Flabob Airport (RIR, KRIR), Rubidoux, CA

[Joe Copalman]

KING CRIMSON

Colbath and I spent some time at Flabob Airport during our road trip yesterday.  Definitely a quirky, fun little airport.  The airport staff was kind enough to arrange for someone to show us Tom Wathen's collection of replicas of classic race birds, including this gorgeous replica of the "Grosvenor House" DH.88, which took first place in the London-to-Melbourne MacRobertson International Air Race in 1934.

[Joe Copalman]

FIRECRACKER

Another airworthy replica of a vintage racer in the Tom Wathen collection, this one being a Rider/Schoenfeldt R-4 "Firecracker." 

[Anna M. Wood]

Good stuff Joe.....  I love this era of aviation.

[Joe Copalman]

Thanks, Anna!  It's a favorite of mine as well, especially the vintage racers.  There was so much innovation and so many designers with their own approaches to getting competitive speeds out of aircraft. 

PoF at Chino has a really impressive collection of racers as well, but as far as I know, none are airworthy. 

[Joe Copalman]

BLUE BARRACUDA

Caudron C.460 replica.  The guy who was showing us around the Wathen hangar (spacing on his name right now, sorry) said that the pilot who flies this one is about the same size as Scott Colbath.  Wish I got a shot of Scott next to this for scale, but it really looks like it'd be a tight fit for a jockey-sized pilot.

[Scott Youmans]

What cool collection of aircraft. Built in the days when you could comprehend how something was put together.  Sheet metal and canopies made from flat wrapped plexi.  Always liked that style of cowling too.  The kids of the day must have thought those were just fantastic machines.  The most advanced aircraft of their time.

[Joe Copalman]

What cool collection of aircraft. Built in the days when you could comprehend how something was put together.  Sheet metal and canopies made from flat wrapped plexi.  Always liked that style of cowling too.  The kids of the day must have thought those were just fantastic machines.  The most advanced aircraft of their time.

Agreed.  And there were so many little quirky details - look at the gear doors on the Caudron replica, and even on the DH.88. 

[Joe Copalman]

MEATY METEOR

Laird-Turner RT-14 Meteor replica.  Looks like a scaled-down and streamlined GeeBee Racer, which was a childhood favorite of mine, and - thanks to Disney's "Planes" - a favorite of my son's as well.

[Joe Copalman]

Awesome image.  Love the processing.

[Joe Copalman]

YELLOW FEVER