The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

[flyingjibus]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

Not siding with anyone because I think it is quite an even match and if both RB and one of the Super Stangs are running perfect, no one is gonna be running away with the race. Don't forget this is only the second year that RB will not have cooling as an issue. Which year did RB qualify at like 490 but couldn't keep that up because cooling? That was pretty recent so put together cooling and the fresh new engine, RB is gonna be hard to mess with. I talked with Rod and he said that RB's recent engine has had so many tweaks by so many different people with so many different ideas that a fresh one was needed if they wanted to put out the power that should be put out. And that new engine will be this year gentleman... No RB has not beat a Super Stang recently, but it hasn't been in tip top shape like Strega and Voodoo have been either... 2 months fellas

Which has been my point all along.

[badman]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

Nope. With 2% adjustment prior to 2003, Strega only has the 4th fastest qualifying time:

1. Dago Red 507.743 (Skip Holm, 2002)
2. Rare Bear 501.091 (John Penney, 1996)
3. Dago Red 500.643 (David Price, 1996)
4. Strega 499.160 (Steve Hinton Jr, 2011)

You guys can do all the re-calculations on all the different course lengths and timing methods - I was just noting Strega does hold the official qual speed record and that without doing all the re-calculations, Dago has been the only racer to break the 500mph mark for an average race speed or official qual speed. So, based on the official uncorrected records, not all of the superstangs have broken the 500mph mark as someone else stated before. However, if we are talking about the recalculated speeds, then Rare Bear certainly has to be included in the 500+mph club as you noted above.

[KAHNZILLA]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

I bet they are painting a P-51 down the side

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

The fastest airplane out on the course can change at any time. It's the reason we race. I think the Bear can do it, Strega can do it, Voodoo can do it. Heck I even think even our airplane can do it. If we ALL didn't want to win this thing there is no point in packing up the trailer. The one thing many people forget is that any race can be won at any speed. To finish first; first you must finish.

To the crews 500 doesn't mean s&@t. We want the airplane and the monkey that wiggles the stick on the ground; safe. Right now you have three-five top teams trying to figure out a very complex formula on how to beat Strega and/or Voodoo. There will be a tipping point when that happens. Someone else will get the right combo and it starts all over again.

[Reever]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

The fastest airplane out on the course can change at any time. It's the reason we race. I think the Bear can do it, Strega can do it, Voodoo can do it. Heck I even think even our airplane can do it. If we ALL didn't want to win this thing there is no point in packing up the trailer. The one thing many people forget is that any race can be won at any speed. To finish first; first you must finish.

To the crews 500 doesn't mean s&@t. We want the airplane and the monkey that wiggles the stick on the ground; safe. Right now you have three-five top teams trying to figure out a very complex formula on how to beat Strega and/or Voodoo. There will be a tipping point when that happens. Someone else will get the right combo and it starts all over again.

It was about 1983 when many people thought no one would ever beat Dreadnought. It all goes in cycles.

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

It was about 1983 when many people thought no one would ever beat Dreadnought. It all goes in cycles.

Or 2005 when all the merlins had main bearing issues. About the same time I was told PM would never turn another stick.

[Desertdawg]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

We want the airplane and the monkey that wiggles the stick on the ground; safe.

Thats classic, made my morning

[grampi]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

Seems to me the fastest in any given year is the one that wins, no matter if it is Mustang, Sea Fury, Bearcat or Air Biscuit (and there have been years that AB almost could have won). I've seen all of them win multiple times over the years.
OK so Dago holds the record for that heat race in 2003. We were standing at the fence line as Dago went by, wide on the turn, very low and streaming spray bar. We got wet from the spray. As I remember, and born out by my video, Rare Bear was right there on his tail, so the speeds could not have been too different at times though the average may be slower.

I seem to recall an article in the early 70's in a magazine where they did a fly off. Which was better, Mustang or Bearcat? Been going on that long and I am sure before that!
Seems the only way to solve it will be to arm a couple and settle it at 10,000 feet.

Air racing and dog fighting are the same thing....

[grampi]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

I'm not sure you understand how important an engine is to winning or even how it fits into this discussion at all.

So does team RB have some magical 5000 HP engine sitting around that they're getting ready to install?

[toldjaso]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

So does team RB have some magical 5000 HP engine sitting around that they're getting ready to install?

Magical left the building (cave) sometime ago.
Miracle would be more like it.

[ChrisMX105]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

Magical left the building (cave) sometime ago.
Miracle would be more like it.

Nice thing is that with a new engine there shouldn't be any finger pointing at the previous crew.

Building an Unlimited engine of any kind that can finish the week is a miracle.

Right now the V-12 guys are on top of the pile.

One guy I know of that can be King of the Mountain with 3350's and he's not involved. It will be fun to see how this year plays out.......

[Desertdawg]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

63 days to go. Cruised by Reno Stead Airport today.

Nice warm day out, place was real quiet.

The bear cave doesn't show any signs of life. Maybe the elves come out at night and work their magic. Or they are so confident that everything can be done couple weeks before the Air Races.

[Arctic Cat]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

63 days to go. Cruised by Reno Stead Airport today.

Nice warm day out, place was real quiet.

The bear cave doesn't show any signs of life. Maybe the elves come out at night and work their magic. Or they are so confident that everything can be done couple weeks before the Air Races.

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Its not September yet, you can't start to early on a last minute thrash or it isn't last minute.

[GRNDP51]

Re: The Bear Cave Mystery and Intrigue

Its not September yet, you can't start to early on a last minute thrash or it isn't last minute.

Nothing to thrash when the engine is the only thing that needs put in and it isn't finished. Next month next month.