I imagine you've already seen this Ric, but just in case...  https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/press-releases/skoda-museum-presents-an-extraordinary-exhibit-the-w12-aircraft-engine-by-laurin-klement/

Current research suggests the artifact we found in 2021 may be the cap on either the coolant filler neck or coolant drain plug for the W12 Lorraine Dietrich engine of l'Oiseau Blanc.
Unfortunately, neither the Lorraine Dietrich manual nor the parts manual for the Levasseur PL-4 aircraft (from which the PL-8 l'Oiseau Blanc was derived) shows those features.  We need a surviving PL-4 with a Lorraine Dietrich W12 engine but we can't find a museum or collection that has one.

A TIGHAR member recently asked me to review an article in the April issue of EAA Sport Aviation titled The History of a Fated Mystery - Museum Preserves An Aviation Pioneer. I was happy to oblige.

The first problem with the EAA article is the title. The author buys into The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum's underlying worship of Earhart as an “aviation pioneer.”  None of Earhart’s record setting flights pioneered anything or added to the advancement of aviation development.  The museum’s interactive exhibits sound excellent and admirable, but it is less a museum than an indoor educational theme park. As a venue for teaching history it fails miserably.

The first falsehood in the article is the statement that Earhart broke “the barrier for women in aviation.”  Earhart never had a flying job.  Other women broke the barrier of employment in aviation.  Elinor Smith worked as a demonstration pilot for Bellanca.  Louise Thaden did the same for Travel Air.  Helen Richey was the first woman hired as an airline pilot.  Earhart spoke out against employment discrimination, as did the other record-setting female pilots of the 1930s, but it was the civil rights legislation of the 1960s that ultimatley made it illegal.

Next:
“While teaching at Purdue University, she worked with the school to get the funds to purchase it. With dual Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engines that were fairly new technology, the Electra 10-E was one of the fastest airplanes of the time.”
How many errors can you pack into two sentences? Earhart never taught at Purdue. She advised female students for a couple weeks in 1936, and she had nothing to do with conning Purdue into putting up the money for an airplane.  That was done entirely by her husband George Palmer Putnam.  The Model 10-E had R-1340s, not R-985s and there were many faster aircraft.

Next:
“The airplane’s exciting because there were 14 of those made, and this one was second off the line, and Amelia’s was about 10th or 12th off the line. But there are no more of these left.”
The museum’s airplane, cn 1042, was the 42nd Model 10 built and the second 10-E. There were 16 10-Es built.  Earhart’s was the 5th.
“All the guts in this plane are exactly like Amelia’s”
The interior is bare and the plane has full-feathering props.

Next:
“..learn how Amelia navigated the night sky with stars and constellations …”
Earhart never navigated the night sky with stars and constellations.

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is an example of how the myths and misconceptions about Earhart have gotten way out of hand.  I’m hoping my new book will provide some perspective and, for people who care about facts, permit a more nuanced and accurate understanding of who she was.

Hi,
Are there people who have experience with printing AND building the paper construction plates "Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra, The William F. Harney Drawings" ?
Is there also a (cut/paste) description?

On the "Adobe" website I see a 7 day free trial period of "Illustrator"! Perhaps the correct version! I think I should be able to print the sheets within this period
The downloads can be printed on regular A4 format, perhaps on 160 or more gram paper ?!

The info at the "TIGHAR Store" says: "If you do have Illustrator, but don't have CC...". WHAT is CC?

Greetings, Guus.

Hi,
I already suspected something like that! When I prepare my order on-line, it shows 0.00 shipping costs! Hence my question.

Hi,
Is it really true that when purchasing "One more Good flight" there are no shipping costs to Belgium?!

No, we have never said the shipping of signed copies of One More Good Flight will be free.  The book will measure 10x7x1 inches and weigh 24 ounces.  When the books are ready to be shipped we'll offer a variety of options and accept payment via the TIGHAR Store.

Hi,
Is it really true that when purchasing "One more Good flight" there are no shipping costs to Belgium?!

Quote from: John Klier on February 16, 2024, 08:44:52 PM

I've been following him for a while as well and really enjoy his channel. From what I can tell he appears to be pretty well respected in the curatorial world. So to have him say "I have no doubt she would have found an island" I would call a win even if he got some other details wrong.

I have no doubt he is an excellent curator, but I'm surprised that he thinks Earhart would have found another island because there are so many islands around where she was.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Islands in the South Central Pacific are few and far between.  That she stumbled upon Gardner was due purely to the lucky coincidence that the sunrise LOP advanced through Howland on that day also fell very close to Gardner.

Point taken. Although still better than him saying she crashed and sank.

I've been following him for a while as well and really enjoy his channel. From what I can tell he appears to be pretty well respected in the curatorial world. So to have him say "I have no doubt she would have found an island" I would call a win even if he got some other details wrong.

I have no doubt he is an excellent curator, but I'm surprised that he thinks Earhart would have found another island because there are so many islands around where she was.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Islands in the South Central Pacific are few and far between.  That she stumbled upon Gardner was due purely to the lucky coincidence that the sunrise LOP advanced through Howland on that day also fell very close to Gardner.

I follow Ryans channel and I thought his episode covering the use of the USS Colorado in the search was informative and un-biased. He did mention Gardener Island so I give him a thumbs up (while also appearing skeptical on the latest sonar image).

I've been following him for a while as well and really enjoy his channel. From what I can tell he appears to be pretty well respected in the curatorial world. So to have him say "I have no doubt she would have found an island" I would call a win even if he got some other details wrong.