23 August 2014, 19:37
surestrikeOld school crop dusting (spraying) vid....
Love that old Stearman. Is that a P&W 985 or a Lyc I can't tell? The place reminds me of the hangar where I misspent most of my youth. Jars full of hardware and all. The mongrel dog even looks the same.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/6985464824 August 2014, 11:49
MarkThe first plane has an R985, I believe the one on the right is one as well.
Easiest way to tell from a distance is the lycoming 680 has bulkier bases where the pushrod tubes go into the crankcase. If you look at the front of both engines you'll see what I mean.
26 August 2014, 20:13
surestrikeMark,
I've got a buddy who is rebuilding an old Stearman that was a sprayer and has a Lyc 680 on it. I'll have to go take a look.
Thanks for that.
27 August 2014, 04:42
Jerry LilesThat brings back memories. Delta Airlines, which started here as the first crop dusting service, still had some flying out of the local airport when I was a child. Mostly used Stearman. Almost never see a radial engined duster anymore. Almost all the ones around here are turbine and they dwarf a Stearman.
Jerry Liles
28 August 2014, 06:08
TCLouisFrom the news report I heard coming home from work we lost a duster in West Tennessee today.
No details of course just a headline.
28 August 2014, 08:27
surestrikequote:
Originally posted by TCLouis:
From the news report I heard coming home from work we lost a duster in West Tennessee today.
No details of course just a headline.
Spraying is a pretty good way to get yourself killed.
29 August 2014, 06:53
cropdusterIt was also a great way to make a living.
13 September 2014, 05:48
jkingrphYou must be from the Monroe area! I grew up in W. Monroe and remember a lot of those back in the 50's &60's. Went to pharmacy school at Northeast.
quote:
Originally posted by Jerry Liles:
That brings back memories. Delta Airlines, which started here as the first crop dusting service, still had some flying out of the local airport when I was a child. Mostly used Stearman. Almost never see a radial engined duster anymore. Almost all the ones around here are turbine and they dwarf a Stearman.
Jerry Liles
14 September 2014, 05:19
Jerry LilesYes. Monroe. Born here. Went to Northeast (now ULM) on GI bill after the Army. Off to more school and more Army and finally came home again after 20 years so my son would get to know his extended family and put down some roots.
How about you?
Jerry Liles
08 October 2014, 20:52
Idaho SharpshooterMy Father-in-law made a pretty fair living for about forty years as a cropduster beginning a couple years after WWII.
I cannot imagine flying at night under power lines, with your wife sitting in the Pickup, using the headlights as a guideline, and moving down about fifty feet as you finished a run, and turned around.