Official Aviation Thread...

[BlackbirdM3]

One of the Unlimited class Reno Air race planes had a very unfortunate accident on Tuesday afternoon. During a routine fuel stop in northern Florida something caught fire and damaged the plane severely. They were on their way out to Reno when this happened. They are heartbroken over it. The team is all volunteers and they run on a very shoestring budget. They broke the bank for this year and didn't even get to race. They are a really great group of guys who love air racing as much as well love our E30s (and other airplanes.) They are trying to do a crowd fund to A) get Precious Metal back to Kissimmee Fl (home) and B) rebuild it so they can race again.

Here is the press release.

"Dear Race Fans,
Precious Metal is more than an airplane; she's larger than life. You have all proven it since our ground fire incident mere hours ago. The groundswell of support is humbling. So what are our options? We could throw in the towel and move on from this tragic chapter and leave the world wondering what could have been.
Or...
We could, in true Team Precious Metal fashion, NEVER GIVE UP! Precious Metal does not deserve to be parted out and disappear into the history books as a failed attempt at the World's Fastest Motor Sport. She deserves to rise out of the ashes in true Phoenix fashion and prove her worth!
Everything is repairable; it's all a matter of capital. If we can raise the necessary funding to make this happen, she will race again!
Many things have to be repaired: wings, fuselage, engine, systems, cowling and last, but not least, her famous paint scheme. The Precious Metal program is run on countless hours of dedicated volunteers and a shoestring budget. This most recent set back is too much of a financial burden for the program to handle. As we know, a setback is just a setup for a comeback. Which brings us to our proposed solution. Here's Team Precious Metal's offer to you, our fans and supporters:
We will give you one square inch on Precious Metal for a donation of $50 towards our rebuild. We will fly your picture around the course embedded in our new paint scheme and you can be part of resurrecting one of the most iconic race planes is history.
Team Precious Metal will be in Reno this year. We will have our pit and sell our team gear. Chances are we'll provide some evening entertainment as well. Come see us there and purchase your squares!
There are several ways to support our cause: through our Precious Metal gear sales, our newly invented onboard picture program, or by supporting our sponsors and purchasing their products.
There's no limit as to how many square inches you can purchase, we'll just make your picture larger! Or submit pictures of friends, family, pets or whatever you desire. Precious Metal is the people's racer. And with your support she will growl around the course again!
Make your mark in air racing history here:
US fans: https://squareup.com/market/AirRaceTeam
Foreign fans: http://warbirdadventures.com/inc/sdetail/160/3086
On a personal note, air racing has been the most rewarding experience I have ever had. Not in the form of trophies and bragging rights, but in the form of enthusiasm, excitement and dedication of the fans and crewmembers. It's been a magical life experience, which I've been very fortunate to be a part of. We, as a team, will do whatever it takes to keep the dream alive. Please join us in making history and carrying on the legacy of the World's Fastest Motor Sport!
Thank you for making it possible,
Thom Richard"


Lets help turn their bad luck into some good luck. Buy some shirts, buy a spot on the plane (tax deductable I think, and could be used as a business expense as advertising) They need all the help they can get. If you happen to live near Kissimmee Fl, head on down and they will put you to work (no experience necessary). I'm in for a shirt, a hat and at least $50.

Will

[M-technik-3]

took this the other day on arrival to Otis AFS now known as Falmouth Military Station. That is out of number 4 hatch on my walk around.

[flyboyx]

took this the other day on arrival to Otis AFS now known as Falmouth Military Station. That is out of number 4 hatch on my walk around.

What?? Wait...you are doing your walk around at 3000'? I guess that's a military thing? Nice pic.

[M-technik-3]

Part of my job, I can stand up right through landing if I choose. I was doing checklist duties.

[BlackbirdM3]

A few pics from the Reno Air Races.


















Enjoy,
Will

[flyboyx]

goddam! you are a lucky fucker. i have always wanted to go there.

[BlackbirdM3]

goddam! you are a lucky fucker. i have always wanted to go there.

Next year should be pretty epic. Several Unlimited racers might/should be back after a long absence, a few others that didn't attend this year might be back next year. There was a lot of very good racing this year. Jet class, Unlimiteds, T6, Sport, Biplane and F1. It was a very good year. Hoot Gibson (former Space Shuttle pilot) won this year in Strega posting a 503 mph lap, in the Silver Unlimited heat a new guy in a Yak 11 ran from last to 3rd. In the T6 class a guy won the Silver heat then bumped up to the Gold where he went from last to 2nd place. (Totally unheard of in the T6 class.) The Sport class had lots of good racing, John Parker finally getting his first win in the Thunder Mustang "Blue Thunder 2" at just under 400 mph. The biplane class had some good racing further down, but the winner dominated with a qualifying speed of nearly 250 mph. (He ran away from the field in the actual races) The F1 class saw Thom Richard (owner of the P-51 Precious Metal that caught fire above) go from last to 4th place (The plane was slow off the ground and since the race starts on the ground, that really hurts.) He won the championship however.

Put it on your calendar for next year. There will be some epic racing.

Will

[M-technik-3]

http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=161&with_photo_id=20802192&order=date_desc&user=2532938

Great set of various old Cold war and new stuff. Not mine

[FLYNAVY]

Bummed I missed it......I live less than an hour away and have always wanted to go, but new kiddo and my current 7 day/week work schedule thwarted my goal once again. Nice pics though!

[BlackbirdM3]

Bummed I missed it......I live less than an hour away and have always wanted to go, but new kiddo and my current 7 day/week work schedule thwarted my goal once again. Nice pics though!

Mark your calendar for next year. The stage is set for it being one of the best years in a VERY long time.

Here are a few more of my pics from Saturday.
Strega blowing the exhaust stacks up on lap 2 of the race. (Full size you can see the baffle is already damaged.)


Passing for the win.


R2800 power


Sawbones.



The Sanders family stock Sea Fury, 924





Will

[mrsleeve]

love the sea furry in B&W

[BlackbirdM3]

love the sea furry in B&W

Which one? The night shot or the day shot (Argonaut has the night shot, 924 was the day shot.) 924 still runs the original sleeve valved Bristol Centaurus engine. Argo has a Pratt and Whitney R2800 in it (the only one converted to run one.) 924 and Argo are very evenly matched on the race course. I really like the 5 blade prop and the sound of the Centaurus.

Will

[gkurey]

Nice pics Will!

[flyboyx]

i can't imagine what it costs to show up and race in the unlimited class at reno... airplanes like rare bear and precious metal would have several million dollars invested to build. i bet a weekend of racing in the unlimited class is well north of 300k.

i also wonder where they get the fuel? i didn't think 115/145 octane was made anymore.

[BlackbirdM3]

i can't imagine what it costs to show up and race in the unlimited class at reno... airplanes like rare bear and precious metal would have several million dollars invested to build. i bet a weekend of racing in the unlimited class is well north of 300k.

i also wonder where they get the fuel? i didn't think 115/145 octane was made anymore.

I think VP provides the fuel, then teams add different additives to increase the octane even more.

Rare Bear was built from a wreck back in the '60s. It was one of the first and oldest racers out there. (From the Reno days at least. There is only one remaining unlimited from the Cleveland air races, race #57 the last flying F2G Corsair) The cost to build it has been spread over the past 40+ years. That said, I know Rod Lewis has spent big $ on it since he bought it from Lyle Shelton without much return.

I think Precious Metal might be the newest of the Unlimiteds since it made its debut in 1988. It was built from random parts, the cockpit was a Hollywood prop, the tail came off the Whittington's H model P-51 (originally, not sure if this is the same tail since that H model still flies.) the wings were originally D model wings, but after the prop governor failure and subsequent belly landing they were rebuilt and possibly modified. It wouldn't return till 1995. They are looking to raise $500K to fix the damage from the fire, but at this point they don't know the full extent of the damage.

The guys who I think spent the most $$$$$$$ was Bob Button's team Voodoo. They made a ton of changes to the plane, the wings were off, engine was off, prop was reprofiled, and a few other things that I don't know about. They won last year but DNF'd this year. Building a racing Merlin is about $1M and they had two of them I think. Not to mention what was spent on all the new stuff for this year that may or may not have actually worked. They were apparently a week behind where they wanted to be in testing by the end of the races. Not a good way to show up for a once a year event.

Racing an unlimited at Reno isn't about winning $. Its about racing for the love of the sport. Its crazy expensive. I'm blown away that the Sanders family shows up with 3 Hawker Sea Furies every year. Still, they have proven that Dreadnought with the R4360 in it is worth bringing as it has finished in the $ just about every time its raced since it was built. It was 3rd this year. They also got the other two Sea Furies in the Gold race on Sunday as well.

Running a more stock Unlimited might not be so bad as they don't need the mega high octane fuel, and the systems are more or less stock. Sure the fast stock guys will push the pace, but the rest of the field is there to enjoy the week and show off their planes. One guy this year showed up with a mostly stock Yak 11 and had so much fun he'd like to bring both the Yak and a P-51A next year if he can find the funding.

Here is their stock Sea Fury with the Bristol Centaurus and Dreadnought in the background.



Will