OT The end of Precious Metal

[Dwayne]

A serious fire at fuel stop on the way to Reno and Precious Metal has suffered irreparable damage. A real shame she was a beautiful airplane.   :-[https://www.facebook.com/pages/Precious-Metal-Air-Racing-Fan-Page/271055266243368
  

[Jared Hays]

Ive seen the pictures...I just don't see how its ill repairable...Even if the aluminum frame was ruined by the fire surely it can be rebuilt...

[jim gilmore]

maybe the damage is beyond what is affordable?

[Mike Scholtes]

I don't think "affordable" is in the lexicon of the people who own and operate unlimited air racers. The owner said the plane's racing days are over, but did not say the plane is unrepairable from a mechanical standpoint.

The thing that impressed me most about the pilot's report is that, consummate professional he is, he did not mention he came within a gnat's whisker of being dead inside a smoldering pile of wreckage somewhere. What if he had got airborne while on fire?

Gawdawful shame to see a magnificent machine like this cut down by something like a fuel leak. Kind of like what happened to the B-29 that was attempted to be flown off an ice sheet about 20-30 years ago and was destroyed by a malfunctioning aux power generator in the tail section.

[Dwayne]

Good point, I should have said racing day's are over, with enough money pretty much anything is repairable.

[Jared Hays]

Now they are saying they are going to fix her with enough help from donations "hopefully" to get it back to an Unlimited Racer.

[Bill Heher]

Thom and the Precious Metal Team are based out of Kissimmee FL, about 15 minutes from my house. I have visited multiple times, including Tuesday Morning to help with loading the support trailer and hoping to see him leave for Reno- weather delay and a Dr. apt made me miss the departure.

Initial inspection looked bad, but an outpouring of support from fans across the country and closer examination gave hope to a Phoenix event and the possibility of returning to the races- with funding being the obvious hurdle. She is powered by a highly modified RR Griffon engine, and almost every part is custom made or modified on the entire aircraft.

Thom is not some rich multi-millionaire with a fancy toy, he is a grass roots, hard working pilot with a small air museum " Kissimmee Warbird Adventures", and makes most his money selling rides in a pair of T-6 Texans so you can experience radial engines and mock dog fights in the blue skies of central Florida.

They have started a gofundme campaign to raise money, and also are offering 1 square inch of space on the plane for $50 to have your favorite image emblazoned on the plane. You can buy as many squares as you want to get the size you feel needed to show your favorite picture. Go to the Precious metal Fan Page on facebook for details, or just Google it.

He had a real shot at the podium this year- he finished 3rd last year but was DQ'd for a show line violation that was not allowed to be reviewed - FAA safety requirement after the crash of Galloping Ghost 3 years ago.

This plane is a marvel of engineering, ingenuity, love, sweat, blood and tears. The majority of the team are unpaid volunteers who give up thousands of hours of personal time to prepare for the race, and use vacation and savings to attend and crew for the races.

I would encourage every one of us who loves heavy iron, raw power, guts and determination to make a donation, no matter how small. The price of a coffee and scone at Starbucks is not to much to ask- and every donation is another vote for the underdog and helps buy a fitting, or hose, or hardware, wire, fluids..... the list is endless but so is the determination of this group of special people.

Be part of Precious Metals Rise from the Ashes- you won't regret it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this- I felt like my heart had been ripped out when I got out of the Drs. office and received the devastating news.

[wwwarbird]

 Precious Metal is definitely repairable, there are quite a few Mustangs flying today that were practically built around a data plate. At this stage in it's development PM is much more of a "one off" airplane than it is a P-51. To get it back in the air it will require essentially the same process as a full Mustang restoration, meaning re-jigging and rebuilding every component from the ground up. After an incident such as this fire, that's what it would take to be completely confident and safe.

 Making the decision whether or not to do so, and in what form, will be the big question. Even with bucketloads of cash and a very determined crew you'd probably be looking at two years minimum, and that's if they started today. The other very real question is will there even be a Reno Unlimited event by that time, or for that matter any Reno race at all? As a huge fan I honestly dread the thought, but it's entirely possible that "Reno" as we know it may be history soon. If that becomes the case there would be no reason to resurrect PM as a racer, the time and money simply couldn't be justified. The other thing, and I'm sure that Thom is very aware, is that PM's airframe and data plate would be worth a nice chunk of money just as they currently sit.

 Reno 2015 officially starts tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed that they have a successful weekend, especially without incident. If anything bad happens this year it might all be over.  

[Dan McEntee]

   Regarding rebuilds, Red Barron was rebuilt into a stock P-51D after crashing at Reno. I think they used the control stick and data plate from it, everything else was new.
    So far it looks like Rare Bear at #1 qualifier at 480MPH. Steven Hinton #2 at 462MPH I think it was. Dennis Sanders is in Dreadnought this year and he's at 430 something. That's all I checked on the RARA site tonight.
   Yep, I'll have to do Reno one more time before I turn toes up.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Douglas Ames]

It's repairable. Just a matter of $ and locating parts. ...or who's willing to part with them.

[wwwarbird]

 Strega won today. Rare Bear could have.