Rhinebeck Museum trouble

[Jim Bruton]

that sounds great to me! let's work on a visit date.

[wingnut]

Did I miss something? Smiling faces. Mowed green grass. Open hanger doors. Nice conversation. I am glad Tazbat, that you had a nice time. Really, I am. But really lets not forget, lets not be fooled again! The same is there. Nothing has changed. Wait. I am wrong. Alot has changed. For the worse. I am not joking! All that nice fluffy stuff means nothing. It has in the past meant, something else is going on.

[Curtiss Jenny]

To Lawrence Milner – after talking to some of the guys who grew up at ORA, I learned that Cole Palen had the glider in the 1960’s, possibly even as early as 1959. It may have come with the Roosevelt collection, but more likely was acquired soon after it. Cole showed the kids photos in a book of what the glider originally looked like, and called them the Raab-Katzenstein kids. They had plans to build some of the parts that were missing from it.

One of them recalls that it was stored up in a loft in the old barn along with is upper wing, tail surfaces, and tailskid. It had been a biplane, and at that time it was still half covered with fabric. While the fuselage hangs in one of the hangars on the hill now, it is believed that the wing is still around, possibly up in the barn. Some of these gliders did have engines. My friend recommends that you try contacting the Smithsonian NASM about it. In the meanwhile I will keep emailing some of the old R-K kids to see what else I can find out for you as you’ve really peaked my curiosity on this glider.

Wouldn’t it be something if it were the only one left in the world of this type? I asked a friend who visited ORA on opening weekend to take a photo of it. Perhaps an entire display could someday be put together for it in the museum foundation building. A piece of history almost forgotten, but still one of the Aerodrome’s many diamonds in the rough.

I’ll bet when ACC Cadet Leader reads this, she’s going to want to start a Raab-Katzenstein Kids club.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

well, i've got enough to do, curtiss jenny...but if you start it and run it, i'll be happy to refer some prospective members.

[SteveS]

Originally Posted by Curtiss Jenny

One of them recalls that it was stored up in a loft in the old barn along with is upper wing, tail surfaces, and tailskid. It had been a biplane, and at that time it was still half covered with fabric. While the fuselage hangs in one of the hangars on the hill now, it is believed that the wing is still around, possibly up in the barn.

Wouldn’t it be something if it were the only one left in the world of this type? I asked a friend who visited ORA on opening weekend to take a photo of it. Perhaps an entire display could someday be put together for it in the museum foundation building. A piece of history almost forgotten, but still one of the Aerodrome’s many diamonds in the rough.

I've walked past this hanging fuselage many times without knowing what it was. Not surprisingly due to Cole acquiring such a large and varied collection of airframes and engines.

I can remember seeing photos of biplane gliders in a book on pre-WW2 german aviation clubs. I'll have to see if I can find it.

And you can be sure I'll be looking to take a closer look at the Raab-Katzenstein glider this summer at the Aerodrome.

Salute,
Steve

[tazbat]

Originally Posted by SteveS

And you can be sure I'll be looking to take a closer look at the Raab-Katzenstein glider this summer at the Aerodrome.

Unless it should mysteriously disappear.... uh.... like the Gnome.

Originally Posted by WingNut

I am glad Tazbat, that you had a nice time. Really, I am.

I am amazed...!
No one has asked me about my personal greeting on Saturday, May 12, the opening day for season 2007. I thought for sure at least one person would be curious, if not more.

[Lawrence Milner]

Originally Posted by Curtiss Jenny

To Lawrence Milner – after talking to some of the guys who grew up at ORA, I learned that Cole Palen had the glider in the 1960’s, possibly even as early as 1959. It may have come with the Roosevelt collection, but more likely was acquired soon after it. Cole showed the kids photos in a book of what the glider originally looked like, and called them the Raab-Katzenstein kids. They had plans to build some of the parts that were missing from it.

One of them recalls that it was stored up in a loft in the old barn along with is upper wing, tail surfaces, and tailskid. It had been a biplane, and at that time it was still half covered with fabric. While the fuselage hangs in one of the hangars on the hill now, it is believed that the wing is still around, possibly up in the barn. Some of these gliders did have engines. My friend recommends that you try contacting the Smithsonian NASM about it. In the meanwhile I will keep emailing some of the old R-K kids to see what else I can find out for you as you’ve really peaked my curiosity on this glider.

Wouldn’t it be something if it were the only one left in the world of this type? I asked a friend who visited ORA on opening weekend to take a photo of it. Perhaps an entire display could someday be put together for it in the museum foundation building. A piece of history almost forgotten, but still one of the Aerodrome’s many diamonds in the rough.

I’ll bet when ACC Cadet Leader reads this, she’s going to want to start a Raab-Katzenstein Kids club.

Curtiss Jenny - I do have a picture of the Schmetterling being towed by a 'Kranich' (Crane) with Katzenstein in the tow plane and Raab in the glider. The glider is a biplane. I can confirm that the speciman at the ORM is the only surviving RK in the world. There are only two RK aircraft in the world as far as is known. One is a trainer in the military museum in Liköping in Sweden and the other is in the Berlin Teknische Museum in a special section that was opened in June, 2006 amongst great pomp by the Mayor of Berlin. The RK was found in a mint condition in a barn in Germany, the owner had crashed the craft shortly after purchasing it in 1929 and stored in his barn where it was discovered in the 1960s. I have a picture taken of the RK at the museum suspended from the ceiling. The reason for the scarcity is that Göring ordered that all RK aircraft had to be destroyed. It would be great if you could obtain any further info on the glider - your help and interest is much appreciated! Lawrence

From AOPA Epilot:

A HISTORIC DAY: LINDBERGH'S TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT May 20, 1927. Charles A. Lindbergh barreled down Roosevelt Field in Long Island to embark on a historic flight that would make him famous around the world—the solo nonstop transatlantic flight in the Spirit of Saint Louis. Now, on the eightieth anniversary of the flight, Lindbergh is still revered by the aviation community. It seems almost a miracle that he made the flight. Lindbergh had been awake for about 24 hours before he took off. The Spirit of Saint Louis' maiden flight was only 22 days before the transatlantic flight. Plus the transatlantic flight was actually longer—33 and one-half hours—than the aircraft's flight time before the jaunt. Lindbergh had put only 27.4 hours on the aircraft, including a record-setting flight across the country, according to Barry Schiff. Read Schiff's article, "The Spirit Flies On: Remembering the flight that changed the course of history," about the seventy-fifth anniversary of the flight in the May 2002 AOPA Pilot. (Schiff includes a spec sheet of statistics for the flight.) You can also read details about the flight with first-hand snippets from Lindbergh himself online.

Tazbat wrote

I am amazed...!
No one has asked me about my personal greeting on Saturday, May 12, the opening day for season 2007. I thought for sure at least one person would be curious, if not more.

Dare I ask?

[NexStar7]

Just received my SPRING 2007 issue of the GWAA newsletter - "The Great Times". It states that the Avro 504 "is expected to be back on the flight line, ready to go by opening day this year." My question is: go where? With its 110 LeRhone, who is supposed to fly it without having it end up like the CAMEL & NIEUPORT?!?!?! If they do intend to fly it, they better get back KC to resume its flights. If he is not the one who flies it, then the 504K is better off being kept grounded and used as a museum display piece - at least it would stay in one piece that way cause no pilot currently at the aerodrome deserves to get behind its controls and attempt to fly it!

[cfgray]

Thanks to all who expressed their best wishes to me and my family over these past weeks. I haven't yet finished reading all of the posts I have missed, but thought that I should address some matters now, not later.

JOE GERTLER
Joe Gertler and I had a long conversation yesterday, wherein he stated that he was to be Director of the Rhinebeck museum and airshow operations. We've known of each other for many years. I have no way to know whether or not that is so, he merely asserted it. Joe made a large financial contribution to Rhinebeck recently, which I helped with in a small way at his request, so he may have been given a position, as money seems to purchase influence there.

There were many other things Joe said and which were said to him, which I may or may not discuss here.


BOYCOTT OF WW1 AERO
Seems that the folks at Rhinebeck are organizing, or at least discussing, a boycott of WW1 AERO, for our uncompromising stand regarding The Rhinebeck Affair and the unprincipled manner in which so many people have been harmed and otherwise abused.

Joe Gertler dropped his 44-year subscription to WW1 AERO in a call to Leo Opdycke yesterday.

After a forceful discussion with me just a few minutes ago, Joe said he would re-subscribe, so he did the right thing in the end.

The fact that Rhinebeck abandoned the name "Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Inc." and that I and two others then incorporated a not-for-profit in NY as "Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Inc." has finally dawned on the folks at Rhinebeck, after some 9 months.

Anytime they are willing to negotiate a binding agreement with us, incorporating some rock-solid changes at Rhinebeck, we will be pleased to sit down and discuss the matter with them, to enter into good-faith binding negotiations. Perhaps it will be possible for all to be well, after all.

More later,
Best to all,
cfgray