Sort of Pioneer

worldcrusier · 27 October 2005, 10:57 AM

These pics are of an aircraft which is obviously based on Glenn Curtiss designs. Flown By a gentleman named Billy Parker. Web has some info. It's hanging in the Tulsa Airport. I saw this airplane fly in the 60's and was at Tulsa when it was flown in and donated to ??

jempie · 28 October 2005, 09:14 AM

Hi!

Can't give the answer, but probably he donated it indeed to that Airport of Tulsa about 1960? Maybe it has to do with his involment (employment by) of Philips Petroleum Company?
Should read once what's published on bio on Ralph Cooper's website , might be it will reveal more ?

http://earlyaviators.com/eparker.htm

Seems he constructed his own built airplane 1912 , but based indeed on Glenn Curtis model?

VBR

Jempie

worldcrusier · 28 October 2005, 02:47 PM

If anyone's interested I will get more fotos of whatever area of the plane they are interested in. There are area's where there have been modifications or repairs that appear to have been part of it's evolution. Sadly, Almost no one looks up as they pass thru. Wish this was in a good museum.

baldeagle · 29 October 2005, 10:34 AM

A little off-thread, but I have a 160 Gnome, zero time, was still in the factory crate when I got it (stencilled delivery address was something like "US ARMY DEPOT, FT. ??????, ARKANSAS"). I got it from John Thompson in Florida, who bought it in the 1950s or 1960s from the same Billy Parker.

1 November 2005, 11:20 AM

Here is an postcard they were selling on eBay a while ago.
Ed

worldcrusier · 1 November 2005, 12:15 PM

Very interesting. It is obvious when standing close to the airplane that it had been modified. I thought that the wings had been lengthened. It is possible that these two photo's are the same aircraft in different states of evolution. I'll try to find out more. Maybe the AVIS rental people are up on the subject.