Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

AAC Cadet Leader · 14 February 2005, 09:43 AM

OH MY GOSH, those were a lot of intricate ribs they built! And built beautifully! Let's hope Ken, Scott and assistant volunteers will soon be able to resume the Spirit project and bring it to completion.

Thank you tazbat for sharing and narrating your photo documentation of the work that used to go on at ORA.

Paul914 · 14 February 2005, 05:22 PM

Here is a recent picture I found on the web of Cole's Sopwith Snipe in the Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum:

http://wwi-cookup.com/sopwith/museum/museum_champlin.html

Looking good!

EricGoedkoop · 14 February 2005, 06:32 PM

Paul,

Unless I'm mistaken, Cole's Snipe is in the Smithsonian and has been since the 1980's. It belongs to them now, as a result of the bequest in Cole's will of one aircraft each to the Air Force Museum and the National Air & Space Museum. The AFM, of course, received Cole's original SPAD XIII that has recently been put on display following restoration.

Eric

tazbat · 14 February 2005, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricGoedkoop

Paul,

Unless I'm mistaken, Cole's Snipe is in the Smithsonian and has been since the 1980's.

You're correct Eric. It is still there and here is the link
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal206/gal206.html#SNIPE

Salute!

SL DIII · 14 February 2005, 08:36 PM

The Sopwith Snipe pictured at the Champlin Fighter Museum flew at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome for a season or two before it became part of the Champlin Fighter collection. The attached photo was taken on the ORA flight line in 1982. Dick Day built and flew both the Snipe and the Sopwith Camel, which appears behind it in the attached picture. The Camel had an 80 LeRhone for power and the Snipe used a 220 Continental. Both were spectacular performers.

Dick Day also built the Spad XIII that was on exhibit at the Champlin Museum. Both the Spad and the Snipe have recently been moved to the Seattle Museum of Flight. I'm not sure where the Camel wound up...maybe Javier Arango's collection? I believe Mr. Day built a second Camel too.

One thing that all of these aircraft shared in common was that they were beautifully built.

SL DIII

EricGoedkoop · 15 February 2005, 03:56 AM

Thanks for the info, SL DIII. I remember that Camel well.

EricGoedkoop · 15 February 2005, 06:52 AM

Here's something I've been wondering about since I was a kid:

Many years ago, before the field was widened, there used to be a hill downfield of the village and on show days, there would be tires burning on that hill. The thick black smoke acted as a windsock. For a while, the tires were disguised by a wrecked aeroplane, set up to look like it had been shot down and was still smoldering.

Was that wreck an actual plane, or was it just a prop?

rc-notyme · 15 February 2005, 07:01 AM

Eric
The wreck was a mock up. I believe it was a Sopwith Camel. It was a very effective prop for the show and the smoke was very useful.

Paul914 · 15 February 2005, 07:07 AM

Thanks for the correction. I guess I misread the caption about the Snipe. Anyway, it sure is beautiful and worth a look at. The wealth of information in this forum never ceases to amaze me. I never knew that other collection's planes flew regular airshows at ORA. Were there any others than the Snipe?

Travelaire4000 · 15 February 2005, 09:23 AM

Just thought I would add to this very fine tribute to the good ole days at ORA! My father was a long time childhood friend of Cole's and since its inception we would make our yearly pilgrimage up to the Aerodrome either by car or plane when they would chat about the old days etc before the shows,40yrs worth to me.My 1st biplane ride was with Cole in the Waco 9 Miss Pittsburgh at Stormville Airport at the age of 6 where Cole kept his 1st couple of aeroplanes in the old big hangar with the blessings of Ole' Pete O'Brien,who is still going strong today at age 99 or more if you talk to him!Miss Pittsburgh was owned at that time by a Mr. Horan I believe, 25yrs later I had my 2nd biplane ride with my Hero Cole Palen in his newly restored New Standard!I thought he was a superman!,also have had the pleasure of being flown about the the hudson valley with Mr. King in it as well,who never failed to give you the best ride for your money,always passing close to the Kingston bridge so you had a good look at who was driving around with your wife or buzzing over a passing tanker or freighter/barge to let us wave at the crew!...Thanks for the memories!!....I will try and scan and post some pics from my collection as I can