Looking for horsepower?

[hm66sk]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

FAI Decided to break the records (3k, 15k, time to climb etc) into many different weight classes. They also made the way the data was collected different, it used to be cameras, now it is GPS, they adjusted the corridor/altitude restrictions. It used to be rather narrow/low in order for the cameras to work. Now with GPS it has been relaxed quite a bit which makes things a lot easier.

BellCobraIV I am sure was there in 89 and knows a lot more details on what went down. Still not easy but nothing like it was.

Lyle's 3k and Time-to-Climb will stand forever since the rules have changed as well as Frank Taylor's 15k. To make them null and void would be just plain wrong. And to say they are beaten under new rules would be at the least unfair.
Therefore they were "retired" but are still an amazing feat.

And to the question of records prior to Lyle's those still stand as beaten under the old rules, but they still stand.

I understand how the old system worked. I was in Bendover for JR and Tsunami's attempt on the 3k. Went there to observe and dig it but got "volunteered" to look through the timing window and make sure they stayed within the altitude corridor. I guess the change was made because records set with the old analog equipment could possibly be proven inaccurate if conducted with today's technology and rules. Also, it may be "easier" now (as in being able to just "fly the plane" without concentrating so much on the tight corridor restrictions.) to set or break a record too. The change makes total sense.
I'm guessing again that the new records must still be set with the average speed from two equal parallel directions?

[hm66sk]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

That's correct, under the new rules Lyle would have set the 15 Km World Record in 1972 at Palm Springs. They could verify where he was with the radar vectors, however he could never get the Bearcat over the analog cameras in the frames. The speed was there, but the record was not.

Yup.

[Arctic Cat]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

That's correct, under the new rules Lyle would have set the 15 Km World Record in 1972 at Palm Springs. They could verify where he was with the radar vectors, however he could never get the Bearcat over the analog cameras in the frames. The speed was there, but the record was not.

The 3 Km record with Lyle was the second most amazing day of my life.

John, Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, it gives us a dose of reality of just how hard it was to accomplish.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

Just courious, when did the power get lost?

Someone said they did testing in Texas, you know, the paper work sumited to RARA and the FAA after all of its major mods, that its been operated at max power?

Hope it didn't fall of the low bed on the long ride back to Stead.

Really, who knows! I learned that while the airplane was being held in Arizona, the driver left it sitting on the low boy beside the road and went to get refreshments, shower, rest... whatever! Word I get is that folks were pulling up and crawling all over it... There are several photos circulating of it just sitting there.. all by its lonesome..

Didn't someone diss me about this trucking company being the best available for transporting this type of cargo?

Kind of amazing, really, that with the resources that are available, that we're pulling hairs out of our neither regions on this..

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

Also of note, and forgive me if this has been posted in another thread, I'm reading the day's messages in the order they came in via an email notice digest that admin/mods get..

The only guy I've seen wearing a flight suit in the Bear pit over the past two days was John Penney....

[Samuel]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

They pushed the Bear out for a run up today. Was turning over really slow then a massive pop. Put it back in the pits and it looked like they had the mags off

[Idaho_cowpony]

Re: Looking for horsepower?

Also of note, and forgive me if this has been posted in another thread, I'm reading the day's messages in the order they came in via an email notice digest that admin/mods get..

The only guy I've seen wearing a flight suit in the Bear pit over the past two days was John Penney....

Looks like the master may be taking her up yet today!?!