Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

[jboomerman]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

So if everything is worked out Why do we need a new Class?????????????

[AcroGimp]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

So if everything is worked out Why do we need a new Class?????????????

My question as well. Sure interesting how quick out of the gate the dueling Unlimited 'safety stand down' and RARA 'announcing exciting new class' press releases were, and now other than one post, radio silence.

'Negotiation' suggests one or more parties gave/got something, really need more data to determine what this means to me as a fan and potential attendee.

'Gimp

[Airrace7]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

OK Race fans I am happy to announce that an agreement has been reached. Unlimited Air Racing will return to Reno for its 50th year. The agreement was reached where the Unlimited Division has agreed that all its racers will join the new RARA Division. The transition will be a smooth transition as RARA has worked hard to maintain the high standards required for our race class. All our racers are looking forward to a great race and hope that all the fans previously discouraged will reconsider their commitment by participating and help supporting the new race organization. The transition has not come to pass easily. Tense negotiation was involved, so no stone was left unturned in regards to safety. You all have heard rumors of the altitude safety rule. We are now confident that our racers will have the latitude necessary to conduct a high energy race that has come to be expected in the fastest motor sport on earth. Good going racers and congrats to RARA for continuing its commitment to maintain our historical event.

Matt Jackson
VP Unlimited Division

GREAT NEWS!

[Ron Lewark]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

Matt, Wayne, I'm so happy I could cry. Let's all pull together to make this the best ever year for the fiftieth.
Roll on RENO 2013, Ron

[flyingjibus]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

So if everything is worked out Why do we need a new Class?????????????

Because the unlimited racing as we have known it for the past 50 years is dying. People want a place to take their warbirds and fly low, and people want to see those things, but the days of the past are long gone.

[Thom Richard]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

the days of the past are long gone.

I respectfully disagree. We will have the fastest field ever this year. Don't be surprised to see several records broken.

Yup, that prophecy came out loud.

[t-dub]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

I respectfully disagree. We will have the fastest field ever this year. Don't be surprised to see several records broken.

Yup, that prophecy came out loud.

Thank you Thom, My sentiments EXACTLY!

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

I respectfully disagree. We will have the fastest field ever this year. Don't be surprised to see several records broken.

Yup, that prophecy came out loud.

After that can we put some Skyraider drop tanks on it and bust a record for going back to Florida?!

[Reever]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

Because the unlimited racing as we have known it for the past 50 years is dying. People want a place to take their warbirds and fly low, and people want to see those things, but the days of the past are long gone.

My first year was "78" and people have been sticking the fork in the UNLIMITEDS ever since. And some how this "old" technology just seems to get faster. I am so glad that there are people out there that just don't listen, they just go FASTER!

[supercub]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

When do they usually realease the enty list? Like to see who's going to be there? I still don't know if Strega is is racing or not. Any word on Rare Bear? How bout Voodoo? and one other Nemesis, any chance John Sharp will be there?
Brian

[LoveOldPlanes]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

I respectfully disagree. We will have the fastest field ever this year. Don't be surprised to see several records broken.

Yup, that prophecy came out loud.

As they say in The South, "OH HELL YEAH!".

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Unlimited Saftey Stand Down

After that can we put some Skyraider drop tanks on it and bust a record for going back to Florida?!

Awesome! I like how you think.

As for the unlimiteds being too old, my take is new stuff isn't necessarily better, its just newer. Sure some of the sport class planes are fast enough to run in the unlimiteds, but they are a long way from winning the gold race on Sunday.

Its always fun to take an old and supposedly outdated item and go wipe the floor with the competition. There is something that is just very satisfying about doing that. (I've been doing it on my 15 year old mountain bike lately, and I put the hurt on enough modern Porsches with my 44 year old Datsun that they asked me not to come back. What? your new $150K Porsche GT3 can't beat my 44 year old 2 liter Datsun?) The same thing can be said about the unlimited planes. The fact that they are old doesn't mean a thing. The fact that they have been carefully updated and modified for the past 40+ years ( Are there any still racing that made the first few races at Reno?) makes all the difference in the world. Kelly Johnson proved you don't need a computer to build something that is faster than a speeding bullet, that principle also applies to the unlimiteds, however the use of a computer has made them faster. Still, time and time again we come back to research that was done in the 40s being applied now with big gains being found (case in point, PMs propeller blades, please correct me if I'm wrong, but the research on the airfoil profiles was done in the late 40s by the NACA. The application was new, but the research was old.) Sure, new technology is helping make these birds even faster, and a few are starting to not look like the plane they started as, but as long as there is a reason to push the limits on these, a precious few people will continue to develop them.

Sure, people have been killed, engines have been blown up, planes have been bellied in, but in nearly every case its lead to forward progress and faster speeds. There has been a lot of thought out side the box for ways to make engines both make more hp and last longer. Some of those have resulted in lots of blown motors, but eventually the solution was found and now they are the hot ticket. Heck, the reprofiling of a set of propeller blades turns into a 60 mph gain? That is cool. Its that sort of thing that attracts me to the unlimiteds. I'm all for taking something old and making it fast using a combination of old research and knowledge and blending it with modern materials, thought, and manufacturing processes.

I'm not saying this doesn't happen in the other classes. I'm sure it does. Its just really cool to see it happen on airplanes pushing 70 years old. Like I said, I think this desire for more speed and reliability will continue until either someone places rules that make it impossible to push the limits, or the parts and knowledge/know how run out. Hopefully neither one will happen any time soon. Obviously, the rules are likely to be the bigger danger these days.

Long live the Unlimiteds, and air racing in general.
Will