FM Eclipse found today. Model? Worth getting?

[mtblah]

amen , thank you Dr Baker

[DennisT]

Thanks everyone, again. As of today, I own it. Went back today and we made an easy deal and I gave him a deposit. Will go after more first of the week in very cold weather. Brought home the vane and spokes. I have discovered, (or rather confirmed what I thought I saw earlier), I have 4 like new spokes only. So I seem to be missing 2. Who knows it they are there somewhere. Basic bar stock; if I cannot find decent used ones, 2 can be duplicated. Also there is no sign of a tailbone or the 3 skinny vertical braces for the vane itself. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some of it in the tower iron that is still bundled. Anyone have a photo of the assembled vane and tailbone???? On the subject of tower, I've attached a few photos of the ironwork bundles and the stenciling on them. Can any of you comment on these photos? I have no idea the intended height of the tower. I've also not yet seen girts for it either, but I do see some of those twisted wire braces in one of the bundles.

[CTXmiller]

Congratulations. Here is a photo I found online of the tailbone/windmill.

[mtblah]

I would say that is quit the find ! well worth the price , you remember the erector set you had as a youngster , similar . happy "sailing "

[PaulV]

Congratulations. Here is a photo I found online of the tailbone/windmill.

Looks like an Samson AirFlow tailbone.

[CTXmiller]

Very similar style, indeed.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

The picture you posted Michael is of a FM eclipse manufactured by Stover for FM which they did for a short few years in the early 40s.

[DennisT]

Michael, that's a pretty nice photo you provided. Thank you. So from that, and other comments since yesterday, I'm thinking I can figure the correct tailbone for mine ought to look like the one in that photo. I wonder if they originally came from FM bolted together, (fabricated), or welded/fixed as a unit????? That one looks like a factory, "fixed" unit. If so, I've not seen such a thing at the location where I'm getting this windmill. After today's expected light snowfall, I'm planning to go back 2 or 3 days from now and load everything I can lift/handle alone. First will be the tower, which I'll have to break open and carry one piece at a time. Then fan sections. I expect to learn some things from what I find in those bundles.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

I stand to correct myself the picture Micheal posted is not a model 40 by Stover it is a model 45 by Woodman's who kept the Stover tailbone but changed the tailvane.

[DennisT]

?????? Huh? Ahhhh. So does Michael's photo show the correct tailbone for my F-M Model 45, "Mailbox" windmill? (Vane is handled because I have it here - just the tailbone is unknown to me as it has not turned up yet and perhaps my seller doesn't have it. Furthermore, I've not even confirmed what size mill I have, (6' - 8', etc.) However today I measured the the longer part of one of my fan spokes and it is 45" Since the spoke does not go to the outside edge of the fan blade, I'm thinking from hub to far outer end of blade must be around 51 to 53 inches. If so, I'm thinking I've got an 8-foot windmill. ?? Vane pics attached. Clearly it uses 3 slim, vertical, (angle iron?) pieces to splice upper and lower halves of the vane together. Those holes for that, (in pic), are not, "swelled," or distorted at all which makes me wonder if it was ever used. How what I just described of the vane assembly is attached to the tailbone I have no idea. More....??????