Racing aircraft engine guys

[Exhaustgases]

I have a question to start, was Dave Cornell, just a crew chief or was he also a key engine builder for Rare Bear?

And how about any information on Mel Gregoire anyone here know him ?

[toldjaso]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

I have a question to start, was Dave Cornell, just a crew chief or was he also a key engine builder for Rare Bear?

And how about any information on Mel Gregoire anyone here know him ?

"Just" a crew chief?
Are you kidding?!

[knot4u]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

I have a question to start, was Dave Cornell, just a crew chief or was he also a key engine builder for Rare Bear?

And how about any information on Mel Gregoire anyone here know him ?

I was lucky enough to be a friend of Mel. I'd invite him over for BBQ and he'd charm my wife into just ignoring me, the man had a way with the ladies. I miss him. We might've also worked on airplanes once or twice.

[PowerByPackard]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

"Just" a crew chief?
Are you kidding?!

Here's an idea. Instead of this response, which serves absolutely no purpose other than to make the OP feel badly, why don't you help him out with his question?

Responses like this are what make people sorry they showed an interest in the first place. Let's all try to be ambassadors of air racing so maybe we can keep getting to make the trip to the high desert every September.

[Exhaustgases]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

Here's an idea. Instead of this response, which serves absolutely no purpose other than to make the OP feel badly, why don't you help him out with his question?

Responses like this are what make people sorry they showed an interest in the first place. Let's all try to be ambassadors of air racing so maybe we can keep getting to make the trip to the high desert every September.

Thank you. I don't know either one of them, but wish I would have had the chance in years past to work with them.
I've read that Mel was the top radial engine guy. I'd just like to know more about both of them. From what I can gather Mel passed away in 2011 at 94, was he working on engines up to the last day? Its just so sad and maddening to have all these great people gone. Is Dave still around and what is he doing?

[toldjaso]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

Here's an idea. Instead of this response, which serves absolutely no purpose other than to make the OP feel badly, why don't you help him out with his question?

Responses like this are what make people sorry they showed an interest in the first place. Let's all try to be ambassadors of air racing so maybe we can keep getting to make the trip to the high desert every September.

10-4.

As I understand it, Mel built the race engines for Lyle Shelton. I think he worked for Aircraft Cylinder?
The early engines probably had the small blower, like the engine in a Douglas Skyraider.
I think Dave cooked up the idea to Frankenstein a hybrid engine out of certain engine parts and pieces from a Constellation engine mated to the Skyraider engine's intermediate case, using magic to mate it all up and make it work. This was the World Record setting engine.
Dave learned all he could from Mel, his Mentor. (As well as Pete Law, Tiger, and everyone else involved in air racing).
Dave is one of the many who never really got the reward he worked so hard to achieve, this sport is a hard one for everyone involved in it.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

Here's an idea. Instead of this response, which serves absolutely no purpose other than to make the OP feel badly, why don't you help him out with his question?

Responses like this are what make people sorry they showed an interest in the first place. Let's all try to be ambassadors of air racing so maybe we can keep getting to make the trip to the high desert every September.

x2

Well put, thank you

.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

Thank you. I don't know either one of them, but wish I would have had the chance in years past to work with them.
I've read that Mel was the top radial engine guy. I'd just like to know more about both of them. From what I can gather Mel passed away in 2011 at 94, was he working on engines up to the last day? Its just so sad and maddening to have all these great people gone. Is Dave still around and what is he doing?

Thank you for asking a good question and getting a discussion going.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

10-4.

As I understand it, Mel built the race engines for Lyle Shelton. I think he worked for Aircraft Cylinder?
The early engines probably had the small blower, like the engine in a Douglas Skyraider.
I think Dave cooked up the idea to Frankenstein a hybrid engine out of certain engine parts and pieces from a Constellation engine mated to the Skyraider engine's intermediate case, using magic to mate it all up and make it work. This was the World Record setting engine.
Dave learned all he could from Mel, his Mentor. (As well as Pete Law, Tiger, and everyone else involved in air racing).
Dave is one of the many who never really got the reward he worked so hard to achieve, this sport is a hard one for everyone involved in it.

Thanks for adding to this discussion.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

I have a question to start, was Dave Cornell, just a crew chief or was he also a key engine builder for Rare Bear?

And how about any information on Mel Gregoire anyone here know him ?

I have this link to a TVR (Tyson Rininger Photography) from 2009 of a day with the Rare Bear crew.

Click on the images (Info) and you get some info regarding who's how in the photos.

Some good work and history here.

http://tvrphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery/Rare-Bear-2009/G0000J_4BwOgGPYA/P0000T_fcnPxFMg0

[toldjaso]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

I have a question to start, was Dave Cornell, just a crew chief or was he also a key engine builder for Rare Bear?

And how about any information on Mel Gregoire anyone here know him ?

Here are a couple of pics

[BellCobraIV]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

As a 14 year old my Dad asked me if I wanted to work on the airframe, or work on the engine. I enthusiastically chose the engine. I started working with Mel for the summer building 3350s, I was there when Dave Cornell and I came up with the plan to go to the three planetary supercharger drive at the suggestion of George Byrd. Dave did the calculations and did the manufacturing of the components that made the 1988 engine program that provided the horsepower and reliability that we needed. Dave Cornell, Bill Hickle and Greg Shaw developed the systems, water injection, and nitrous oxide. There were many reasons that Dave and my Dad stopped working together. Greg Shaw made a great Crew Chief for the Bearcat in the following years.

It is a pity that the current owner alienated the brain trust that developed, designed, maintained, redesigned, and raced the Rare Bear. Dave Cornell was no longer on the team when Rare Bear set the 3 Km record.....but a lot of Dave's modifications were on the plane. Greg Shaw was my favorite crew chief of all time.

Dave and I still talk often, if the situation would never have developed that created the divorce of Lyle and Dave the Rare Bear would have been impossible to beat.

But I was working with Dwight by the end game.

More great memories than you can ever imagine, if you weren't there you couldn't imagine it.

[Exhaustgases]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

I would have liked to be in your shoes. Some years ago I got to spend time with Pete Law, and wow what a great guy, with some good stories.

[Exhaustgases]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

Here are a couple of pics

[ATTACH=CONFIG]22748[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]22747[/ATTACH]

Nice pictures is that Mel?

[toldjaso]

Re: Racing aircraft engine guys

Nice pictures is that Mel?

That is Dave by the engine hoist in the first pic.
I believe that is Mel (someone correct me if i'm wrong) barely visible behind the Master Rod in the second pic.



Here are some more pics: