They're not tack sharp. If I'd've had that thing on a tripod, better position than in the parking lot, or used one of my film cameras, not looking into the sun 1/2 the time, boy, I'd've had some photos that I could've sold to Aviation History or Air & Space or .... Well, I'm just glad I had any camera at the time. There's an old saying: The best camera to use for any given situation is the camera you have with you. But, they're not tack sharp.

Very interesting! So it really is a highly altered Stearman. As I was driving away, I vaguely remember them wheeling it into one of the CAF hangars. I'll try to go there next week, & get a closer look at that thing. I don't feel so bad now, thinking it was a Goshawk. It was made to be it's near twin.

Thanks for hint to search for it on the internet.

I was over at Falcon Field here in Mesa, AZ, & an old biplane started up, took off, & made several passes overhead. At first, I thought it was a Curtiss Goshawk as the fuselage & empennage were dead ringers, but then I noticed that the wings were not tapered. The garden variety Goshawk has tapered wings. These are constant chord wings very much like a Stearman PT-17's. But, there is no cockpit cutout in the trailing edge of the top wing. Could it be an altered Stearman wing? Of course, the aircraft might be a 100% authentic 'X'. Do any of you out in the ether know what this 'X' might be? Or, can confirm that Stearman wings were used on Goshawks. Here are some photos. Sorry for the quality. I was using a Nikon P-80, hand held in a parking lot, & I cropped these to get a closer look.

Thanks for looking.

-Rich Reeder, Mesa, Arizona.

I took a family vacation to Yosemite a while back, & brought along a 1988 Pentax K-1000 SLR loaded with Ilford PanF black & white film, ASA 50. At Curry village, I guess it's called Half Dome Village now, I saw this view of Half Dome. A red filter was used here to darken the sky. I forgot to write down the exposure, but the date was 29.Jun.2016. I love that place.

Here are several more. Happy you like them. Thanks.

Travel Air


Aircraft in hangar


WACO


Unknown airraft

I was in St. Louis, Mo., for an Argus Camera convention earlier in July, & on an off day, I looked up an air museum that was on the Hertz car rental map. It's called the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum on the Creve Coeur Airport about 20 minutes NW of St. Louis. It has about 60 aircraft in 4 hangars, mostly WACOs, Travel Airs, & plenty of others, all jammed together. I had the place to myself, & the guide said that nobody knows that it exists, so not too many people come by. I was having the time of my life for about 2 hours. If you ever in St. Louis, I'd suggest looking the place up. Bring a camera.

WWI Sopwith Pup


Curtiss Jenny


De Haviland Dragon (?)


One of the many WACOs

Use big screw drivers. To break the bead, just put the tire/wheel under the jack, & work the jack to push the rubber tire down, & off the rim. Works like a charm. Of course, you need to take some tools with you, but I've taken tools with me since I learned to drive. That & a bicycle pump makes it slow, but do-able. Self reliance has always been important to me.

How's that "Hope & Change" working out for you?

It looks to me like the film sat in the camera for a long time with the back of the camera exposed to sunlight, or some kind of light, where the little red or green window, that shows you when to stop winding the film, didn't have a sliding door or some such contrivance to stop the light. As such, the paper backing tried but didn't quite succeed in stopping all the light, & the film gradually exposed the round window. Just my 2-bits worth.

Great photos.

My Grandparent's nephew joined the RFC to fly in WWI because his eyes kept him out of the US services, but he died in 1918 while training in a Sopwith Pup. Walter Murray. (sp?) He was practicing diving, the plane went beyond the vertical, he pulled up to correct it, but at that moment, the wings ripped off the aircraft. He plummeted to his death. His Pup was a Heinz 57, being cobbled together from several other wrecked Pups. He's buried over in England someplace.

The first time I heard/saw it was 1969-1970, & I didn't know who wrote it. I'm sure it's been available via the internet since it's beginnings. I saw this thread, remembered the poem, went on Lycos or Bing or some other search engine, & found it. I've always thought it rang true.

By James Whitcomb Reilly

Oh Hell--just what is meant by this word Hell.
They say sometimes it's cold as Hell,
Sometimes they say it's hot as Hell.
When it rains they say it's Hell they cry,
And it's Hell when it's dry.

They hate like Hell to see it snow,
It's a Hell of a wind when it starts to blow.
Now how in the world can anyone tell,
What in the Hell they mean by this word Hell.

This mad life is Hell they say,
When he comes in late, there's Hell to pay.
When she starts to yell it's a Hell of a note,
And it's Hell when the kids you have to tote.

It's Hell when the doctor sends you his bills,
For a Hell of a lot of trips and pills.
And when you get this you will know real well,
Just what is meant by this word Hell.

Hell yes, Hell no, and oh Hell too,
The Hell you don't and the Hell you do.
And what Hell of a Hell it is,
The Hell with yours and the Hell with His.

Now where in the Hell and oh Hell where,
And what the Hell do you think I care.
But the Hell of it is it's sure as Hell,
That we don't know what in the Hell is Hell.

I've got several, mostly older light meters, like GE 8DW58 & 68 meters, & my favorite for low light levels is a Weston model 715 Master. I meter just about every photo I take.

I just love to use older film cameras, Argus (C3, C4, C44), Kodak Retina's, Ciroflex & Ikoflex TLR's, old Agfa's & Ansco's, etc. I get the film developed, either I do it, or go to a photo lab, scan the negs & bring the files to Walgreen's to get paper prints & put them in an Album Book. So far I must have 20 or 30 Books. The kids love to look at them, & I must admit that I peruse them as well. Thanks for asking.

I remember the 'rule' of exposing for the shadows with print film, & exposing for the highlights with slide film. I think the last time I shot slides was back in the 1960's.