gyroplanes
06-30-2008, 08:36 AM
On a bright Saturday morning, when they could have been out flying, a bunch of Chapter 18 members converged on Dick Wunderlich's shop and helped me move the balance of equipment from there to my shop in Lansing.
Chuck Roberg was among the first to arrive, and set about disconnecting the 3 phase power to the equipment.
Adam Helwich & Nick Costa brought their talent, muscle and another pickup truck. Nick is familiar with machine shop equipment and assumed the role of "rigger", skillfully setting up the slings and positioning the pallet jack and port-a-crane.
SnoBird owner, Larry Schoenenberger, brought along a strong neighbor boy and an even stronger 40 foot truck with a hydraulic crane. It's hard to top youth and machinery.
Former club member Mike Fornal drove over from Indiana with his brand new F-150. I think we managed to finish the day without even scratching his truck bed.
Long time PRA Chapter 18 member Mark Malek came by to help out. Mark's body is weakened by his fight with cancer and his weight loss. His courage is an inspiration to us all. Mark enjoyed visiting Linda Wunderlich and a walk around Dick's ponds.
Before his passing, Dick created a terraced garden area with ponds and waterfalls. Dick made a small "mill" building with a water wheel that turned a miniature table saw and a generator. The electricity from the generator powered a small "street lamp" outside the mill. Dick had said "the lamp was to attract bugs, which would eventually tire, fall in the pond, and feed the fish". That man was always thinking.
My son, Mike, and his friend, Shane, borrowed a truck and came out to lend some muscle as well. We had tons of small tooling and "stock", bins, manuals and books that also had to be transported.
My good friend, and right hand man, Billy Stack, rode along with me in my truck. Billy has a knack for knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it right. Billy is always in the thick of things and always knows when someone needs an extra hand or a door opened. He is one of those guys.
Seven hours later, the caravan of six trucks pulled out of Lockport with tons of equipment and tooling headed for CalumetAir in Lansing.
At Lansing, club members. Matt Novotoney and Randy Meyers were waiting to help unload. Randy wondered why we weren't using the crane's remote control unit. We told him we couldn't get it to work. Within seconds, Randy had the remote in his hands and was positioning the crane boom for delivery. It seems you have to beep the horn to activate the thing.
It was a bittersweet day fo me. I now have all of my equipment and tooling under one roof, that's a real good thing for the business.
Sadly, that progress came at the expense of dismantling the home of the world famous Wunderlich Prerotators. I always felt that Dick's shop belonged alongside the Wright Brother's bicycle shop and Thomas Edison's laboratory, in Henry Ford's Greenfield Village. I won't miss the $25.00 in gas and 80 mile drive to make parts. I will miss Linda Wunderlich, Dick's shop and the presence of him that I felt doing his work. I hope his spirit has made the trip with us.
1) The 40' truck and crane. No wires were harmed in the making of this picture.
2) Chuck Roberg said he'd rather be led away in handcuffs than do this again.
3) The last piece of machinery, a "single purpose" 1906 South Bend lathe, is loaded aboard. That lathe has made every Wunderlich flex shaft in the last 30 years.
4) Machinery and the port-a-crane that brought it in the new home, CalumetAir Inc.
5&6) The remaining gear that has to be sorted, shelved, installed wired, or thrown out. (can you find and identify the three gyroplanes in this picture?)
Chuck Roberg was among the first to arrive, and set about disconnecting the 3 phase power to the equipment.
Adam Helwich & Nick Costa brought their talent, muscle and another pickup truck. Nick is familiar with machine shop equipment and assumed the role of "rigger", skillfully setting up the slings and positioning the pallet jack and port-a-crane.
SnoBird owner, Larry Schoenenberger, brought along a strong neighbor boy and an even stronger 40 foot truck with a hydraulic crane. It's hard to top youth and machinery.
Former club member Mike Fornal drove over from Indiana with his brand new F-150. I think we managed to finish the day without even scratching his truck bed.
Long time PRA Chapter 18 member Mark Malek came by to help out. Mark's body is weakened by his fight with cancer and his weight loss. His courage is an inspiration to us all. Mark enjoyed visiting Linda Wunderlich and a walk around Dick's ponds.
Before his passing, Dick created a terraced garden area with ponds and waterfalls. Dick made a small "mill" building with a water wheel that turned a miniature table saw and a generator. The electricity from the generator powered a small "street lamp" outside the mill. Dick had said "the lamp was to attract bugs, which would eventually tire, fall in the pond, and feed the fish". That man was always thinking.
My son, Mike, and his friend, Shane, borrowed a truck and came out to lend some muscle as well. We had tons of small tooling and "stock", bins, manuals and books that also had to be transported.
My good friend, and right hand man, Billy Stack, rode along with me in my truck. Billy has a knack for knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it right. Billy is always in the thick of things and always knows when someone needs an extra hand or a door opened. He is one of those guys.
Seven hours later, the caravan of six trucks pulled out of Lockport with tons of equipment and tooling headed for CalumetAir in Lansing.
At Lansing, club members. Matt Novotoney and Randy Meyers were waiting to help unload. Randy wondered why we weren't using the crane's remote control unit. We told him we couldn't get it to work. Within seconds, Randy had the remote in his hands and was positioning the crane boom for delivery. It seems you have to beep the horn to activate the thing.
It was a bittersweet day fo me. I now have all of my equipment and tooling under one roof, that's a real good thing for the business.
Sadly, that progress came at the expense of dismantling the home of the world famous Wunderlich Prerotators. I always felt that Dick's shop belonged alongside the Wright Brother's bicycle shop and Thomas Edison's laboratory, in Henry Ford's Greenfield Village. I won't miss the $25.00 in gas and 80 mile drive to make parts. I will miss Linda Wunderlich, Dick's shop and the presence of him that I felt doing his work. I hope his spirit has made the trip with us.
1) The 40' truck and crane. No wires were harmed in the making of this picture.
2) Chuck Roberg said he'd rather be led away in handcuffs than do this again.
3) The last piece of machinery, a "single purpose" 1906 South Bend lathe, is loaded aboard. That lathe has made every Wunderlich flex shaft in the last 30 years.
4) Machinery and the port-a-crane that brought it in the new home, CalumetAir Inc.
5&6) The remaining gear that has to be sorted, shelved, installed wired, or thrown out. (can you find and identify the three gyroplanes in this picture?)