Coolest thing you saw at Oshkosh 2017

I would like the big screens. If there was an attitude pickoff for the KFC150 on the G5, we'd be doing dual G5s this year. As it is, we're going to wait a year or two - Dynon's autopilot is cheap enough we'd just get rid of the KFC150. Garmin would hopefully either follow with the same pricing model or be able to drive the KFC150 until it dies.

We did get the template stickers from Garmin, and I discovered that I don't have as much panel space as I thought! The panel is separated exactly on the centerline of the aircraft, and to the right of that we have dual radio stacks, and to the right of that it's all circuit breakers. So, no dual 10" displays - All that would fit is a portrait 7" on the right.

Ah that. I forgot about your KFC150 post. That's making your choice harder.

We'll probably find a trash can to pitch the Cessna 200 in when we put the GTN in. LOL. What a POS. Leave some room for whatever Garmin or anyone makes later. If we even bother.

LOL on the panel templates. Dang it Mooney! :)

I'm pretty sure we could put a large screen avionics toy in ours if we wanted, and maybe a nice big flat screen TV for football on the passenger side, and still have room in the center radio stack. ;) The one good thing about that ridiculously big 182 panel...
 
Guy in the hangar next to my office flew his wife, and three daughters aged 4, 6 & 8, 1200 nm to OSH in his Cherokee 6. First timers. Camped in the N40 about 5 rows from me so I checked in on them a few times. The repeated rain early in the week didn't dampen the girls enthusiasm one bit; not even the soaking during the Wed night show. They couldn't get enough of KidVenture, and the oldest declared her goal is to fly Daddy's airplane to OSH herself once she is old enough. That was the coolest "thing" I experienced this year.

Coolest airplane? The B-29 "Doc". That's one huge kitplane to put back together. Anyone who can organize and keep such a large group of volunteers focused and excited about what they are doing for 16 straight years is an amazing leader.
 
The B1, the B2, the Blue Angels, I could go on. But the coolest thing was the Michell bomber that I followed on takeoff. Only at Oshkosh.
 
OSH is super cool in-general and as a 3000 hr fighter guy I never thought I'd say this, but one of the coolest things I saw was the night, RC demo on Monday and Tuesday night. The fact that those guys can keep track of what's up and what's down, at night, 100 yds away from the 8ft wingspan airplane they are controlling was amazing and also they seemed to be able to defy the laws of aerodynamics and physics both constantly and at the same time.

OBTW - I was totally one of the perverts. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding though. I guess not...

v/r
Jim
 
OSH is super cool in-general and as a 3000 hr fighter guy I never thought I'd say this, but one of the coolest things I saw was the night, RC demo on Monday and Tuesday night. The fact that those guys can keep track of what's up and what's down, at night, 100 yds away from the 8ft wingspan airplane they are controlling was amazing and also they seemed to be able to defy the laws of aerodynamics and physics both constantly and at the same time.

OBTW - I was totally one of the perverts. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding though. I guess not...

v/r
Jim
I agree about the RC planes! I was ready to leave, but decided to stick around just in case it was mildly interesting. I've never seem a flight demonstration like that!
 
The B1!

I was taking the $75 ride in the Tri-Motor, and I thought it was odd that they abruptly put it down on 27 and taxied into the grass, instead of using 36 like they'd been doing all day. I found out why about 30 seconds after touchdown. With my head buried in the iPhone (looking at some video I'd shot), the B1 ripped over our heads, afterburners lit. Startled the crap out of me!! Impressive, too, how that big bird can slow down with wings in the forward position.
 
After a long day of walking around I thought this was pretty funny. A couple of exhausted guys conked out in the massage chairs.
Yojhs7zl.jpg


This also got my attention. I like the sound of radials but the maintenance scares me. Here's a radial powered beast obviously owned by someone that does not share that fear.
IYt7SYUl.jpg


And finally, I like antiques and you don't get much more antiquey than this Bleriot with wing warping for roll control!
FTYJUZll.jpg
 
Oh yeah, the computer geeks that created a 3D modeling package that drives a CNC router to cut precise fishmouth openings on tubes that will be welded together.

r9JNwL2l.jpg
 
Coolest thing I saw / did was talk to the guys from the Army's 160th SOAR unit. And their helo. Not often you meet people so enthusiastic for their work and want to share it.

Also touring That's All Brother, but I'm biased on that one because I got to work on it :)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5729.JPG
    IMG_5729.JPG
    152 KB · Views: 22
Back
Top