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shenanigan87 β€” Auntie Again

Published: 2012-09-09 17:32:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 656; Favourites: 25; Downloads: 36
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Description Auntie Ju, about to touch down at the Kurtekotten airfield in Leverkusen (EDKL).



This plane, with the registration HB-HOY, isn't actually an original Ju 52, but a license-built Spanish CASA 353A-3 from 1949. It had spent many years as a static exhibit at the DΓΌsseldorf Airport before being rescued and restored, even receiving a set of BMW 132 A-3 radial engines that the original Ju 52s were equipped with. The aircraft is owned and operated by Ju-Air, currently being sponsored by Rimowa. They make aluminium suitcases that strongly resemble the corrugated exterior of the Ju 52, so it's rather fitting to use it for advertising.

Sadly though, I stumbled across several articles, according to which HB-HOY will be retired this year. Apparently, just about all spare parts for the BMW engines have been used up, and changing them to Pratt & Whitney ones isn't possible without obtaining a new type approval. What's worse: I even read about Ju-Air itself having to shut down, since their airport in Switzerland is going to be closed. Really hope that all of this is just a bunch of rumours...
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Comments: 29

ZCochrane [2012-09-11 11:28:39 +0000 UTC]

Finde ich ja sehr nett, dass die Maschine von Rimowa gesponsert wird.

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shenanigan87 In reply to ZCochrane [2012-09-11 11:48:39 +0000 UTC]

Ja, das ist recht passend.

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HerrDrayer [2012-09-10 07:14:09 +0000 UTC]

If the price of spare parts for my former '93 BMW 525 TDS is any indication, any remaining spare parts must be astronomically expensive too. I spent more money repairing that bloody car than my brother in law paid for it two years ago.

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shenanigan87 In reply to HerrDrayer [2012-09-10 07:16:36 +0000 UTC]

Now imagine how expensive it would be if there were no available spare parts, with you needing to have each bit custom made!

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HerrDrayer In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-10 07:18:23 +0000 UTC]

Sounds like the lives of DΓΌsenberg restorers...or Hispano Suiza...or any of the other classic era handmade luxury cars.

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arejaye [2012-09-10 00:19:46 +0000 UTC]

That plane, through the month of July, toured the U.S. and Canada and spent the entire week at AirVenture Oshkosh giving impressive demonstrations of its low and slow maneuvering abilities.
Glad to see she made it home well and whole.

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shenanigan87 In reply to arejaye [2012-09-10 07:07:04 +0000 UTC]

Almost, the plane you're referring to is HB-HOT, while this here is HB-HOY. They are more or less identical though, and the trip over the Atlantic did indeed begin at this very airfield.

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arejaye In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-10 07:27:07 +0000 UTC]

So then I need to ask: is HB-HOT back to her nest?

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shenanigan87 In reply to arejaye [2012-09-10 07:33:14 +0000 UTC]

Yes, she arrived at her home base in DΓΌbendorf on the 17th of August.

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arejaye In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-10 07:37:40 +0000 UTC]

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pearwood [2012-09-09 23:02:38 +0000 UTC]

Down and dirty.

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shenanigan87 In reply to pearwood [2012-09-10 07:16:49 +0000 UTC]

Indeed!

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EternalFlame1891 [2012-09-09 20:36:06 +0000 UTC]

Sweet!

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shenanigan87 In reply to EternalFlame1891 [2012-09-09 20:43:03 +0000 UTC]

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JSH50 [2012-09-09 19:51:43 +0000 UTC]

Nice shot Sir!........ Never believe a rumor, unless you start it yourself!

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shenanigan87 In reply to JSH50 [2012-09-09 19:57:36 +0000 UTC]

That's true! But if papers wrote about it, and if the pilots stated some of the facts, there might be some truth to it...

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JSH50 In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-09 20:04:15 +0000 UTC]

Well we all know the old planes cannot go on for ever,. But as always there seems to be people who are only happy when spouting Gloom and Doom!

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shenanigan87 In reply to JSH50 [2012-09-09 20:08:45 +0000 UTC]

I was actually convinced of older planes being much easier to keep airborne than modern ones. Simple mechanicals, no pressurized cabin that suffers from metal fatigue, it all seemed much more straightforward. But if more and more spare parts have to be custom made because they're unavailable, it becomes uneconomical...

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JSH50 In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-09 20:15:42 +0000 UTC]

A thought just crossed my mind, Are prop planes more prone metal fatigue through vibration and resonance that smoother jets

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shenanigan87 In reply to JSH50 [2012-09-09 20:19:46 +0000 UTC]

Huh, that's a good question... No idea about that! At least I haven't heard of that being a major problem when compared to missing spares.

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JSH50 In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-09 20:26:39 +0000 UTC]

I know its like comparing a Swiss watch with a Blacksmiths anvil ( Trains and Aero engineering ) We had a spate of steel fuel lines rupturing after many years of problem free service. And the issue was traced the the pipes becoming brittle after year of engine vibration

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shenanigan87 In reply to JSH50 [2012-09-09 20:35:10 +0000 UTC]

Guess you never know of such problems until something goes wrong! At least fewer people get hurt when it happens to trains, usually...

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focallength [2012-09-09 19:21:13 +0000 UTC]

Nice shot. Too bad if the rumors are true.

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shenanigan87 In reply to focallength [2012-09-09 19:56:52 +0000 UTC]

If they do turn out to be true, I hope they manage to keep them flying through some other company.

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focallength In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-09 22:12:31 +0000 UTC]

Here's hoping.

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PsykoHilly [2012-09-09 18:16:44 +0000 UTC]

Exzellente Aufnahme ... das ist ja so ein heißes Teil

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shenanigan87 In reply to PsykoHilly [2012-09-09 18:27:45 +0000 UTC]

Wollen wir mal hoffen, dass sie auch weiterhin fliegen wird...

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PsykoHilly In reply to shenanigan87 [2012-09-09 18:58:08 +0000 UTC]

Hoffentlich, allein der Sound ...

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shenanigan87 In reply to PsykoHilly [2012-09-09 18:58:50 +0000 UTC]

Jooo, der rΓΌttelt einen innerlich durch!

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