Curtiss Jenny JN-4D - Restoration Update - 01/2019
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- čas přidán 29. 07. 2024
- After more than a half year, Ken Kellett is finally back working on the Curtiss Jenny restoration. Here he gives an update on what was accomplished before he was pulled from the project (to work on Oshkosh prep) to what he has been doing since he got back on the plane. In the clip, he also discusses a couple of problems that were encountered, as well as what is planned to bring the project to completion. Hope you enjoy it.
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Thanks! I’m not a pilot, but I AM a mechanic with a love of vintage machinery, so these restoration episodes really hit the spot.
Excellent film footage and sound. Great commentary.
My Dad learned how to fly in a Jenny and was taught by Art Hartman in Galesburg, Illinois in the early 30's. I have always had a fondness for the Jenny from hearing His stories on flying one and reading Charles Lindbergh's book, The Spirit of St. Louis. I read that book for the first time when I was 8 years old and have reread it once a year, every year since then. I am 66 years old now. I hope to one day take a ride in a Jenny.
I remember in the "Spirit of St. Louis" movie, Lindbergh ( Jimmy Stewart) trades his motorcycle plus $440 for an "old" Jenny. Loved that plane ever since. The guy that sells it to him warns him to keep the nose down in the turns, always remembered that as well! Thanks for the update Ken...wonderful restoration.
I hope that, in the rebuild of that OX-5 engine, a new crankshaft is made from modern materials. Crankshafts breaking in flight was a serious problem that brought down a lot of these birds.
One of my all-time favorite books is "Jenny Was No Lady," about the JN4s and all of their variants. Sone of the anecdotes in this book are hilarious, but it is also an incredible resource for lovers of these planes. It took me 40 years, but I finally managed to find my own copy of it. The school library had one when I was in Jr. High and I had it checked out most of the time from 7th through the 9th grade.
I think the Jenny was the first aircraft I ever knew the name of as a child. Have to appreciate the effort to keep those machines flying. Over a hundred years ago Pershing had several Jennys with him during the expedition to get Pancho Villa in Mexico.
Awesome this is student pilot ed with a comment my grandpa back in 1950 crashed a Jenny downtown Detroit and walked away I loved that plane just adding a little comment
Can’t wait to see this lady fly. The Jenny is an icon of early American aviation.
One of the great trailblazers this aircraft. A really good update, thanks. John UK.
Thanks for doing these reports. It is amazing to see this level of restoration detail.
Beautiful, thanks again for sharing your passion of restoration and preservation of these beautiful aircraft. Really enjoy the videos. Thanks again.
Funny how time works. When I was young, it was all about jets. Now that I'm old my love for ancient aircraft is stronger.
With that engine and general construction, I believe that will be a favorite flyer. Here I am, wishing I was you again. :)
you said it pal
Admire all your work Ken - this is a fascinating project. Hope to see this fly one day.
What a lovely restoration Ken is doing here on the Jenny,the attention to detail is very obvious on this true classic machine,Kermit has the best people working on his exhibits at Fantasy of Flight,that is one interesting story on the cabane struts and well done on the work put in carving replacements.
Lovely project, so well restored and explained. Anxious to see an update.
Thanks for the update. I enjoyed watching the Jenny fly before Andrew at Tamiami.
Excellent video! Thank you for posting.
Extraordinary talent!
That looks like it will be a fun plane to have. Good job guys
Bravo! Love these detailed restoration videos...
Great job!
It is really far more complicated then you think on first sight..
Very good. Very interesting. Thank you very much!
This is looking very nice, co incidentally the bead rollers you used are called "Jenny Rollers" in the UK.
That is a beautiful engine!
Keep these videos coming, please!
Fantastic work man
Awesome
Great stuff!
Wish we could get the Ox-5 powered Canuck/Jenny fixed at KIngsburg. It was so much fun to watch it fly. I was offered a seat in it when it was flying, but it was a tad too vintage to me (I am more of vehicle guy...I like to watch the planes fly though). Don't regret it, but sure miss seeing it fly and the OX-5 run.
Good catch on the stagger issue!
It is why he has that job, it was not a "catch" it was the residue of good planning and procedure. These guys are masters at what they do, not unlike setting up a big model airplane, in which case we do the same exact thing when rigging.
My favorite sim is rise of flight I really like getting to fly the WW 1 aircraft. Years ago I used to fly the sim Pacific air war (Dos) it was great learning to land and take off on the carriers. Someday perhaps I will get to purchase and fly a WW 1 Fokker D VII or a Spad XIII. I can only dream.
Fantastic, FOF Mechanics rule. Pilots are just an add on.. Ha Ha.
Having done fabrics coverings on acft I can attest to seeing the drain hole grommets on the wrong side. Considerable ribbing will ensue for years to come for that person.
As a 68 yo ex modeller from Oz, lately grandpop!, I wonder just how accurate were any aircraft markings, military or civilian, in those days . Most kits over my life time have been too perfect. Take, for example , the invasion stripes were that were hand painted in 1944 on June 4 and I suspect that ww1 and much of ww2 military markings were the result of the ‘ancient ‘ skill of signwriting where a lot of hand brush work was involved along with old crap paint and brushes , not modern data driven perfection, or perfect spray guns and templates. Not meaning to be a troll, just having a thought because I love everything that this channel does.
I went to school with a Jenny Curtis. True story.
when i was a kid fantasy of flight amazed me and its one of the reasons im flight training now
I have come to the understanding that old technology is not always good - example a belt holding down the hood?
But yet, it worked!
Sure would love to fly a JN-4 round the patch a time or three. Then I'd be a real tail dragger pilot, not just a tail wheel pilot. Also I could join the OX-5 Club!
+KermitWeeksBlogVideos *Was Fantasy of Flight able to obtain a Curtiss® OXX-5 (503 CID, dual ignition) for this JN-4D?* The model-original OX-5 had only single ignition.
i see the Bell H-13 in the background. what happened to it? i think the WWl plane kermit is missing is the Avro 504K. im sure once complete this Jenny may be flown. unlike the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome they hop their planes. as they have the oldest Bleriot in existance thats airworthy.
Bell is just being stored there temporarily while an event takes place in the hangars.
I've recorded in VHS some 30 years ago from Discovery a video about a JennyJN-4 restorarion but I never transfer it from tape to computer archive, unafortunately some moisture ruined the tape...
Neil Anderson ok, thank you, I still remember that the man who mades that restoration was a civil airliner pilot...
Fantastic job on the Jenny. That engine looks like on OX5, are you doing anything to the camshaft to help prevent it from breaking?
Great update! Is this the Jenny from the famous, "stuck in a tree," photo? I thought I saw somewhere that you acquired that particular airframe.
No, that is another Jenny that I acquired. It will also eventually be restored. You can see it here in this clip. czcams.com/video/X8GiLjiai1E/video.html
excellent video, thanks.
Just curious, in what city was this plane originally manufactured?
thanks
I believe most of the Jenny's were built at the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company in Buffalo, N.Y. Maybe some in Toronto and Garden City NJ (not sure). Curtiss was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world at that time.
Did changing the stagger cause you to make new flying wires or were the old ones long enough?
No, because the wires were made for the correct stagger.
You have more up date's
what is happening with the Sikorsky S-43?
Still plan on restoring it. Just waiting its turn.
5:28 That's what she said
But Jenny, Oh forrest!! LOL
You never know what you're gonna get!
@@KermitWeeks444 Im addicted to all of your videos!!! Thanks for taking time to video them and share them with us!!!!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! That's why we do them. If you're not already, please subscribe.
Love the US insignia.
First?
if u have to ask you are not first