Volunteers worked hard this Sunday to get Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome ready for the coming season! The Bleriot left its winter roost for good and took its place down on the airfield. The Aircraft and Cars in the museums were polished, and displayed for the summer. The fast growing grass was cut. And the snack stand was improved. Many more volunteer days are planned so stop in to help out. We have a big year to prepare for! Thanks to Karl Sipperly, Eugene Cassone, Casey McClarnaron, Bob, Corina, Michael and JoAnn DiGiacomio for their help this weekend.
April 24th, 2009 FOKKER D-VII GETS READY TO SPREAD ITS WINGS:
Old Rhinebeck’s Fokker D-VII wings were in need of recovering and some restoration. The lower wing leading edge plywood was repaired where there was some minor damage and the area was reinforced. The lower wings have been recovered and the meticulous work of recreating the original Lozenge camoflage paint scheme has been completed on them. The upper wing is now receiving the same attention and will be finished soon. Special thanks go out to Supporters of Old Rhinebeck who contributions helped to fund this project. Thank you to Poly Fiber for donating the covering. Thank you to Jim Mc Mahon from the Parker O’Malley Museum at Columbia County Airport for donating a lot of the dope as well. And last but certainly not least Bill Gordon, Herb Gregory and other Old Rhinebeck Volunteers for the hours of work on this project. Come this summer to see this aircraft fly and hear the music made by its original 1918 Mercedes engine.
December 8th, 2008 OX-5 ENGINE INSTALLED IN WACO-10:
Old Rhinebeck volunteers installed an original 1918 Curtiss OX-5 engine in the aerodrome’s original 1927 WACO-10. The engine was a non-running OX-5. With the addition of the engine the spinner, propeller, and engine cowling were installed as well. This original aircraft flew at Old Rhinebeck for a few years but was used sparingly for ribbon cutting and other acts. The engine at that time was nearing overhaul and not producing the power it originally had.
WACO-10’s were the first aircraft to introduce hydraulic shock absorbing landing gear into the personal aircraft industry. Old Rhinebeck’s example has a long and somewhat rough history. It had once “landed” in a tree, and another time landed upside down in a field. It now rests in our museum. Come see this Historic aircraft and many others this spring at Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.
