SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

[harkonnen]

Yesterday I responded to a classified ad for 'Used Skyskimmer engines - GOOD SHAPE!!! CHEAP to the right buyer.'

An hour's drive into some really nice Northern country and I was at the guy's house, a nice enough, simple winterized cottage on 20 acres or so.
An older gentleman met me at the bottom of a long gravel driveway and I was invited into the house for some iced tea, and we sat at his kitchen table, jawing about nothing for a few minutes, sizing each other up, I guess. Finally I could contain myself no longer, and before he decided to break out the cookies or whatever - I blurted out "So you actually have two Skyskimmer engines...where do you keep them..are they really in decent shape?

"Yes I do son, and if you're actually going to bring them back to life and use 'em, I'll let you have them for a very good price. And you're looking at the barn where they sit, right across the yard."

Sure enough, a sturdy-looking barn stood about 150 feet outside the window, and I could make out some pretty serious padlocks on the doors.

"Yeah I'm looking for two good drives for a little project of mine...not a 'skimmer, but a sweet prototype that was never put into production....thing is I'm running out of funds quickly, I jumped at your ad for a reason - I don't want to mothball this one due to financial reasons. I have to rewire the full panel, it's all either stripped for parts or half corroded and gunked up, but short of that and some interior cosmetic work, and maybe some OEM parts for the gear assemblies...she's a flyer. She's sitting in my hangar right now, looking like she should be screaming around the heavens....not gathering dust..."
I couldn't resist adding; "What in God's name would anyone want them for if they weren't going to fit and fly them?"

"One of them young modern artists was here yesterday" says the old guy, 'Wanted to shine 'em up and use them in some sort of sculpture...even had the gall to suggest I let them go for a song, said he'd include my name on a plaque or something. I almost sent him off my land with a blaster-burn on his hide! Son, these engines are well used but well-maintained...they need work but they are in good shape."
Before I could squirm around any more he looked at me with a glint in his eye..."Let's go take a look then, eh?"

Once the padlocks were wrestled off and the barn door thrown wide, I could see the engines near the far corner, two 'skimmer drives, one standing on the barn boards, one on a frame. Looked like three or four other cylinder-like objects sat just behind them in the semi dark.

"Here ya go son" he breathed, almost reverently as we focused our gaze on the drives once he threw a switch by the doors, illuminating the treasures a little better with one bare bulb overhead.

I let my breath out in a long, hollow whistle as we approached the spot where my dreams lay. "Holy crap, you weren't kidding were you?" I babbled as I ran my hand over the forward cowling of the one engine on it's stand.
'Nice" I whispered. And I meant it; these were fine engines. The main housings were a little corroded, but I could fabricate those without too much trouble if they were too far gone...the rest of the drive parts all seemed sound and solid - no damage, scoring or heat warping anywhere. One containment ring had been removed and was leaning against the stand, and I could see it was pitted and corroded quite considerably, but I had a few connections, a few friends in high places that owed me a favour, and I knew I could replace these without shelling out too much.
"Beautiful." I said, and before I could drool any more he told me that the four booster rockets behind the 'skimmer drives were part of the deal.
"Don't know where they came from." He says, "but they came with the 'skimmer drives and they're in nice shape too. Lot of power there boy, maybe you can put them to good use."

I got them all for a song, and it seemed like the old man was happy and sad at the same time to see them go.
The last thing he said to me as I closed the door of my rental truck was;
"Fly 'em well and give 'em hell son."

Anyway, thought I'd share my lucky find..I even snapped a pic!

[rd]

Sweet find Hark.

When I was reading your awesome find, I was hoping they were the "D" models, with titanium containment rings. Seems like you got a couple "B" or "C" models. Could be a "C", but not sure, because the pic only shows the front, and not the rear.

And just so you know, a company called Hemple, still makes the titanium rings, and are a bolt on, to all models, except the "A". Just an FYI.

RD

[Boldpilot]

While I realize you guy's are drooling whatever is a skyskimmer BP

[harkonnen]

They are 'C' models RD. They'll take the 'D' titanium rings though, I just hope I can find some for a good price...I have a few connections, just haven't made the calls yet.

BP, I didn't have any Skyskimmer photos at my fingertips, but here are some old tech diagrams I dug up. This was the latest model of the 'skimmers, with four engines and the folding wing set. The earlier models were a lot uglier, not the sleek, rounded ship you see below.
My coveted prototype was an early build from the Skyskimmer's competiter, hoping to cash in on the Skyskimmer's success as an adaptable runabout.
This competitor's model was abandoned in 3005 as underpowered and unattractive, but I'm not worried about looks, and I can rework the rear of my ship to take the four boosters to compliment the two side mounted 'skimmer engines.

I don't want to post any shots of my ship, as it sits now in my hangar, three-quarters finished. I will definitely take some shots of her maiden voyage once she's whole though. And remember, she's not all shiny and pretty, but she's going to be solid and fast! :twisted: :twisted:

[jaeger52]

Hark,

It was a while back (mind you) that I saw an ad appear in my email from some long forgotten local neighborhood news reader thingie that I must have registered for. The ad was from an "off-world" parts barn called simply "Hank's Off-World Parts".

If I'm not mistaken, and don't quote me on this, but I'm fairly certain that I saw a C & D Rings up for bids. But they definitely ain't cheap! And there seemed to be part variant's, too! All are still under Lifetime Warranty, but only if you happen to have a "Part-B Paricy License!"

But please take note. My little pixie finger "O" ring kept beeping and reminding me that "Paricy" was a jumbled word for "Piracy". My advice is to not go even near this product unless you are a registered Part-B Paricy Member.

Jaeg-

[harkonnen]

Thanks for the tidbit Jaeg, but I think you're right, I'll get a pair of approved containment rings for a decent price through one friend or another. A few buddies of mine are in the know for this sort of thing...they're the ones that got me hooked on modding older spacecraft to start off with.

Having a ring let go when idling is one thing, losing one when you're at full throttle is quite another.