Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

[Aerodrome Kid]

I thought Cole always went to Florida in the winter

He did, down to Boca Raton, and while he would be working on restorations down there, he'd still have a full crew in NY doing repairs, tune-ups and restorations as well.

Thanks for some more great pics Spad13!
Can anybody share some information about the balck and yellow triplane. This is the first time I have ever seen a picture of it.

Jack

[Harris Hawk]

That was the triplane that Cole built. The colors in the photo are a bit too yellowish, maybe thus the confusion. Cole's tripe appeared in several paint schemes, in 1967 it was orange w/ black cowl. By 1968 it had turned red, then green some years later, I think after he stopped flying it.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Spad13 Posted: May 25 2004, 07:42 AM

To Baldeagle and Jack F - I found some more double triplane photos!

You sure did Spad 13, and great ones, too! Did you take the bird's eye view shot?

To ACC Cadet Leader -This is like looking through everyone's family albums. Thanks for the terrific idea of suggesting this thread.

Every now and then I come up with a good idea. Thanks to all of you for running with it!

Hey Clayt, regarding your Morane-Saulnier photo, I kinda sorta think that I had a hand in causing that 160 Gnome to stop spinning.
Pierre Loop de Loop was sent aloft in his trusty scout by Madame Fifi to search for Trudy Truelove after her capture by the Black Baron. It must of been a show with very limited ground crew,as I was appointed the lone position of manning the cannon at M. Fifi's Lingerie Shop. THis was not familiar territory, as I usually was chauffuering the BB at the opposite end of the field.
After L de L's first straffing run, he dropped a bomb and blew up Fifi's. I remember tossing laundry up in the air (after all, it was a laundry-a shop) I could not remember if he flew two passes or three passes, I though I'd better shoot the cannon on the second pass just in case.
I got the wires and the battery for the cannon charge ready and the silver plane was swooping in from the south. BLAM... off went the cannon and threw a cloud of black soot and smoke I saw that the prop had stopped. "My God, I got him," I shouted as the silent plane whooshed over head. I saw him bounce and then the tail raising as he went out of sight over the slight rise at the north end of the runway. I jumped in one of the finely tuned old autos, was one of the first arrivals to witness Cole and the parasol engulfed in a mass of sumacs. I believe the Gnome engine lost a push rod and was not befuddled by my marksmanship. I gave up my post at Fifi's after that day.

Spad 13
All nice photos! Looking at the aerial shot of the triplanes: Look at that crowd! Judging by the way the planes are parked the show had not even started yet!

HERE CAT !!!
Enjoyed your version of the Morane Saulnier. I did wonder when watching the acts if anyone ever did accidentally shoot one of the planes or people?

[Harris Hawk]

Well, there was the time that the Albatros took a hit from the fireworks....it was a bit dicey for a while, but he managed to get back on the ground in one piece. Lucky for all the aerial rocket didn't hit the other side of the wing were the fuel tank was.

Jack F- Sorry that the colors of the second triplane do not appear accurately. It was green camouflage with cream color underwings.

In regards to the aerial shot looking down on the two triplanes - If I recall correctly, it was taken in the passenger plane just before the air show. It used to be a tradition that the ride just before the airshow and the last flight of the day would get a special treat of a low level fly-by. I always tried to get one of those rides when I could. That was really the way to experience the thrill of early aviation!

[Curtiss Jenny]

Pat and Harris Hawk - One additional note on the Albatross "hit"; I remember Ed Usinowitz (sp) saying afterward that he had to apply full left aileron and full throttle just to keep the plane in ALMOST level flight and just above a stall. He also said it was very loud!

Normally there was plenty of margin for error with the fireworks staying at around 450 feet and the plane staying just over 500 feet and almost never in alignment. -- But -- on this particular day the fireworks went up a bit higher and the plane was just a bit lower and the alignment was perfect.

[Harris Hawk]

I remember that, too. I also remember that full throttle was not enough to keep it flying for long, as the airstream was removing more and more fabric, the hole got bigger and bigger. He had to go all the way around, the down-wind leg lost lots of altitude, he really just barely made it home. I recall him saying that he never saw much of what happened, he had ducked down into the cockpit at the first blast and closed his eyes! It was good that the entire incident didn't last too long, I don't think I started breathing again until the plane was on the ground. Can't imagine how long Ed held his breath! He didn't seem much the worse for wear afterwards, he was smiling, posing for photos in front of the hole in the wing, though I always wondered if that didn't play a role in his leaving a short time later......