Ready for work in the bitter cold

[Clunkmeister]

As we slowly find more pics of my misguided youth, we found these buried in junk.

My office way back in the day.

That morning started off at -38 degrees according to my logs.

 

[Peterpools]

Ernie

What a gorgeous office! No time clock and the view - awesome

Peter

[smitty44]

What's up with the shiny props there Ern? One side also has blunt ends and the other rounded? What gives?

[Clunkmeister]

7 minutes ago, smitty44 said:

What's up with the shiny props there Ern? One side also has blunt ends and the other rounded? What gives?

Filing the edges. Tip damage, wear from gravel, etc. they could file a certain amount off and as long as we’re all the same, it was ok. Pretty routine stuff. The black paint just wore away.

[smitty44]

2 minutes ago, Clunkmeister said:

Filing the edges. Tip damage, wear from gravel, etc. they could file a certain amount off and as long as we’re all the same, it was ok. Pretty routine stuff. The black paint just wore away.

So your saying you damaged the tip alot?

[Clunkmeister]

1 minute ago, smitty44 said:

So your saying you damaged the tip alot?

LOL.  Not the way you put it, noooo....

[Clunkmeister]

We ran these things. They made us money. We weren’t all worried about preservation back then. They hauled big loads, reliably, and brought us home. No better praise than that.

Note to modelers: working radials are filthy underneath. But the top of the aircraft is often spotless.

[Martinnfb]

Incredible photography, thank you for sharing Ernie.

[Clunkmeister]

Many folks don’t realize how much of a beating prop blades take. Just powering up to get moving throws up gravel, but tight pivoting turns when you’re gassing on the outboard engine,.. that tosses gravel and sand everywhere.   Prop blades wear quickly. They get checked and, if necessary, filed every single day.

[Martinnfb]

Little but of filing and she is good as new

 

[Clunkmeister]

It’ll buff out

[GusMac]

Might need to gun the throttles on the next take-off to overcome the lack of lift!

[Jeff]

I heard the '46 is a bit of a bear in a crosswind landing or take off......  were you flying in Alaska Ernie?