Magnificent Replica !

I just read the wiki on the Spirit. I had no idea there were so many "reproductions." I vaguely remember the one in San Diego that burned, in the museum, long ago. I'm 73, and remember being thrilled by the movie with Jimmy Stewart.

In grade school I read about Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St.Louis..No windshield,. No problem! Not as much traffic either... especially over the ocean!, What a Beauty!!! I'll be 67 in a few days,a long way from grade school!

Can only imagine the challenges Charles Lindbergh faced while piloting this airplane across the Atlantic in 1927!

@willythewave

2 жыл бұрын

Just what I was thinking. Imagine if you had a mechanical issue.

What an *impossible* aircraft to operate!!! Yet, there you are. Awesome. Thanks, Kermit!

What a treat. You can fly anything! Please also show us how does the vision looks through the periscope. If you can. Thank you

That Connie sure makes the B-24 look small! Watching the Spirit taxi up on the ramp, and we see the pilot, and Hey! That's not Jimmy Stewart!!

Awesome, great video! Still can't imagine Lindbergh flying that plane across the Atlantic... Just incredible!

I saw the Jimmy Stewart film, The Spirit of St Lewis when I was five and since have always had a fascination for this AC.

That is so cool Kermit. Thanks for posting this.

The wing area, as compared with the fuselage, is amazing. Just…wow! Thanks, Kermit! 😎👍

Well that's something you don't see everyday ☝️😀👍

That's an AMAZing bit of footage, even more astonshing, you FLying it. That is not an easy feat! Thank you very much for sharing.

Never did hear you describe not being able to see forward for landing or takeoff. You probably have in another video but I’m ignorant and don’t know where to search. You must know the number of persons that drool each and every time you roll out and fire up another obscure and mostly one of a kind A/C. Thanks sooo much Kermit and keep ‘em flyin’

Thanks for another great video Kermit. It was most interesting and enjoyable. My understanding is that that aircraft is hard to navigate due to forward vision. You made it look so easy Kermit. Congratulations to you for being a master pilot. Absolutely wonderful video. Heartfelt thanks. Retired Air Force veteran. Steve.

The wings had no dihedral in them. The Spirit of St. Louis had questionable stability in roll. It's amazing that Charles Lindbergh was able to stunt fly with it for school children lined up to see it on his return from Paris. .

WOW...What a really bid deal this was back in the day....Good to see you posting video's Kermit...Thanks🇺🇸

Great footage and music. Seeing the original Spirit of Saint Louis in Washington D.C. was a must see for me. Watching your replica fly was just as awe inspiring.

How about that 2002 I had bought my first and only airplane a piper tri pacer . Your flight in the Spirit of St. Louis was beautiful !

I read that Charles Lindbergh rode a motorcycle to San Antonio Texas and traded it for a military surplus "Jenny" and flew it back home, Illinois ,I guess! Before that he had never flown anything before! Thanks for the thill!

Thank You, dear Mr.Weeks, and LIKE !!!

Excellent film footage and soundtrack.

That`s beautiful...and relaxing.

Great footage, lovely plane.

With the wide assortment of propeller aircraft Kermit has flown I'd love to here him compare / contrast the flight characteristics of those in his collection. Among them the Curtiss Pusher, Grumman Duck, Short Sunderland & Bee would assume be like the Spirit of St Louis replica and a handful to fly. Know from previous video the replica received some rather significant damage in trip to France and best wishes to FOF crew on restoration.

wow, beautiful!

Great video!

Lovely 👍🏼 ✨ ✨

Awesome video as always Kermit!? It amazes me how Charles Lindbergh flew it considering the poor visibility!

@odonovan

2 жыл бұрын

To him, it was no big deal. Lindbergh was used to flying planes carrying mail, in which he had no forward visibility. In those, he'd be in the rear cockpit and the front would be filled with mailbags.

@paulbizard3493

2 жыл бұрын

He was such a daredevil. Totally crazy, fearless LOL, but intelligent. That's why he succeeded.

Flying by periscope. I can't imagine how hard that would be!

up periscope

i love old planes

Flying with a periscope, you are nuts:)

Cool 😎

Is this the one that got damaged in France, did you get it repaired?

@KermitWeeks444

2 жыл бұрын

As mentioned in the description, it’s next up to be restored.

I’m surprised this plane could carry the weight of his massive balls. Because you have to have 50 ton balls to fly this thing.

A late friend lew EAA's replica; said it was not an easy plane to fly.

With that kind of forward visibility, I'm surprised the aircraft gained an airworthiness certificate.

@NesconProductions

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed.. In one sense probably similar to when Lindbergh flew it 95 years ago as an 'experimental' aircraft - across the Atlantic. Seems the experimental designation is a bit like saying 'good luck with that..'

No front wind shield-IFR?

Hi Kermit . I've not seen this video . It must have been pretty hard work to fly . Did you have any forward vision ? ie. a camera ? Equally it must have been even harder to take off and land ....a testimony to your flying skills no doubt ! Am l correct in that it uses the very rare engine that Lindbergh used in his . Must say the shot of the Liberator against the Connie was an eye opener ! The Liberator looked dwarfed and it is a big aircraft 110 foot wingspan ? Thanks Kermit . You always light that spark within !💕

I wonder if Mr Weeks has counted from his logbook’s all the different aircraft he has flown? I’m thinking it’s in triple digits!

Wonderful. What's the purpose of the white stips over the wings?

@timorvet1

2 жыл бұрын

Could be wing fences?

I always wondered how the plane had enough fuel to fly 33hrs ? Cessna 152 i fly can only go 2 or 3 hrs. 🇺🇸

Hah! What a fun video. Who owns that replica? Kermit, you sort of complained the noise…Imagine having to listen to it for 33-1/2 hours! Non- stop!

@KermitWeeks444

2 жыл бұрын

I own it!

@flylooper

2 жыл бұрын

@@KermitWeeks444 Way cool!

👍

Almost 100 years ago that C. L flew to Paris.

that must not be easy flying (And landing!) whitout front view..

I've often wondered why the Spirit of St. Louis's wings had no observable dehedral. Seems that would make it really hard to control. True? Lindy flew that airplane for almost 1-1/2 days across the Atlantic. I can only imagine how aware/awake he had to be the whole way across.

@petrberanek4230

10 ай бұрын

You answered your own question. Plane was deliberately made unstable to keep pilot awake. Tail control surfaces were made small for same reason.

Was this ever fixed after the shipping issues ?

@KermitWeeks444

2 жыл бұрын

As mentioned in the description, this is next up to be restored.

@bigun447

2 жыл бұрын

@@KermitWeeks444 Turn your mechanics loose on that project and hopefully, we will see you fly it again.

Just curious, Kermit, but did your Ryan NYP also have a J-5 Wright Whirlwind Engine and if so, how hard was that to obtain a J-5?

@KermitWeeks444

2 жыл бұрын

I have several. One had previously been overhauled, and will be installed when the plane is restored.

@willamcombs1106

2 жыл бұрын

@@KermitWeeks444 Thank You.

With a full fuel load, must have been a heavy brick to fly.

Unfortunately, I once saw a replica of the spirit crash in Coventry UK. Unfortunately, the pilot did not survive the crash.

Is anything currently being flown at F of F or are all the aircraft in mothballs?

Does anybody know...How much additional range was attributable to the lack of a conventional windscreen?

Thanks Kermit,is there a kermie cam of this one?

@KermitWeeks444

2 жыл бұрын

No. Sorry. Maybe after it’s restored.

@petermoran39

2 жыл бұрын

@@KermitWeeks444 I'll look forward to that!

I wonder what the United States and the aviation community all around the world have planned for the run up to May 20-21, 2027.

@crooked-halo

Жыл бұрын

I'll betcha someone's gonna fly a replica across the Atlantic. Maybe Kermit will do it?!

Would be more stable with some dihedral in the wings ! ?

@leifvejby8023

Жыл бұрын

But would need larger fin and rudder to fight the adverse yaw.

Would you try the attempt to fly at least some where in it a trip wise?

@crooked-halo

Жыл бұрын

Huh?

@MARKLOCKWOOD2012

Жыл бұрын

@@crooked-halo take a trip for fun if you could. or repeat Charles Lindbergh famous trip today

@crooked-halo

Жыл бұрын

@@MARKLOCKWOOD2012 Still, you make no sense.

I have not been able to figure out why this aircraft was built without forward vision capabilities beyond a periscope. I'm a commercial pilot & structures/sheet metal mechanic & it just doesn't make sense to me. I admit I haven't gone looking for the reason, however.

@petrberanek4230

10 ай бұрын

Fuel tanks for NY to Paris trip in the center of gravity.

@crooked-halo

10 ай бұрын

@@petrberanek4230 OK, got it. Tanks were installed where normally a windshield would be, and placing the large volume of fuel within CG range was important. Still sounds crazy sacrificing forward vision for fuel tanks. It seems fuel storage could've been attained without deleting the windshield. But I'm no engineer, and I'm sure they did the best they could with what they had. The flight was a success, so it worked out just fine.

@petrberanek4230

10 ай бұрын

@@crooked-halo Charles Lindbergh was aware of event he witnessed, that 7 army surplus WW1 airplanes were forced to crash land - all 7 pilots (between fuel tank and engine) died, all 7 navigators (behind fuel tank) survived. That is why he wanted cockpit behind all fuel tanks. On all similar airplanes when you take off or land, you only see your engine and sky. There is no much forward vision.

@petrberanek4230

10 ай бұрын

Checked my favorite book about transatlantic flights and it was Trans-America race 1919, where 7 ex-army DH-4 were forced to emergency landing in terrain. It is czech book "Wings over Ocean", there are 3 chaters about Lindbergs flight.

@crooked-halo

10 ай бұрын

@@petrberanek4230 Correct, on taildraggers forward visibility is limited _on the ground," some are better than others. This is why they often swerve while taxiing, so pilot can see what's ahead. However, visibility during flight is normal.

Thought I was watching a Plane Savers episode there for a minute :) Check the You tube video series out if you haven't

Plane Savers music?

@KermitWeeks444

2 жыл бұрын

Stock KZread music, free for use in videos.

how do you fly when you cants see

I'm a mechanic!!!! (Retired)

Flying this plane and your nearly completely blind. No sir. I don't like it.