Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I talked with some of the Mustang II guys at OSH this year, they basically do not have organized "gatherings" as we do. Back in the day the MII guys used to be invited to our Thorp Dinners at OSH for very much the same reason ..

I'm going to extend the invitation to those guys to join us a KY Dam this year .. any objections?

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Great idea, Lee!

I've heard allot of talk about RV's verses Thorps. How about MII's to Thorps?

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http://www.dixiefriedfabrication.com/

I flew all the way to Fairbanks Alaska (from Seattle WA) to buy a Mustang II. I just don't fit.
A year or so later I saw the same Mustang II flying out of my home drome!
So I looked the guy up, and he agreed to meet at his hangar.
Although he had lowered the seat as far as it possibly could (and it fit him perfectly) I am still too tall from the seat to the top of my head.
The short story is that he reccomended I check out a Thorp T-18. The rest, as they say, is history.
I couldn't imagine a heated comparison between the two groups. They are similar enough to fly out together, but the differences are compelling, and valid. As scratch built planes from the same era, I'd hope the owners / builders would have more in common instead of less.

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Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE

Lou: Go to the main page of the forum and click on T-18 vs other comparisions. It has the numbers for the MII vs the T-18.

RB

Lee: Only if they bring gifts and money !

RB

I have mixed emotions about this Lee. We have always had other aircraft types at our fly-ins. The people flying them usually fall into the categories of good friends of Thorp owners, Thorp builders, past Thorp owners, or those very interested in Thorps. I like that, and I like all aircraft types & pilots in general, but I love the close camaraderie of the relatively small group of like-minded people, with a love of a particular airplane and it's designer. We talk, live and breathe Thorps at our gatherings. Everybody gets together at fly-ins like OSH and Sun 'n Fun, but Thorp fly-ins are ours. Why not invite the Sidewinders too? They are perhaps even more similiar to Thorps in that they have a stabilator & use the Thorp canopy, and they are also fewer in number.

If you are just talking about a couple of friends, then I say have at it. I just don't think that a formal invitation to other designs is what I'd like to see. I'd love to hear what others think about this. However it goes, I'll have a good time with friends and being around airplanes in general, but these gatherings are more special to me because they are Thorp fly-ins.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

I don't have a problem inviting "another group" to a mixer at a T-18 event. I think it would be interesting to hear about another airframe, but not for our entire T-18 Fly In. It will be kind of like kissing your Sister ! She only stays for a short time (1/2 day) and then send her home. 8-12 or 12-1600 ? I must say I learned a little when we had Marine Aviators in our Navy Squadron !

RB

AS i mentioned the MII guys used to be invited to a lot of our events (back in the 80's), I remember them being grateful and pretty decent guys. They really do not have that much of a builders group as we do, and according to the guys I spoke with at OSH they rarely if ever gather for fly-ins such as KY Dam as we do. I doubt we'd get more than 2-3 airplanes show up (if any).

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD