kingaltair

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Now for some news...Ed Kazmirski seemed to operate more by means of sketches (on "brown paper" or otherwise), not fully drawn plans, (or in the case of the Simla, largely in his head). No formal drawings, (or even sketches) exist other than the planes that were kitted. We are currently in the process of re-creating the Simla from a few of the photos that remain..."reverse or investigative engineering" is what we're calling it. There is a lot of work, (and some guesswork), involved...especially when it comes to the fuselage.

Tom was an aeronautical/mechanical engineer, comfortable with drawings, and meticulous in everything he did. Both his primary designs, (Nimbus/Perigee) were published so we have them. As it turns out, those were not the ONLY plans drawn.

When I saw his planes down his basement, there was a room off to the side called the "drawing room". In it was a large vertical cabinet with shelving, and on the shelves were small rolls of tracing paper that resembled scrolls. It turns out that apparently ALL of Tom's planes are drawn out. I asked about the TBX-1.

We went to the cabinet to look for the plans. To the best of my knowledge, these rolls hadn't been disturbed in over 30 years. Within each roll were additional individual sheets of different length tracing paper, and as the rolls were opened, sometimes the contents would spill out on the floor...all kinds of details having to do with traces of ribs, bulkheads, and other pieces. There were sketches/tracings of paint schemes, and some sheets even contained mathematical calculations and formulae. It was a chore keeping the rolls of paper organized and together as each piece of paper "rolled up" as it came loose and became separated from the rest.

We went from one roll to the next. The one labeled as "TBX-1 Building" contained something else. I was becoming anxious, as we had gone though several rolls of drawings without luck, with 10-20 more. Remember, I am basically a stranger showing up on Helen's doorstep with a DVD in my hand as my only "gift" to her. I was sure Helen was going to say in essence, "...enough of this...we've seen enough, but perhaps because Willie was there and he didn't seem bored at looking through the plans we continued...still I felt it was about over. Finally a larger "scroll" revealed the faded blueprint of the TBX-1 with a date of early January 1965. It was like being in a treasure room of an Egyptian tomb to me.

I knew visiting the Brett home was not going to be something that would happen often as I live some 650 miles away, and we were barely acquaintances. I gathered together all the "nerve" I could and asked if I could borrow the plans...

The plans for the TBX-1 are now on loan from Helen Brett. The rolls, (about 5-6 of them), having to do with the TBX were put to the side...no time to look at them then. On the return trip....in the motel room I began to look at the rolls and discovered another "unlabeled" plan on two rolls of tracing paper was also included. It looks like the Perigee, but I'll have to take measurement to be sure.

More to come...