Found my first piece of airplane!

Molewacker

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Anything that says "Before Take off" should be a plane -

I think the ladies hubby did some scrapping as I have found some slag in the area also. I will ask her next time I see her. She's been on this property 55 years.

But it was funny I found a aircraft piece, as I told my other half at camp up here on the Kalama River, "I think I'll go look for DB Cooper today - :)

Looks like a personal size aircraft - any hints on make or model?

Happy 4th everyone!!

palnepart02.webpplanepart01.webpplanepart03.webp
 

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Upvote 13
I know, this has turned into a mystery of how the Canopy lever from a BT-13 got under a tree root next to the Kalama river.

"What is it" is popular on any board - the aircraft board I posted to have been as great as ours. :icon_thumright:

Will keep ya'll posted -

How close is the Kalama River to Columbia River? And could it be a different plane?


1943 plane crash
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AAIBAJ&sjid=gPUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7234,837517&hl=en
 

How close is the Kalama River to Columbia River? And could it be a different plane?


1943 plane crash
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AAIBAJ&sjid=gPUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7234,837517&hl=en


Thanks for the lead Huntress! Learning how military loss reports are formatted, but will update. The plane I am searching is a trainer - but I do know a bomber went down near Kalama River.

USAF Serial Number Search Results

37-458 ... 37-634
Douglas B-18A
MSN 2458/2634


553 W/o Aug 30, 1940 at Kalama, WA
 

Just to show a BT-13A

Vultee_BT-13_Valiant_USAF.webp
 

Great article Huntress...

I think the part is confirmed and a great education along the way.

The article below yours, is attached.

Casually reading it, I spit my beer out...

Toooooooo funny.

Screen Shot 2016-07-06 at 6.25.23 PM.webp
 

Great article Huntress...

I think the part is confirmed and a great education along the way.

The article below yours, is attached.

Casually reading it, I spit my beer out...

Toooooooo funny.

View attachment 1333592


OH MY GOD! I didn't even see that! Wow - they must have been very bad (adult) children!
 

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Reply from vintage aircraft group I queried - I did read where the military told pilots NO aerobatics due to canopy loss - This aircraft was nicknamed the "Vultee Vibrator", most likely because of it's tendency to shake violently as it approached stall speed.


Thanks for sending your question about the BT-13 handle. The lever you sent a picture of is indeed the canopy release lever for a BT-13. The lever would be activated in an emergency to remove the side windows from the airplane for emergency egress. Its possible because of the place you found it that somebody accidentally or inadvertently disengaged the window and it departed the aircraft in flight. impossible to say but not uncommon. Sometimes this happens when the aircraft encounters rough air or aerobatics that put stress on the aircraft.

David Oliver
V.P. of Safety, Operations, & Maintenance
Commemorative Air Force

I
 

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