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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Our noble steed for this impromptu trip: Air Chappie! BTW, the Ercoupe in the back is being rebuilt by Chuck Williams. He's doing gorgeous work. That airplane will be better than most new ones.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The old bird still works hard and looks good. Not a bad starter airplane at all and it will probably be the only one I'll ever own.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: 6200' and climbing. Temps are about 40 degrees F at this height. Just a little wallowing.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Climbing through the Broken layer of cumulus at 7200'. The ride was pretty smooth as the winds weren't gusting. They were steady out of the southwest at about 18 knots, though. Have to look it up in Bob Buck's book again to see what that kind of wind with those clouds really means.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The former (never completed) Bong Air Force Base. Interesting place, interesting history and a very visible, 12,900' long testament to the Cold War.

Bong Air Force Base history

The place is now known as Bong State Recreational Area.

And who was Richard Bong? Important guy: http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_bong.html.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: And how many giggling teens have driven by the "Bong Recreational Area" on the highway and taken pictures of the sign? Every one of them!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Cool shot! I LOVE playing in the clouds at this level.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Grand Lake Geneva, Wisconsin from the east. Just to the left of the cowl and under a wisp of cloud is the airport which is right next to, and formerly part of, one of the original Playboy clubs.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: In the center of the image are the Twin Lakes, Elizabeth and Marie. The land bridge between them points to Westosha Airport (5k6) 3 miles to the east (to the left of the picture).

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Janesville, Wisconsin airport(JVL). There really isn't that much haze. I just don't have a UV filter for this camera. We're about 8 miles east and well over the airspace. I've decided to turn left to 180 and descend below the clouds. Straight south of here is Rockford, IL airport (RFD). It's one of the few places left which will do a Radar Assist Approach.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: We've landed at Poplar Grove airport/air park. The garages are as big as the houses and the houses are huge. On the way in, CTAF was congested with traffic. One nervous soul called out "Is there something going on at Poplar Grove today?" Apparently, there's a museum event! Cool!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: One of the more beautiful Beech 18's I've ever seen.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The south side of the runways is airport housing. The north side is the home of the Wings and Wheels Museum at Poplar Grove. There's something going on up there! It’s the 9th Annual All British Car and Cycle Show and Fly-In!!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: For the cloud gazers amongst us: I've been asked about penetrating that cloud deck as a VFR flight and maintaining separation as you climb. Here's what you need to know To figure out whether you can safely go through the deck and not bust the rules:

- Current conditions at surrounding airports (broken? scattered?)

- Temp and dew point spread (Cloud Bases = (Ambient Temp - Dew Point)*200'

- The distance from the center of the Low Pressure region

- Amount of distance you'll cover at your best climb rate at that altitude.

In my case, the temp/dew point spread said bases were at about 6000', area airport reports declared the overcast as broken with a single layer of clouds, the low region was way to the north by 300 miles and, by climbing into the wind, my groundspeed was about 57 knots causing me to move forward about 3 miles before I'd cleared the altitude of the cloud tops. Another 3 miles would have me to a valid westward VFR cruise altitude. 6 miles, 7 minutes of flight and then all I'd have to do is watch for signs of the deck closing up.

But above all else, before you begin to climb through that deck, take a moment and look up. If it looks like this, you should do the math and the rest of those checks. A sky like this begs you to come see the other side of all that cotton!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Strange to see that my airplane, old as it is, is the third newest machine on the field.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Okay, so that Bellanca makes mine the 4th newest.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A nice old Cessna 120.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Fleet Model 10 with a Kinner radial. Yeah, I'd love the chance to remove bugs from my teeth after flying one of these just one time.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A Grumman, but which one?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Hard to believe that this airplane performs as well as the 172. The heater sucks, though.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Fly-In events just don't seem to have that classic flavor unless there's a Stearman around. This one looks pretty darned clean.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Things just don't begin to look seriously fast unless there's a Lotus or two around. Having this one in BRG (British Racing Green) sets the tone for the automobile part of the event.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Yes, this is the 2007 Boot's N' Bonnets get-together at the museum. Nice XKE, bud. We'll be back to admire it later.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: So tempted to refer to this version of the XKE as a British hearse. Granted, it's a 135 mph hearse. Regardless.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Nice little Taylorcraft, eh?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: I'll take one of those, please!

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Hey, Air Chappie fits in nicely with these other beautiful classics.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A Ryan PT-22. They came so close with this design...and then they strapped on that landing gear, the design of which must have been stolen from an inverted grasshopper.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: MG TnA. No, that couldn't be right. Just feels that way. Auto-erotica?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Nice wood! Doncha just wanna yell CONTACT and give 'er a spin!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Seriously fine airplane, Mr. Johnson. I've only ever seen these in museums and this one is even cleaner than most of those!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: "Those fangs are how these things feed. At night, they suck the life out of pilots..."

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: (hee, hee)

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: There are many things on my life-list of "Things I've always wanted". The Triumph TR6 is one of those things.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: I used to read Autoweek regularly many years ago. They had on staff a gentleman named Satch Carlson. I recall the magazine sponsoring a contest and Mr. Carlson reported on the winning entries.

The contest was based on a fill-in-the-blank sentence. The sentence was something like "If my ______ were a human being, it would be a _____ because ______."

The entry I remember most was this response: "If my Triumph TR6 were a human being, it would be a leper because I never know what's going to fall off next."

Politically Correct editing was definitely in its infancy then. I miss those days a little.

On a slightly more palatable note, the fellow who apprenticed me as an auto mechanic years ago told me about being a Triumph dealership mechanic. "We always wanted to tell the TR6 owners to buy a lot of window screen and let us attach it to the bottom to catch all the falling parts." Too bad. Those were beautiful machines!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Okay, put a TR-4A on that list of things I've always wanted, too.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Oh man!! Smartest thing anyone ever did to a multiple carburetor engine is to convert the thing to side draft Webers and get rid of those SU's and Strombergs. Hats off to the intelligent Triumph owner!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Ummmm, and a TR250, too, please

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: That Motorcraft/Autolite alternator is suggestive. Has Lucas been excused from the room on this TR250? Another smart move! British cars were amongst the last to abandon generators so seeing an alternator on something as old as a TR250 is refreshing to me. It means a classic car can still be a classic with intelligent modifications. Another salute!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Well, maybe this car did come with an alternator.

Watch out, Harry. I think I have a hankerin' fer yer car. It's a real prize!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Austin Healey 100-4. Bugs are not smeared on the windscreen or your face. They are gracefully swept up and over you...only to end as inglorious smudges on the boot lid.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Notice that the "bug sweeper" is adjustable to accomodate flocks of larger bugs.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The Sunbeam Tiger. Maxwell Smart's ride. A union of a Ford 289 V-8 somehow fitted to a Sunbeam Alpine. It was not really a trivial task either. I've seen an Alpine and making 21" of room side to side required some big mods.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Also note that there isn't enough room to slide this engine forward and take it out the top of the hole. Haven't seen it done but I'd suspect inserting this engine requires lowering the car down around it.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Another more well known approach to hiding a Ford V-8.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Notice how far behind the front wheels that engine sits? Nice!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: No Mr. Bean padlocks on these Mini's!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: I loved watching these things out-perform American muscle and pony cars on the SCCA courses.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Dian likes the paint on this one but doesn't approve of the car too much. She's right, it's ugly. But it's so ugly, it's cute.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Well, maybe. Granted, I used to think these were the ugliest...then I saw the Smart Car. BARF!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: And the thought of this Matchbox car with 10" tires, engine and transmission sharing the same oil and being able to compete with a big ol' Corvette for more than just a parking space amuses me mightily!

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: I really DO love that color shade, however.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: What should we read first? Triumph? Stag?!?!? For Sale!?!??!?!

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Ooooh! And the COLOR. I love it!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: No, I didn't ask...but I was tempted.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Argh! Okay, I love the color, but that boxy look on a convertible has GOT to go. Yuck!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: It's actually a good thing it looks this way. This car is original, for sure.

While I'm commenting on Triumph automobiles, it's interesting to note that the shape of the future, the Triumph TR-7 wedge, was poorly represented in this crowd. Guess the future was questionable.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Airplanes, cars, dogs. No calendar girls.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: Or calendar guys either. I fit right in here.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: I'd only ever seen advertising for these. The Jensen Interceptor. Interest-ceptors. Curious machines, by golly.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: They're like a larger Triumph Spitfire. Something a guy like me might still be able to ingress/egress without screaming, grunting and a call to 911.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: The color is a bit darker than I'd like...but THAT is how a convertible SHOULD look. Nice!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: DOHC, Slant 4. Coulda done with some Webers and dropped those SU's off for smelting into teapots, of course. I once fought for a week trying to balance a pair of these SU carbs on an MGB. Thing would barely run, couldn't control the mixture, getting the mercury right on one carb would immediately cause the bottom to drop on the other Mercury tube. As it turns out, the rebuild kits had the wrong floats included. What a fiasco that was.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Hmmm, a V-8, eh? Another variation on the old Buick 215?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: So this is a small car, the Nash Metropolitan. Dressed to look like a compressed Continental.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: 1960, way before being small and economical was either stylish or necessary.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: And this engine compartment is positively roomy! I swear that my checked baggage could fit in here in the well on the passenger side. Small children have disappeared in this region.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Now THIS is one small car I'd enjoy having/driving. Very cool looking for a little bugger.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: Yes, it would be like driving around in Australia, another minor Continental (Arrrghhh!)

One Grunting Neanderthal says:

One Grunting Neanderthal says:

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Nope, not a Mini!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Bow to HRH, the MG Princess!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: MG? V-8 power? Could it be a C?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Oh yeah!!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: So Americans don't understand the idea of a hood being called a bonnet and a trunk being called a boot. But take a look at this thing. Closing that hood would not be right. Lowering the bonnet would be. And, since cars are somehow feminine, which would you rather your posterior be referred to as: a trunk? Or a boot(y)?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Don't be fooled. It still hurts like hell to try and work on anything in here.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The hood/bonnet ends in the next state.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Oh, cool car!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: No, you can't work in here, either. My compliments to the permanently crippled individual who reached in here and polished this thing up. It is gorgeous!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Whoa! And the interior is pretty hot, too! Greg! I want one!

One Grunting Neanderthal says: Yeah, yeah, anything to convince me that long front end isn't what has your attention. Sure, size doesn't matter, does it?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A Lotus S7.

There's not much I can say about this machine. I'd never seen one, I knew what it was and everything about it defies me to write about it properly. It's exactly what you think it is. I'm pleased to have met it!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: How unique. CD changer in trunk/engine compartment. Another well balanced engine placement. Who works on these things?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: I'm not a great photographer. The subject rescues this shot beautifully.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Okay, I stand corrected. THIS boxed convertible I'll gladly drive around town! Too cool!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A Kinner Bird. Very graceful!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Instrumentation is, umm, functional. Temp, Alt, Compass, mag switch, control stick. Nothing to look at in here so you can safely fly with your head out admiring the trip!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: This would be a wonderful problem to have. Every look at this Stinson reveals something new about what happens when a coach builder's mind puts on wings.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Sorry the print is so small. The crux of the deal was this was a very, very fine machine of excellent durability and good performance at a price point more people could afford.

It was an excellent idea. One I think we could stand to see go into business a little more often.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Enter behind the front seats...

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Admire that panel, those control wheels, the wood work, the view, the posture!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Rear Pax are not treated shabbily either.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Even the struts are artistic!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: I once flew a seaplane perched on this very same model of floats. A 1946 Stinson used for training by Seattle Seaplanes in Seattle, Wa.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: By golly, this is the 50th Anniversary of Lindy's flight (2007). Good thing he flew better than I can take pictures!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: For student pilots, of course.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A spotlight. Used as a ground based navigational aid for pilots. Of course, your night vision would be thoroughly hosed if this thing actually spotted you at night.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: I'll have one of those, please.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: That's a 1937 LaSalle, little brother to the Cadillac!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: WARNING Wil Robinson! Oh wait...nevermind.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The first Corben Baby Ace sporting one of the smallest radial engines I've ever seen.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Look at the Engine Turned (Damascened) shrouding. It's easy to do but very hard to do right.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: A Hupmobile!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: 1928 Cessna AW! Wow!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: That's Clyde on the left, isn't it?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: Although I doubt Cassy could handle jumping in/out of THAT door!

One Grunting Neanderthal says: Doors on airplanes were a difficult concept for the time. Prior to this, all airplanes had holes in the top with cold, wet pilots sticking out of them!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: The Harley Davidson WLA. If it weren't for this machine, Indian would still be alive and Harley probably wouldn't be.

The WLA was what the U.S. military bought in WWII when Indian couldn't meet contract and delivery requirements. After the war, these things were everywhere as they were released for public sale as military surplus. The rest is even more history.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: So this one kinda blew my mind. That thing sitting in the front cockpit is a Federal washing machine. This is, reportedely, the first commercial use of an airplane. The washing machine was flown 13 miles in 12 minutes from Chicago to Evanston. It was clear that cargo areas just don't happen. They are design features, too.

One Grunting Neanderthal says: If you don't know the Chicago area all that well, where Chicago ends on the north end (Rogers Park), Evanston begins.

Of the two, only Chicago has a place left on the lake front where you might safely land a plane. Mayor Daley would probably show up with handcuffs and a bulldozer if you landed in Millennium Park, though.

In Evanston, you'd probably get pretty wet. There is no clear area left there.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: This is not a painting, nor is it an architect's proposal, nor is it photoshopped. This is what it really looks like in Poplar Grove.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: This TR4A has seen some use. Needs a lot of work but appears to be solid. I'm going to pass this time but someone out there ought to give Thomas a call.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: It's a Triumph Thunderbird!! Water cooled even. Have no idea of the vintage, though.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: 1954 Kaiser Darrin

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: How many shopping carts will have to hit the fender before the doors won't open anymore? This is not a car for Chicago...but it certainly is stylish!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: And now a little something for Suz Daffron.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: At a gathering like this one, these no longer look like junk. They look like projects with lots of potential!

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Funny, Ralph Nader doesn't look this good anymore.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: So any British car nut knows a Morgan when one stops by…

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: ...and if he/she doesn't recognize it, the badge is prominent and readable…

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: ...but what's up with those raised bumpers and those tires?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: Are those low profile radial tires on knock-off hub, wire wheels?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: What about that "Roadster" badge?

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: There are even more things wrong here, including that dash badge which has the words "Airbag" and SRS on it. What the?

Well, the whole story is that they didn't exactly stop making Morgans in the 1950's. This is a 2005 model with a V-6 engine. Cripes, look at that stalk on the steering column!

One Grunting Neanderthal says: While the 2005 Mustang really defined the Retro movement in my mind, this Morgan with its louvered bonnet is the absolute pinnacle of Retro. Best of the new with the things we loved in the past.

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One Grunting Neanderthal says: And all this car needs is the blonde next to it. Wonder if Dian would mind...doing that job?

One Grunting Neanderthal says: [D ~]: I'll have to think about that. It's a bit boxy and a little too orange looking for my taste.