Fantasy Unlimited Air Racer

SoD Stitch · 12-20-2007, 01:49 PM

This is only the second time I've ever created a new thread, so be patient . . . .

Suppose you were able to take any WWII airframe, Allied or Axis, and use it to compete in the Reno Unlimited Races with unlimited modifications (engine, cooling, aerodynamics, etc.)? What airframe would you choose? You can choose any airframe, production or prototype, that was manufactured during WWII.

I would choose the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil, with tuned/uprated DB 603's or 605's (if available). It was the fastest piston-engined fighter with stock engines; imagine how fast it would've been with "tweaked" engines, a smoothed airframe, and a more efficient cooling system.

marshall · 12-20-2007, 02:21 PM

I like the topic of this thread, though unluckly I lack knowledge to not to make a fool of myself trying to come up with good idea on airframe and engine. I have one question though. Are jets allowed? And if yes, does any piston-engined planes have any chance againts jets?

SoD Stitch · 12-20-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marshall

I like the topic of this thread, though unluckly I lack knowledge to not to make a fool of myself trying to come up with good idea on airframe and engine. I have one question though. Are jets allowed? And if yes, does any piston-engined planes have any chance againts jets?

No, no jets allowed, because no jets are allowed in the Unlimited Class, they have their own (and fairly new) Class to race in. This is reciprocating engines only.

marshall · 12-20-2007, 05:38 PM

I have few ideas but don't know which one is best, so maybe someone more knowledgeable could say which is better. The planes I'm thinking about are XP-47J and XP-72. First one less powerful but lighter and it went over 500 mph, second one wasn't so fast but I think it was not as advanced in development as the first one and had an engine with greater potential. I think that both, XP-47J and XP-72, with futher development, getting rid of the armament, tuning for racing, shorter engine life time, could be a good planes for racing. Though I don't know which one would be better.

ccheese · 12-20-2007, 07:06 PM

Not being an authority on this, but didn't the clipped wing P-51D's with
the RR engine do well at the air races ? There was one (a red one) that
had contra-rotating props...

Charles

SoD Stitch · 12-20-2007, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccheese

Not being an authority on this, but didn't the clipped wing P-51D's with
the RR engine do well at the air races ? There was one (a red one) that
had contra-rotating props...

Charles

Yeah, it did really well, until it crashed at the 1979 Reno Air Races, almost killing it's pilot, the well-known Steve Hinton; found this on the Planes Of Fame website:

I have been scanning some of my old Kodachrome and Ektachrome slides and came across these photos of the famous Red Baron RB-51 Mustang Racer. The in-flight photo was taken at the 1978 Mojave Air Races. The ground photos were taken at Chino just before the 1979 "Gathering of Eagles" airshow. Steve Hinton flew the Red Baron in the airshow. As many of you may know, Steve was almost killed in the crash and total destruction of the Red Baron at the 1979 Reno Air Races, just a very short time after these photos were taken. I remember seeing photos of the crash remains and you simply couldn't believe that anybody could have survived such a crash. I understand that Steve's very last radio transmission before the crash was "tell Karen that I love her" referring to his wife (the former Karen Maloney, daughter of Planes of Fame Museum founder Ed Maloney). Steve is a real class act, no?

A fascinating aircraft, the RB-51 used a Rolls-Royce Griffon 58 as the basis for the highly modified engine which included a modified carburetor intake elbow from a Mk. XIX Spitfire. A Bendix PR-58 carburetor from a C series Pratt and Whitney R-2800 was mounted on top of the modified intake.

At the 1979 Reno Air Races, supercharger drive gear failure occurred which resulted in the fragments jamming the oil pump. This resulted in rapid engine failure. With no oil pressure, Steve could not get the prop feathered. This was a catastrophic condition that resulted in the following crash and huge fireball. Steve was seriously injured but of course survived.

Enjoy the photos .

Best,
- octane130 -

evangilder · 12-20-2007, 11:20 PM

I'd go with a hopped up Bearcat like "Rare Bear", which still holds the closed-course world speed record of 528.3 MPH. Remember that top speed isn't the whole story with air racing, you still have to maneuver around the pylons.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 12-21-2007, 11:34 AM

Not sure but I would choose something along the lines of either a Bear Cat such as Rare Bear as Eric as said or a Do 335 or a Sea Fury.

SoD Stitch · 12-21-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evangilder

I'd go with a hopped up Bearcat like "Rare Bear", which still holds the closed-course world speed record of 528.3 MPH. Remember that top speed isn't the whole story with air racing, you still have to maneuver around the pylons.

I was thinking about that when I chose the Do 335; I know the Pfeil wasn't that terribly manueverable (it wasn't supposed to be, it was a bomber destroyer), but I figure it was maneuverable enough to get around the pylons at a reasonable speed. IMHO, the wing was big enough to make it reasonably maneuverable, but small enough to give it good straight-line speed.