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Aces Flying High

An Aussie's travels to air shows, aviation museums and more around the world

P-51D Mustang RNZAF

Classic Fighters Omaka 2009 (World War Two)

WORLD WAR TWO

North American P-51D Mustang

Vought F4U Corsair

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk

North American Harvard

Messerschmitt Bf-108 Taifun

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April 17, 2012April 19, 2014 DeanoAir Show, Aviation, History, Military, Photography, Travel, Warbirds, World War TwoBlenheim, Classic Fighters Omaka, F4U Corsair, Harvard, Messerschmitt Bf-108, New Zealand, P-40E Kittyhawk, P-51 Mustang, RNZAF, South Island, Supermarine Spitfire, World War Two

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In an earlier post I mentioned that the Reno air racer "Mr. Awesome", at the Texas Air & Space Museum in Amarillo, is a highly modified Soviet era 1955 Yakovlev Yak-11 Moose trainer (S/N 171521 - actually a licence-buillt Czechoslovakian Let C.11 operated by the Egyptian Air Force) fitted with a 3,700 hp Wright R-3350-42 Turbo-Compound radial engine with Power Recover Turbines, that due to stability issues was fitted with a tail from a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet (with a taller fin). You can clearly see the similarity in the tail, when "Mr. Awesome" is compared to the USAF T-33 on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas (all photos taken in May 2020). #mrawesome #yak11 #renoairraces #airracer #texasairandspacemuseum #lockheedt33shootingstar #usaf #acemaker #frontiersofflightmuseum #aviationmuseum #aviation #aviationphotography #instagramaviation #avgeek #amarillo #dallas #texas #aviationblog #instaplane #travel #wanderlust #wandering #drifterlife

NASA Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA), a modified Gulfstream II (N946NA) at the Texas Air & Space Museum in Amarillo, Texas (May 2020). The STA was used to train shuttle pilots in landing techniques, as it was able to duplicate the Space Shuttle's approach profile and handling qualities, whilst gliding back to earth, including the shuttle speed and dive angle - The STA would drop 28,000 feet in just over a minute to practice a space shuttle approach! The STA cockpit was modified to resemble the Space Shuttle flight deck and seats were removed from the main cabin to house computers to simulate the shuttle in flight. The pilot in training would sit in the left seat using the shuttle-like controls under the guidance of an instructor in the right seat. A flight engineer was also in the cockpit to monitor systems during the flight. Prior to flying a Space Shuttle mission, a commander had to complete 1,000 STA landings! One of the astronauts who flew the STA included Amarillo's own Rick Husband, Commander of Space Shuttle Columbia. Four STA aircraft were operated by NASA out of El Paso, Texas. N946NA was in service from 1976 to 2011, when it was flown to Amarillo for the last time. #nasa #sta #gulfstreamii #gulfstream #spaceshuttle #texasairandspacemuseum #aviationmuseum #aviation #aviationphotography #instagramaviation #avgeek #amarillo #texas #aviationblog #instaplane #instajet #aviationworld #travel #wanderlust #wandering #drifterlife

"Mr. Awesome" is a highly modified Soviet era 1955 Yakovlev Yak-11 Moose trainer that became a Reno air racer. The aircraft (S/N 171521) is actually a Let C.11, licence-buillt in the then Czechoslovakia and was operated by the Egyptian Air Force. The original Yak-11 had a 700 HP engine but "Mr. Awesome" was fitted with a 3,700 hp Wright R-3350-42 Turbo-Compound radial engine with Power Recover Turbines (as used in a Lockheed Super Constellation), had a cut down four bladed propeller from a Douglas A-1 Skyraider and the airframe was lengthened by almost 7 feet to restore the centre of gravity! Following a qualifyng top speed of 671 kmh / 417 mph, it's first Reno air race in 1988 was troubled with stability problems and it had to sit out most of the event. For the 1989 races, the stability issue was addressed with the fitting of a tail from a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet but alas "Mr. Awesome" was badly damaged in a cart wheeling crash landing, following a take-off engine failure. This was amazingly caused by a bullet fragment in the oil system following a random incident out in California, when someone took pot shots at the aircraft whilst it sat on the tarmac at Van Nuys. The bullet holes had been patched up but the owners didn't know about the bullet fragment! Work was done to rebuild the aircraft but it was sold in 1998 and eventually joined the Texas Air & Space Museum collection in Amarillo, Texas in 2014. This is where I saw "Mr. Awesome" in May 2020. Although incomplete, the aircraft still looks pretty mean! They plan to get it back to a static state that looks like it's racing days glory. #mrawesome #yak11 #renoairraces #airracer #texasairandspacemuseum #aviationmuseum #aviation #aviationphotography #instagramaviation #avgeek #amarillo #texas #aviationblog #instaplane #travel #wanderlust #wandering #drifterlife

USAF Boeing B-47E Stratojet bomber (S/N 51-7071) "City of Altus" in Hightower Park in Altus, Oklahoma (May 2020). Altus AFB is nearby. #usaf #boeingb47 #boeingb47stratojet #b47 #stratojet #bomber #coldwar #coldwarjets #boeinglovers #aviation #aviationlovers #avgeek #aviationhistory #aviationblog #aviationphotography #instajet #instagramaviation #altus #oklahoma #usa #travel #wanderlust #wandering #drifterlife #roadside #roadsideamerica

This old 1920's era Phillips 66 Gas Station in Altus, Oklahoma has seen better days... I didn't realise at the time, that a restored one, similar to what I saw in McLean, Texas was just a couple of blocks away. #phillips66 #gasstation #abandoned #usa #oklahoma #altus #roadsideamerica #travel #travelphotography #travelblog #wanderlust #wandering #drifterlife

The first Phillips 66 Gas Station in Texas, was this almost cartoon like one in McLean, on the old Route 66. It was established in 1929, fell into disrepair long ago with the introduction of the nearby I-40 interstate highway but became the first to be restored on the Historic Route 66. Note the windows and door are painted on - They must have tired of replacing them after vandals had swung by? #phillips66 #gasstation #fuelpump #fueltruck #route66 #historicroute66 #themotherroad #themotherroadroute66 #mclean #texas #usa #texaspanhandle #roadsideamerica #travel #travelphotography #travelblog #wanderlust #wandering #drifterlife

Aces Flying High on Twitter

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The A-12 Avenger II “Flying Dorito” Has Wings Again!

Argentina’s Pulqui II – South America’s First Swept Wing Jet Fighter

Argentina’s Pulqui I – South America’s First Jet Design

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Goorambat Uniting Church Mural By Adnate

Goorambat Silo Art Revisited & The Murals of Jimmy Dvate

My travels and experiences living in the USA: Deano In America

It’s Always Sunny in Seattle…

Lone Humpback

Stellar Sea Lions – The Big Dogs of the Sea

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