Great Lakes 2-T-1A

John Chrinka, e-mail, 20.04.2015 16:34 I bought a 1975 Great Lakes 2T1A-2 last yr.N5ZM from an estate. So far, I love the airplane (it's a beauty) & it flies great. I took an aerobatics course in AZ. in their Great Lakes to learn more about the plane & addl. safety. It also is a keeper. Ret. airline pilot & CFIAIME. reply

Bob Kusterer, e-mail, 20.05.2014 20:43 Hey Bert, don't forget Leslie Parsons; he flew a Warner powered GL. Harold Krier's KrierCraft was based on the GL. reply

Bob Kusterer, e-mail, 18.02.2014 03:58 Flew one. Liked my Pitts S-2A better. The 'Lakes was much easier to land, though. That swept top wing makes it a good snap roller but that's about all. reply

bill natale, e-mail, 08.12.2012 23:28 i have a 1978 2t1a-2 that i bought on the west coast and flew back to new york state about 2 years ago it has been a learing process and does beautiful aerobatics but you have to work at it but the airplane is very capable and i have gotten to the point where i can do a slow roll on the top of the loop and complete the loop this airplane breeds confidence and is beautiful looking a dream to own 3502L its a keeper reply

Gordon Martin, e-mail, 25.10.2011 03:43 My dad owned 2T1A NC868K from new. Purchased it from a bankrupt Los Angeles Fleet dealer. Dealer installed the elevator controls upside down and the test pilot almost crashed it on the first test flight. Flying home to Monterey the small line to the oil pessure gauges broke and spewed oil all over inside the front cockpit. Mechanic at Santa Maria repaired the line. No trouble after that. It of course had the original Cirrus engine. According to dads log he put about 125 hours in the G. L. Took his flight instruction in a OX-5 Travelair 2000. Have his original license from 1929 #8194. After WW-2 he had a T-6 for years. reply

Bob Cabaniss, e-mail, 10.05.2011 00:19 I'm restoring a 2T-1A for a customer. It was retrofitted some years ago with a Warner 185 radial. As the story goes, this is the airframe that Tex Rankin set the record for outside loops in Charlotte NC. 31 in 31 minutes I think. A museum in Oregan thinks they have this airframe, but they have a different airframe. reply

ted parsons, e-mail, 06.05.2011 05:52 I HAVE HAD GREAT LAKES TRAINNER SER #150, N433Y WITH A KINNER R-540 ENGINE FOR FIFTY YEARS. MOSTLY IN STORAGE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA. ANYONE INTERESTED IN BUYING /RESTORING IT? reply

Sheldon Ball, e-mail, 07.03.2011 16:09 My cousin, Al Ball, has a Great Lakes, powered by a 5 cyl. Kinner radial. A dream to fly. Hangared at Santa Paula, CA airport. reply

Chuck Clark, e-mail, 18.11.2010 22:17 Mr. Moskva, I'm one of the people that built your Great Lakes. I'm really happy that it's still in the air and giving you lots of joy. Happy flying! C. Clark reply

Bert Reames, e-mail, 17.11.2010 16:32 The Great Lakes Trainer I flew several times looksd like the T-2-1A pictured. After flying the Aeronca and J-3s I thought the Great Lakes was the hottest thing ever. This was about 1943 in Gainesville, Florida. It was owned by Carl Stengal, Stengal Field (grass)located on Archer Road. Looks like a big shopping center there now. reply

CRCFRANK, e-mail, 25.10.2010 08:43 Message is for Mike Valletti. Hello Mike, I have photos of a scale Great Lakes RC built sometime in 1987. send me your email address crcfrank@sbcglobal.net reply

Mike Valletti, e-mail, 18.10.2010 20:55 I build and fly RC aircraft and have plans for a 40" span that I will be enlarging to 60". If anyone has pictures or links to actual aircraft I wouild appreciate it as I'm looking to model on a full size aircraft. Thank you, Mike reply

W.K.Owen, e-mail, 15.04.2010 19:55 I flew NC-12891 a Great Lakes 2TiA owned by Clifford Brock of Bristol,TN and operated as InterCity Air Service. This was a joy to fly as it was responsive and a great acrobatic aircraft. reply

Yale Mosk, e-mail, 14.02.2010 19:51 I have a 1975 Great Lakes 2T1A-2 with a Lycoming IO-360 B1G 180 HP engine and constant speed prop. The plane is all original and a blast to fly. Not much speed. 100 mph and fully aerobatic with inverted oil. I purchased the plane almost 10 years ago from an estate. The plane was in storage or 12 years in San Jose, Calif. Did a top overhaul, (Hone the cylinders and lap the valves) and flew it to Miami in December of 1999. Been running great ever since. Best airplane and most fun to fly and give friends rides I have owned. The plane has not changed since 1930 except for the engine and dual ailerons. reply

Bert Bade, e-mail, 27.01.2010 03:57 Was in production in the early '30s, powered by 90hp Cirrus. Premier airshow plane, various larger engines. Several plans built experimentals in '50s. Production resumed in '70s powered with Lyc O-320 or O-360. Airshow pilots Hal Krier, Tex Rankin, Frank Price and Betty Skelton. reply