Post War Air Races

[Chris McMillin]

Hi Dan,
It was just a .60 ship. There are no plans for the Sea Fury but I have a short kit, some drawings and a DVD of the construction of another later one by Al. Together they can create a good replica of the original according to Al. John Callentine did one in electric and flew it in Super Seventies at VSC a few years back.
Chris...

   I'm with you there, but the Sea Fury would have to be reduced size. I don't know if I could hang onto the full sized beast! I have plans for the Bearcat and Mustang, but nothing on the Sea Fury.

   One little side note on Air Racers.  While standing in line for dinner at Moya Lear's house at Reno in 1999, I heard two gentleman talking behind me about Bearcats and Sea Furies. One gentleman was saying that he wasn't sure which was which. I turned around to give them the benefit of my years of experience in aircraft identification  and found myself facing the Lead and Opposing Solo pilots ( numbers 6 and 7) of the Thunderbirds! I asked if I could clarify that for them, and after wards they thanked me and I just had to ask the question, "How did you get to be an F-16 pilot and a member of the Thunderbirds with out knowing the difference between those two?" He just chuckled and told me he only had about 7 hours in propeller driven airplanes. I jokingly asked  if they didn't have to take some kind of aircraft knowledge test before getting the T-Birds interview and he said no. He didn't even have much interest in aviation until he got into college.  It was fun joking with them for a bit, said good evening and be careful up there. That was quite a night!
   Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Steve Helmick]

Sorry to intervene, but I'm a fan of PRE-War air racers...when small groups of guys built nasty machines from spruce and tubing. I really don't see the point of racing vintage WWII fighters with engines designed in the 1930's-1940's. I also am concerned about how the pilots are qualified to fly such machines, how well their planes are inspected, and putting such stresses on these old airframes.

A friend and his wife were spectators when the big crash happened at Reno (about 8 years ago?) and narrowly escaped with their lives. I've personally seen a fatal USAF Thunderbird crash, and have been in the area when other fatal airshow crashes happened. I was in 5th grade when I saw the T-bird crash, and remember it well. Maybe that's why I'm not a fan of airshows. I like to go see them parked on the ramp and doing fly-overs. I well remember seeing an F-104 doing a minimum radius 360 deg. turn during an airshow at Edwards when I was 15, and I really enjoyed seeing the white Bardahl P-51 taxi by and then do a VERY high speed low pass at Sand Point NAS, when I was 17. Mira Slovak was the pilot. 

You know what Chuck Yeager said about old pilots and bold pilots! IMO, Getting off the ground in an airplane is serious business, and I don't think it's wise to push your luck anymore than you absolutely have to. Yes, the airplanes are cool, but damned dangerous. I'd prefer to see them do solo trips through a speed trap  just to see which one is fastest, call it good,  and award the trophies.  Steve

[M Spencer]

Scuse .



Al Rabes CRITICAL MASS Sea Fury Derivative , was in the BRODAK Control Line Mag . Same wing'n all .

Theres a DRAWING OR TWO of the actual SEA FURY , nowadays . will dig out and photograph , youll aveta trackit yourself .

Thisn is from where his canopies are gottable .



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I ave meown hawker Typhoon , Tempest, sea Fury , ditto sabre, Ditto Miss Merced & blind mans bluff on paper , all correct shapes , & a semi scale 'urricane .
Out with the camera .

[Bill Heher]

My favorite current Unlimited Racer is Precious Metal P-51 with a RR Griffon and contra-rotating prop. It is based in Kissimmee FL near Stallion-51 center. Unfortunately it caught fire on the ferry flight to Reno 2 yrs ago, and Thom Richards is slowly working to get it back in the air. He would work faster, but $$$ needs means he has to keep flying the T-6s w/tourists to generate income.

[Bruce Guertin]

I'd love to find out the real color of Chuck Tucker's #30 P-63. Easter egg blue or Robin's egg blue.

There was an article back in one of the warbird mags about a P-63 that was owned by three or four young fellas. In the article it appeared to be black. Anyways, in the story they recounted the various props used and the different air intake scoops developed by NACA. One of which looks suspiciously familiar to the one out in my garage. One of these fellows went on to work in the space program.

I saw the photo of the P-40Q. It look's like it was Merlin powered.

I'm sorry about how vague my post seems but, I no longer keep old magazines around. They take up too much floor space.

[M Spencer]

Traa Daahhh .

I think the first two , would be Kyle Tankersley . Perhaps . thats how its spelt .

[M Spencer]

" All of the XP-40Q aircraft were powered by two-stage supercharged Allison V-1710 engines and a four-blade propeller. "



' borrowed ' from - https://oldmachinepress.com/2015/08/18/curtiss-xp-40q/



Cor , wonders never cease. And on a Saturday, too . 





Via google pitchers : http://www.airrace.com/1949%20NAR%20.htm



Oops. Not to wullie . 

Been scribling the Cobras to . Mostly ' crazy horse ' Hard one to get right as a ' super scale ( ish ) stunter . As has flat underside , almost.
Between / thru wing intakes . My Hurricane was stable etc in wind , so figure that wing . ( Once or twice ive almost lifted the framed up one )

The NOSE is the ' character ' piece - to my mind . Inverted'd lower mass ( thinking of the Wing / Vert. C. G. ) But side mount'd be cleaner .
ELECTRIC you could hook up the scale wing intakes and Rad. Outllets .  Ducts wouldnt even get Fuel soaked , so real clean .
In more ways than one .

Funny photos / lenses emphisise the spinner & make it look symetrical - which provides a lower thrust line & a brader ' engine bay ' if I C e ,



Theres actually a fairly tubby overweight sorta stunt fairly scale English Aircobra M.a.P. plan . But id like it a lot more athleteic . 

[M Spencer]

Theres DECALE DOWNLOADS for most of these, HHERE ; http://www.geocities.ws/na73xkeith/post-war.htm . ive just now found . !@

1-3. P-63C #30 "Easter Egg" (NX63231 / AAF 44-4126) - Owned & raced by Charles Tucker. For 1949- Tucker qualified 5th-fastest @ 393.328-mph & placed 3rd in the 7-lap Sohio @ 381.529-av/mph & finished 5th in the 15-lap Thompson Trophy @ 378.340-av/mph to win $2000.00 prize money. Tucker first raced #30 to 7th-place in the '46 Bendix (racing his other P-63 #28 that year in the pylon events) w/an average speed of 367.149 (5:34:46) f/the 2048.5 miles run fm Van Nuys to Cleveland. Tucker returned w/it in '47 to qualify 15th @ 360.986-mph- which got him into the 7-lap Tinnerman Trophy (an all P-63 affair that year) to finish 2nd @ 347.168-av/mph.

http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?9479-Lockheed-Bob-s-1949-Cleveland-Air-Races-Pics&s=d2d160b7a801b8e8fcadf4f3bab9e8cb







More . http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?7845-Postwar-Kingcobra-questions

Looks like its poipill.



Can be got B I G out of pintrest , via google pics. //////   " Chuck Tucker's #30 P-63 " ///////    if youre ' signed in ' . 

[M Spencer]

My favorite current Unlimited Racer is Precious Metal P-51 with a RR Griffon and contra-rotating prop. It is based in Kissimmee FL near Stallion-51 center. Unfortunately it caught fire on the ferry flight to Reno 2 yrs ago, and Thom Richards is slowly working to get it back in the air. He would work faster, but $$$ needs means he has to keep flying the T-6s w/tourists to generate income.

Rough n ready Paul winter ' Strega ? ' work over .



RIGHT , i'll shut up , for now . 

[Chris McMillin]

As a retired race pilot I can tell you these arguments are as old as aviation. Considering how long the Reno event has gone on, it is a pretty good safety record.
Chris...

Sorry to intervene, but I'm a fan of PRE-War air racers...when small groups of guys built nasty machines from spruce and tubing. I really don't see the point of racing vintage WWII fighters with engines designed in the 1930's-1940's. I also am concerned about how the pilots are qualified to fly such machines, how well their planes are inspected, and putting such stresses on these old airframes.

A friend and his wife were spectators when the big crash happened at Reno (about 8 years ago?) and narrowly escaped with their lives. I've personally seen a fatal USAF Thunderbird crash, and have been in the area when other fatal airshow crashes happened. I was in 5th grade when I saw the T-bird crash, and remember it well. Maybe that's why I'm not a fan of airshows. I like to go see them parked on the ramp and doing fly-overs. I well remember seeing an F-104 doing a minimum radius 360 deg. turn during an airshow at Edwards when I was 15, and I really enjoyed seeing the white Bardahl P-51 taxi by and then do a VERY high speed low pass at Sand Point NAS, when I was 17. Mira Slovak was the pilot. 

You know what Chuck Yeager said about old pilots and bold pilots! IMO, Getting off the ground in an airplane is serious business, and I don't think it's wise to push your luck anymore than you absolutely have to. Yes, the airplanes are cool, but damned dangerous. I'd prefer to see them do solo trips through a speed trap  just to see which one is fastest, call it good,  and award the trophies.  Steve

[Chris McMillin]

The wing on Tucker’s purple Easter Egg #30 is the same wing as N9009 of 1970 to 1972.
Chris...

[Chris McMillin]

I have the top and center photo drawings I’m pretty sure the bottom one too. From Al about 10 years ago.
Chris...

Traa Daahhh .

I think the first two , would be Kyle Tankersley . Perhaps . thats how its spelt .

[phil c]

Am I the only one infatuated with the immediate post war race airplanes? I just love these things. The King Cobras, Airacobras, and P-51s. I really like Jackie Cochran's Begin the Bequine and King Cobras, Race 28 and Race 30. How about the XP-40*?

I love to read about them.  Even the pre WWII races were interesting- would anybody finish the race?  I love the lines of the P-39.  To me it's just pretty, like a Spitfire.  The Goodyear racers were fascinating back than and still are.  Amazing how fast the same basic engine can pull the new designs. 

Some of the newer Unlimited formula racers are really fast and elegant, but the variety from WW-II has so many different looks!   The Rare Bear and the Sea Fury fast and gutsy.
F4U-G came from the factory with the 4 row engine.  Only a few hundred were made, so they were sort of the first of the really unlimited racers.

[Bruce Guertin]

I'm always amazed at how fast aviation progressed in the first half of the 20th century. Two worlds had more than a little to do with that I'm sure. Just from 1935 to 1940 is startling. So, that being said is the P-51 faster than a Spitfire and is the wing that makes the difference.

I'm color blind so I don't see that Turner's Race is purple. To me it's light blue. Is it actually purple?

[Ed Carlaw]

Anybody remember the races at Cape May in '71? Ed.

[wwwarbird]

F4U-G came from the factory with the 4 row engine.  Only a few hundred were made, so they were sort of the first of the really unlimited racers.

 The "4 row" 4360 powered Corsairs were actually known as the F2G "Super Corsair". They only built fifteen of them, five "X" model prototypes and five each of the two "production" variants.

 From Google: Only fifteen F2Gs were built: five pre-production XF2Gs (BuNos 14691 - 14695), five F2G-1s (BuNos 88454 - 88458), and five F2G-2s (BuNos 88459 - 88463). F2G-1s were intended to operate from land bases, not aircraft carriers. They had a manually operated wing fold mechanism and no tail hook. They were equipped with a fourteen-foot diameter propeller. F2G-2s were built with hydraulically powered wing fold mechanisms and tail hooks for carrier operations. Their propellers were thirteen feet in diameter.

[Chris McMillin]

My wife describes it as lavender or light lilac.
Chris...

I'm always amazed at how fast aviation progressed in the first half of the 20th century. Two worlds had more than a little to do with that I'm sure. Just from 1935 to 1940 is startling. So, that being said is the P-51 faster than a Spitfire and is the wing that makes the difference.

I'm color blind so I don't see that Turner's Race is purple. To me it's light blue. Is it actually purple?