Where are they now?

[CLS447]

I found more current pics from a Greencastle convention. I wonder if anyone here knows the owners or can tell uss something about the machines. There is so much going on that we don't know about! How about this one?

[CLS447]

How about this georgeous Parsons 2? Is that a 532 flying all that weight? What a clean machine!

[CLS447]

Wanna see a really nice Air Command? Who's is it? SPEAK UP!!!!!

[CLS447]

Now that's a nice trainer! Kinda funny looking now that I getting used to the Elites!

[CLS447]

I believe this is Ron Menzies' RAF before he went Fuel injected. Can anyone confirm or deny?

[CLS447]

I didn't know that Raf had half & half doors. All the subtle changes that Raf went through would make for a very good topic of discussion. Does anyone know the story?

[rfi]

The ship in the first photo is a VPM, forerunner to the Magni. The engine is the two-stroke Italian Arrow 1000 which developed 110 Hp.

The second photo (Parsons Trainer) is powered by a 582. Steve Graves used one for training some time ago. He called it the KB4 because he used Ken Brock tail and other components. I don't know who owns this one but I have seen it at fly-ins.

The blue Air Command looks familiar. I have seen it at fly-ins but don't recall the owner's name--getting old and senile.

The tandem Air Command belongs to CFI Thomas Gage and Frank Lane, both from near Ft. Smith, AR and good friends of mine. I built the ER27 subaru engine conversion and sold them the tail feathers.

The yellow RAF is Ron Menzie's ship when he had the old body on it and a carbureted EJ22. I built his fuel injection system......his suspension gear, and his latest horizontal stabilizer.

The "half doors" were used on the old body style. RAF went to full Lexan doors when they came out with the new body around '96...or '98????????????????????

[CLS447]

Don ,thanks. Now give someone else a turn. Is that you sitting next to Menzies machine?

Can you confirm or deny the statement I made about Ron's machine not having the Raf trim?

Here is a pic of Ron's machine when I trained with him. Unfortunately I did't get any closeups of it's rotorhead.

Don do you know all the changes of the RAF over the years. I've noticed things like EA-82 to EJ-22, Exhaust changes, Cabin changes Etc. This would be helpful in my future search for a cheap used RAF.

[rfi]

Chris,
That is not me in the photo.

Ron told me that he did not use trim springs. The ship is pretty well in trim at 60-65 and that is the speed he normally uses for training.

I don't know all of the chronology of the RAF but I know that they started offering the EJ22 engine package after the big flood in the midwest in 92 or 93 because they bought a bunch of the engines from flood damaged cars that had 6 to 10 miles on them. Before that I was supplying EJ22 engine packages for the RAF. I built three dozen before RAF started offering their EJ22s.

There were a few RAF 2000 ships that were powered by the Hirth F30 but Chris Falconar and RAF got into a legal hassle over engine failures of the Hirth around 1990 and that is when they went to the EA82 Subaru. I think the new body came out around 1996 or 1998---can't be sure. I don't know when they went to the new exhaust, but Ed Klepeis at Tech Welding has a good stainless steel exhaust system that is better than the RAF unit. He also has quality made aluminum radiators for the RAF.

[Russell]

Did anyone notice the turbo charger on the red RAF??????? I wonder how that worked out?
Russ ::)

[MattPearson]

SWEEEEEET! Early model Hawk 2 from Groen brothers. Supposedly was originally developed for the Navy as an autonomous aerial vehicle!

http://webpages.charter.net/wartowne/Hawk%202.JPG

Man, would I love to have one of these!

[CLS447]

Russel, yes I did notice the turbo. I was wondering the same thing.

Speaking of Groen Bros. here is a pic from Sun-n-Fun 2000? My nephew ,Jerry.

[PhillipBerrigan]

Hello to all--Here is a picture ( I hope ) of the project my dad designed and we have been building during the last few years. Its not all that pretty but its real strong and I helped build it. Later--Phillip Berrigan

[PhillipBerrigan]

Hello to all-- We will try again to publish a photo.--Later--PhillipBerrigan

[Aussie_Paul]

You got it that time Phillip. Where do you come from? Fill in the profile details for us please.

Aussie Paul.

[StanFoster]

Chris: Nice pictures....