Idea For New Warbird Classes

[Desertdawg]

I had a idea that may be a way in increase warbird attendance.

The rarity and value of warbirds is changing rapidly, the end result is there will be less and less racers.

There are 100+ flyable warbirds owned by museums and such, plus owner that own and maintain restored flyable warbirds.

Here's my thoughts

Museum/Foundation Class - No actual racing, more like parade laps. Show up and fly the course (6-8 laps) at their own pace they are comfortable with. The "show money" would cover fuel costs? The awards on Sunday would be fan choice voting for pit display, plus fan favorite for parade laps (based on some form of voting or cheering volume levels). There could be a prestiges trophy that gets taken home by winning museum/foundation for the year? What a great way to get these warbirds out for people to see and hear, and recognition for the museum/foundation.

Warbird Stock - This would follow the existing race format just have a reasonable max speed limit to prevent unnecessary wear on equipment and lower owner costs.

Warbird Unlimited - Follow existing rules and unlimited racers.

I mention this to couple racers/owner and they thought it was interesting idea.

[Reever]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

An idea I have had for a long time. An unlimited highly modified T-6 class. T-6 engine modified however the owner wants, but it has to be the nine cylinder, prop what ever the owner wants. Air frame mods, race canopy, clipped wings but a T-6 wing. Fuselage length has to be stock T-6, SNJ length. Tail surfaces can be modified because of aero considerations. Clean up the wing and air frame as much as can be done, flush rivet, whatever.

[nevadasky]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

Great ideas!

[T J Johansen]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

500k endurance race with mandatory pit stop. A race where strategy and piloting is more important than extracting 4000+ hp from your Merlin. Keep strict rules to attract more stock airframes and pilots to participate. This will also have the added incentive to bring in those people who are more than happy to see warbirds fly around for a couple of hours. Those who are not all that much into having WWII fighters cut up.

T J

[wingman]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

All good ideas, but I like T J's best of all. The current sprint races are cool, but IMHO just too short for maximum audience enjoyment.

They'd have find some better announcers, though.

Neal

[ignomini]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

Won't make any difference. There's a museum class now, it's called Chino. And it's not a race if there's a speed limit. I suspect there are plenty of pilots who would love to be there. Treat them fairly and they will come. Bronze and Medallion are often not much more than museum parades anyway, and pilots are not required to run flat out.

The real missed opportunity was not having the static display warbirds fly. Never seen the NACA Mustang before. Would have loved to see it in the air. With the small numbers of competing aircraft, there was plenty of time available.

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

During the 1946/1949 Cleveland Air Races they had the Women's At6/SNJ races that flew 3 bladed props & modified canopy's on some of them. That would be fun & I know Section 3 would like that.

[Reever]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

Call it the "Super Six Class". I wish I could draw. It would be great to see some concepts.

[tow-3]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

bronze class is a "run what you brung" class. very seldom did a bronze plane tear anything up. no need to limit them, they know what power settings they can run and thats what they run. look at tom camp, the only thing he ever had to put in air biscut besides gas and oil was when he had that scenic trip around the runway a few years back. the problem has a simple to say answer, not so simple to do for RARA. PAY THEM A DECENT PURSE. if the purse will cover their expenses, they will be there. that simple. now, getting that money to pay them seems to be more complicated.

[tow-3]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

the problem with a super six class is the same as with pure unlimited racers. 6's are worth much more as restored examples. it would have worked great back when almost every airport had at least one 6 airframe pushed back in the weeds with the engine pulled off it for a duster. when airframes could be had for 2500 bucks, building one up as a racer was no big deal. no return on large investment now.

[Samuel]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

I would like to the the race branded as the Reno 250 or something like that. Run 250 miles which works out to 30 laps? The current airplanes probably can't run that many laps at the power settings they do with the amount of fluids they have on board. Which may not be a bad thing if you run lower power settings and don't blow up as many engines.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

An idea I have had for a long time. An unlimited highly modified T-6 class. T-6 engine modified however the owner wants, but it has to be the nine cylinder, prop what ever the owner wants. Air frame mods, race canopy, clipped wings but a T-6 wing. Fuselage length has to be stock T-6, SNJ length. Tail surfaces can be modified because of aero considerations. Clean up the wing and air frame as much as can be done, flush rivet, whatever.

I LIKE THIS IDEA!

Sort of a "poor man's" Unlimited... maybe allow Viagra for the engine!... somewhere around here there's a shot from the MAII hangar of a bottle of squeeze with VIAGRA painted on it.. I thought I'd included it in a long ago posting but can't seem to find it... oh well..

[wingman]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

It's worth pointing out here that what y'all are talking about here is not far from the situation we have now. We can call the T-6 class a "stock" class all we want, but right this minute these boys are running a 175 mph airplane at 250 mph in circles on a short course. Stock -- I don't think so...

Neal

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

It's worth pointing out here that what y'all are talking about here is not far from the situation we have now. We can call the T-6 class a "stock" class all we want, but right this minute these boys are running a 175 mph airplane at 250 mph in circles on a short course. Stock -- I don't think so...

Neal

Well... they are, at least, supposed to be "stock" within the limits allowed by the class. I think what we're talking here is things like different props, larger spinners, smaller canopy, removable fairings... Things that could be done without ruining the originality of the original. Sort of as we've seen with certain "super stocker" p-51's in the past. There were many running mods on their "stock" mustang that were only seen on the airplane at Reno...

Personally, I'd love to see what Nick and his crew and all the rest would cook up given this sort of thing..

[Skyracer]

Re: Idea For New Warbird Classes

So you take 3-4 airplanes out of the T6 class and $$$ modify them (if you can get the FAA go along with it?) to create a class for 3-4 airplanes, with a purse that won't cover the cost of a set of sparkplugs and a tank of gas, while the "stock" T6 class has just lost 3-4 racers and can't muster a full field. Why not just eliminate T6 racing and save the agony of killing it?

Seriously, there were some great T6 races this year that had fans on their feet cheering. Why change something that seems to be working?