josie were leaving the Howard Fly-In at Santa Paula, bound for Henderson Field, Las Vegas. Passing through 7,000 feet, the nine cylinder engine began losing rpm, dropping from 2,000 to 1,500 in less than five seconds. Just then the engine emitted an audible "pop" and the revs bounced back to 2,000 rpm.
With the 450 hp motor running rough and the smell of burning oil, Taylor pulled his throttle from 30 inches of manifold pressure back to 22 inches. That smoothed the engine out a bit, but smoke still drifted into cockpit and a small amount of oil sprayed onto the windshield.
Quickly, the Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter pilot and Navy Test Pilot School graduate assessed the situation. Holding altitude almost directly over Interstate 5, the major north-south highway that runs along the coast and through central California, Taylor pressed the "NRST" button on his GPS to get a quick fix on the nearest airport.
Agua Dulce Airpark located between Santa Clarita and Palmdale was 13 nautical miles ahead. With the airport sitting at over 2,000 feet above sea level and surrounding mountains, it was worth considering other immediate options. But landing on I-5 would have been tricky at best.
The R-985's oil pressure was holding steady even with oil quantity now at half its 6.5-gallon pre-flight level. So Taylor nudged his throttle to about 25 inches to see whether the engine would keep running at a higher power setting. It started to shake again and he pulled back it to 22 inches, checked oil pressure and declared an emergency.
Opie Buys a "Damn Good Airplane"
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Keeping 'em Flying!- The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics
The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, the fighters, bombers, and trainers that defended freedom continue to enthrall and inspire audiences at airshows, thanks to generations of warbird pilots, maintainers, restoration specialists and collectors. In our September, 2022 issue we introduced you to the young warbird pilots, maintainers and restorers who are already beginning to displace more "experienced" warbird fliers and fixers.
The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.
When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations
STARFIRES Over Korea
F-94 pilots tangle with MiGs
Training Mission
BY THE TIME THIS TRAINING SCENE WAS RECORDED in Canne, Italy, in July 1944, Allied Yugoslavian airmen had several years of experience working side by side with the RAF.
KC-46A PEGASUS
Next generation aerial refueler
"SATAN'S ANGELS" ACE - Tales from a P-38 pilot in the South Pacific
\"AS A KID GROWING UP on the bow of my father's tugboat, hauling oil from Seattle to Alaska, I had a lot of time on my hands.
WACO YKC - Stunning and Ultra Rare Golden Age Cabin Flier
BETWEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and December 31, 1948, all U.S. registered flying machines sported an N-number, much as they do today, the \"N\" being an internationally recognized identifier for the United States. During that period, however, an additional letter-identifier followed the \"N.\" Depending on their category, they were registered in the NC (Commercial), NG (Glider), NL (Limited), NR (Restricted, usually meaning race airplanes), NS (State government), and, finally, NX (experimental).
BADER'S HURRICANES
Double amputee fighter ace Douglas Bader and his Battle of Britain Hurricanes
Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
ZERO MYTH, MYSTERY, AND FACT
A test pilot compares the A6M5 Zero to U.S. fighters
