The Airplane Thread

[Llarry]

Planes of Fame Corsair in Korean War-era markings of VF-32

In 1952, jet fighters were the latest thing, but nearly half of all Navy fighter squadrons still flew the F4U Corsair.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Planes of Fame Corsair in Korean War-era markings of VF-32

In 1952, jet fighters were the latest thing, but nearly half of all Navy fighter squadrons still flew the F4U Corsair.

My dad flew the Corsair as a Marine in Korea until 1953. I'll have to look at his log books but I think he switched to jets after Korea in 1954. For him, that jet was the F2H Banshee. He much preferred the Corsair.

Here's a pic of him taking off from the USS Bataan in Korea. He loved that plane!

ps: I've posted this photo before, I know. It just goes well with Llarry's post.

[Tyga11]

We have a 2019 Trane AC Unit which is still under warranty.

The issue is the coils are leaking. We don't know why. I've already had 2 opinions and both of the repair companies said the same thing (they confirmed the exact same leak)

My concern is that if I fix the leak the unit is possibly defective and the AC companies only guarantee their work for 1 year.

So here are my options and I don't know which to do:

Option 1: Fix the leak and fill with refrigerant for $1,750 (1 year warranty)

Option 2: Replace the entire Air Handler for $8,500 (5 year warranty on labor and new parts)

Do you all think it's likely for a Trane to be defective? One AC company said it's possible and the other who came this morning said it's close to 0% so I don't know who to believe.

[M_Six]

How is that not covered under the warranty? We had several different issues with our A/C (not Trane). One was with the compressor outside and one was with the coil in the interior unit. Both were fixed under the warranty.

[KevinC]

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by M_Six

How is that not covered under the warranty? We had several different issues with our A/C (not Trane). One was with the compressor outside and one was with the coil in the interior unit. Both were fixed under the warranty.

The labor and refrigerant it needs is not covered under warranty - only the parts

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

The labor and refrigerant it needs is not covered under warranty - only the parts

Oof

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO

Hey Llarry, I (we) always enjoy your informative posts, thank you!

As for the "Betty", that airplane has a particular spot in WWII history.

Reason: Japanese Admiral Isoroko Yamamoto, who conceived the attack on Pearl Harbor, was shot down by an American P-38 Lightning over the island of Bouganville while riding in that plane. The Americans had broken Japanese code and had his full itinerary, and so was able to attack him en route to visiting Japanese troops for morale. Apparently, he was thrown clear of the wreckage, where his body was found sitting upright, still in his seat below a tree. But the medical report stated it was not the crash that killed him - it was two .50 caliber bullets, one in his left shoulder and one in his head that was fatal. Apparently, he was still clutching his katana sword in his white gloved hand, although this might have been Japanese added lore.

The story of this feat is actually pretty fascinating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Vengeance and has set a historical precedence regarding the assassinations of high ranking enemy officials in foreign countries.

Last fact: did you know that Yamamoto spent time studying at Harvard University (1919 - 1921) and travelled quite a bit thoughout the United States during this time, learning fluent English?

It was Admiral Yamamoto's experiences in America that informed his cautioning of Japan's higher-ups that attacking America was certain to result in defeat. He was well aware of the breadth and strength of this country's industrial base and certain that Japan hadn't the capacity to successfully counter and defeat that advantage.

[2000cs]

Yes, it is possible for a Trane to be defective. I had a Trane air handler fail (one of the control boards) and even though the unit was only a few years old, they were NLA. So I had to replace it (I saved everything else in case the sister unit ever needed a part).

I had a geothermal heat pump with a leak and the guy that came out quoted several thousand to replace the evaporator, but said he has had good success with Leak Stop (I think that was the name). For about $25 he put that into the system, and the leak actually stopped. System worked for several years after that - we sold that house so I don’t know the rest of the story.

[dreamingat30fps]

Dayum! Is that what AC units cost these days? I'm pretty sure when we replaced our AC maybe like 2014 or 2015 it was $5k for everything installed. It's not a Trane but still.

I dunno anything about HVAC but personally I would get it fixed. I would not spend all that extra money to replace a practically new unit.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Dayum! Is that what AC units cost these days? I'm pretty sure when we replaced our AC maybe like 2014 or 2015 it was $5k for everything installed. It's not a Trane but still.

I dunno anything about HVAC but personally I would get it fixed. I would not spend all that extra money to replace a practically new unit.

I was quoted $8,500 for only the air handler. With the condenser (the outside unit either on top of your house or in your backyard) the total I was quoted was $15k. This is for the 'base' unit.

[2heeldrive]

The part that is leaking should be under warranty from Trane and should be replaced, not repaired. Make sure the HVAC company you are getting quotes from is a Trane dealer. HVAC companies always want to sell a new system. It's easy for them and they make the most $$$. Keep shopping. Is the company who installed it still in business? They should take care of it for you.

I had a Lennox evaporator (i.e. A-coil) replaced under warranty (it was leaking). I paid for labor and refrigerant. I think the total cost to me was around $400.00.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by 2heeldrive

The part that is leaking should be under warranty from Trane and should be replaced, not repaired. Make sure the HVAC company you are getting quotes from is a Trane dealer. HVAC companies always want to sell a new system. It's easy for them and they make the most $$$. Keep shopping. Is the company who installed it still in business? They should take care of it for you.

I had a Lennox evaporator (i.e. A-coil) replaced under warranty (it was leaking). I paid for labor and refrigerant. I think the total cost to me was around $400.00.

We moved into the house in 2020 and the company who installed the system won't honor anything since I'm not the original buyer.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

I was quoted $8,500 for only the air handler. With the condenser (the outside unit either on top of your house or in your backyard) the total I was quoted was $15k. This is for the 'base' unit.

That's insane, but honestly that's how I feel about everything these days. Like I said I paid $5k for the outside unit and inside unit installed. It's a Rudd, dunno how good they are, suppose to be made by Rheem. It's been fine so far and cools the house down just fine. Dropped our power bill vs the old unit that came with the house.

Back when we bought the house in 2011 I had the carpet ripped out and replaced with laminate. All in it was like $2k. We had some leaks that cause our old style laminate to mess up in some areas. Got some quotes to replace it with the newer water proof stuff. The quotes were like $7-10k...

Also got a quote to do some gutters around the house. Got quotes like $3k! I remember when we replace our roof they took down a smaller portion of gutter. This was like 2016 and I recall being quoted like $300 to replace it.

[Llarry]

1) Aichi D3A dive bomber (Allied 'Val') -- introduced, but not pictured earlier. Deadly at Pearl Harbor and in the early carrier battles.
2) Yokusuka D4Y dive bomber (Allied 'Judy') -- replaced the D3A as the standard IJN carrier dive bomber.
3) Nakajima C6N carrier-based recon aircraft flew recon missions until quite late in the war over Allied bases such as Guam and Saipan. No doubt bringing back depressing news to Japan of a massive buildup of U.S. military forces.
4) Kawanishi H6K (Allied 'Mavis') was the predecessor of the excellent H8K flying boat. The H6K also had very long range and endurance but was vulnerable to Allied fighters or even patrol planes.

The Kawanishi company survived the war and has changed their name to Shin Meiwa -- they are the same company that now makes the excellent US-2 amphibian flying boat that I posted about earlier in this thread. During the 1950s and 1960s, the company also did heavy maintenance or overhauls on U.S. Navy flying boats; they had a reputation for excellent quality work.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

My dad flew the Corsair as a Marine in Korea until 1953. I'll have to look at his log books but I think he switched to jets after Korea in 1954. For him, that jet was the F2H Banshee. He much preferred the Corsair.

Here's a pic of him taking off from the USS Bataan in Korea. He loved that plane!

ps: I've posted this photo before, I know. It just goes well with Llarry's post.

Duplicate photo appreciated, syngazelle.

There are two aircraft that epitomize the Old Corps to me: the F4U Corsair of WW2-Korea and the Sikorsky HUS-1 (UH-34D after 1962) of the 1950s and particularly the early years of Vietnam.

Here's a little Corsair love for you and one Sikorsky as a bonus.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Llarry

There are two aircraft that epitomize the Old Corps to me: the F4U Corsair of WW2-Korea and the Sikorsky HUS-1 (UH-34D after 1962) of the 1950s and particularly the early years of Vietnam.

The three Corsair photos are all of the same plane in the Planes of Fame collection in Chino, California. One in WW2 markings and the other two with Korean War markings applied for a movie role.

I'm embarrassed that I didn't post a MARINE CORPS Corsair photo in honor of your Dad. Here's one... and it's an F4U-4 with upgraded engine and four-blade prop. By 1950 or so, only Reserve units were still flying the F4U-1 variants; combat units were all flying either F4U-4 or F4U-5 models with more power.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Duplicate photo appreciated, syngazelle.

There are two aircraft that epitomize the Old Corps to me: the F4U Corsair of WW2-Korea and the Sikorsky HUS-1 (UH-34D after 1962) of the 1950s and particularly the early years of Vietnam.

Here's a little Corsair love for you and one Sikorsky as a bonus.

Thank you! Here are a couple more back at you...

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Thank you! Here are a couple more back at you...

I think I know the feeling in that last photo -- in the spring of 1960, my Dad flew off the Midway with his squadron (12 planes or so) the day before the ship got to Alameda. The flight line was crowded with families waiting for their dads as the whole air group arrived -- F3H Demons, F8U Crusaders, FJ Furies and AD Skyraiders. As a 13 year old, I remember an intense feeling of pride to see my Dad lead the squadron in formation to break off, land and taxi up. Pilots climbed down from their steeds and joyous family reunions (after a nine month deployment) ensued. Joy!

[Llarry]

@sygazelle -- Do you have the attached history of VMF/VMFA-312? When your Dad started flying jets, do you know which squadron he was assigned to?

Tell me more about your Dad's Marine Corps career -- was he a career Marine who retired or did he get out in the '50s?

[chassis]

Pratt & Whitney PW4000 (A330-200)

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by chassis

Pratt & Whitney PW4000 (A330-200)

What a monster! I believe the PW4000 (and its GE and Rolls-Royce competitors) are now exceeding 100,000 lbs thrust. Simply amazing.