Hello,
I saw on a thread with some discussion of 3km speed records, what Rare Bear had to do etc. What I can tell you is what the methodology is now for the 3km, that VooDoo is getting ready to do. In some small ways it is different and in most, it is the same from the Rare Bear days . It comes down to the airplane going very very fast, staying in one piece and the pilot being on the top of his or her game! The basic groups/categories are things such as: Land Plane, Internal combustion powered, Jet powered, Lighter than air, sea plane, gliders etc. For the sake of those interested here, we are talking about the category C1... Which defines, “Land Planes” internal combustion engines. The next portion of category is the weight of the aircraft of record. The NAA/FAI has weight windows defined in Kg identified by a letter, like a,b,c,d, etc.. Each letter identifies a weight category bracket. So it makes no difference what you have as long as it falls in the weight window. Fuel doesn’t matter, what engine you have or airframe none of that matters. Only the internal combustion engine powered land plane in the the weight window. So an F1 Nemesis, or NemesisNXT are each in different weight categories, and a would be a different weight for a Mustang.
The 3km is the ultimate defining speed of an aircraft due to the constraints of the course, and the altitude in which the record is done, etc. It is the most exciting, most defining and most impressive of all the aviation speed records!
So here’s the basics. The aircraft, in the NAA/FAI weight category is presented for the attempt/s. The plane can do as many attempts as they want. The aircraft can go make an attempt, If not happy with the speed, or they bust one of the requirements, they can go again, and repeat as often as they want. The aircraft, is weighed ready to fly, with pilot, fuel, liquids, everything ready to go including the NAA provided GPS telemetry, for each attempt. The aircraft MUST leave the ground with the all up weight within the NAA/FAI defined weight category that was applied for. In our case we were able to cross over between 2 different categories, C1b 500-1000kg, and C1c 1000-1750 kg by adding fuel and ADI for the heavier category, or stripping all that stuff out for the lighter category.
The telemetry is some what like a differential GPS, basing the position and speed of the candidate aircraft relative to the base unit.
There is a NAA observer/monitor, Brian Utley, who developed the system and maintains it for the NAA. Brian is an amazing individual, an aircraft nut, and IMHO records would be much much harder than they are now without his services, his brain power, and dedication! During the record attempts Brian is the care taker for the base unit, as well as the on board system. By saying harder, I mean that the logistics portion is easier than days gone by, and MUCH less expensive than before. In days gone by it was typical to need about 12-15 NAA certified monitors, for an attempt. RB had to do this, as did we with the little world beater Nemesis F1 waaaay back. The record attempt difficulty is no easier than before, because the flying is basically the same and is as difficult as it always has been.
The 3km is a straight line course, that has virtual, GPS timing gates at each end of the 3km straight line course. The course can be put anywhere, not necessarily on an airport. The gates are identified by land marks etc, for the pilot to sight. For our attempts we always had the course, partly because it was just a BLAST to tear down the runway, using the CL as the center of the “window”. More on the window later. Outside of the 3km apart timing gates, at each end are, call them altitude entry and exit gates 1 Km out from the timing “gates”. The aircraft must be in the “window” for the what is now 5 Km distance, of which a fixed 3Km is timed. The “window” or box, is from the ground surface up to approximately 200 ft high X 200 ft wide along the entire 5km. The aircraft has to remain in the 200‘X200’ “box” for each pass of the 5Km. More about the course. Once the aircraft enters the 5Km long box, the aircraft has a maximum altitude that can be used for cool down and turn around etc once exiting the end of the 5Km long pass. The maximum altitude is basically 1500 ft (500 meters) AGL, measured from the ground of at center of the course. So prior to entry for the first pass the aircraft can go as high as it wants, dive down, BUT must be in the 200X200 box 1km out from the entry timing “gate” for the 3Km length. Once the aircraft enters the 1st entry gate, the aircraft can not exceed 1500 AGL AT ANY TIME, in the cool downs or turn arounds, or the attempt is void. So you come in 1km out from the entry timing gate. I thought of it as a “limbo pole”. Get under the “Limbo pole” fly FAST for 5km in the 200X200 box, stay there for what seems forever...., then you exit and can climb up to but not exceed 1500 ft AGL. Bust the 1500 ft max limit, the attempt is void. Make your turn around and back you come in the opposite direction under the limbo pole, go forever, exit, make the turn around back again in the original direction, limbo pole, go forever, exit, climb up to a max of 1500 ft AGL, and back in the opposite direction again limbo pole, go forever. The attempt can have as many passes as one would like, BUT ONLY the best 4 CONSECUTIVE passes, 2 in each direction are counted. There can be the best 4 CONSECUTIVE of 5, 6, 7, 8 however many passes is done. But NOT SO FAST little mister....! There is a time limit, of 20 minutes from the time the aircraft enters the first gate, to complete. The attempt speed of record, is the AVERAGE speed within the 3km gates of the 4 consecutive passes. NOT the highest speed of a single pass!
This makes the 3km IS the defining speed the aircraft can go. It is done “on the deck” so to speak... These attempts are typically done at a high altitude airport or place. Higher altitude, the less drag on the plane. Turbos, super chargers, nitrous, ADI, Viagra you name compensates for the thin air and gives the engine the power even at the thinner air of the higher altitude.
It is a very intense 20 minutes, with the pilot having to be on top of it, or the attempt is void. The crew/team, must have the plane ready to go, it is not a test session, it is a go fast as you can to try to break the existing record, by 1% or more. No doubt VooDoo and team are trying to brake the absolute internal combustion engine land plane (C1) speed record that the Rare Bear holds from so may years ago. That in itself is soooo impresive, how long ago that was! The RB record is one for the ages! Well done Lyle, John and all involved!
Records are hard to break, they require a lot of thought a huge amount of work, a lot of luck, and lots of $$$$. They include having to have waivers for the speed and low level flying, closing the airport and surrounding areas for the attempts, and seems like filing everything including environmental impact statements, desert tortoise clearings, delta smelt head counts, all only in Ca of course....LOL! There are a lot of hoops to go through.
So GOOD LUCK STEVO and TEAM, it will no doubt be a BLAST, and you and ALL involved will remember this for the rest of your life!
Chase the Dream
Jon
I saw on a thread with some discussion of 3km speed records, what Rare Bear had to do etc. What I can tell you is what the methodology is now for the 3km, that VooDoo is getting ready to do. In some small ways it is different and in most, it is the same from the Rare Bear days . It comes down to the airplane going very very fast, staying in one piece and the pilot being on the top of his or her game! The basic groups/categories are things such as: Land Plane, Internal combustion powered, Jet powered, Lighter than air, sea plane, gliders etc. For the sake of those interested here, we are talking about the category C1... Which defines, “Land Planes” internal combustion engines. The next portion of category is the weight of the aircraft of record. The NAA/FAI has weight windows defined in Kg identified by a letter, like a,b,c,d, etc.. Each letter identifies a weight category bracket. So it makes no difference what you have as long as it falls in the weight window. Fuel doesn’t matter, what engine you have or airframe none of that matters. Only the internal combustion engine powered land plane in the the weight window. So an F1 Nemesis, or NemesisNXT are each in different weight categories, and a would be a different weight for a Mustang.
The 3km is the ultimate defining speed of an aircraft due to the constraints of the course, and the altitude in which the record is done, etc. It is the most exciting, most defining and most impressive of all the aviation speed records!
So here’s the basics. The aircraft, in the NAA/FAI weight category is presented for the attempt/s. The plane can do as many attempts as they want. The aircraft can go make an attempt, If not happy with the speed, or they bust one of the requirements, they can go again, and repeat as often as they want. The aircraft, is weighed ready to fly, with pilot, fuel, liquids, everything ready to go including the NAA provided GPS telemetry, for each attempt. The aircraft MUST leave the ground with the all up weight within the NAA/FAI defined weight category that was applied for. In our case we were able to cross over between 2 different categories, C1b 500-1000kg, and C1c 1000-1750 kg by adding fuel and ADI for the heavier category, or stripping all that stuff out for the lighter category.
The telemetry is some what like a differential GPS, basing the position and speed of the candidate aircraft relative to the base unit.
There is a NAA observer/monitor, Brian Utley, who developed the system and maintains it for the NAA. Brian is an amazing individual, an aircraft nut, and IMHO records would be much much harder than they are now without his services, his brain power, and dedication! During the record attempts Brian is the care taker for the base unit, as well as the on board system. By saying harder, I mean that the logistics portion is easier than days gone by, and MUCH less expensive than before. In days gone by it was typical to need about 12-15 NAA certified monitors, for an attempt. RB had to do this, as did we with the little world beater Nemesis F1 waaaay back. The record attempt difficulty is no easier than before, because the flying is basically the same and is as difficult as it always has been.
The 3km is a straight line course, that has virtual, GPS timing gates at each end of the 3km straight line course. The course can be put anywhere, not necessarily on an airport. The gates are identified by land marks etc, for the pilot to sight. For our attempts we always had the course, partly because it was just a BLAST to tear down the runway, using the CL as the center of the “window”. More on the window later. Outside of the 3km apart timing gates, at each end are, call them altitude entry and exit gates 1 Km out from the timing “gates”. The aircraft must be in the “window” for the what is now 5 Km distance, of which a fixed 3Km is timed. The “window” or box, is from the ground surface up to approximately 200 ft high X 200 ft wide along the entire 5km. The aircraft has to remain in the 200‘X200’ “box” for each pass of the 5Km. More about the course. Once the aircraft enters the 5Km long box, the aircraft has a maximum altitude that can be used for cool down and turn around etc once exiting the end of the 5Km long pass. The maximum altitude is basically 1500 ft (500 meters) AGL, measured from the ground of at center of the course. So prior to entry for the first pass the aircraft can go as high as it wants, dive down, BUT must be in the 200X200 box 1km out from the entry timing “gate” for the 3Km length. Once the aircraft enters the 1st entry gate, the aircraft can not exceed 1500 AGL AT ANY TIME, in the cool downs or turn arounds, or the attempt is void. So you come in 1km out from the entry timing gate. I thought of it as a “limbo pole”. Get under the “Limbo pole” fly FAST for 5km in the 200X200 box, stay there for what seems forever...., then you exit and can climb up to but not exceed 1500 ft AGL. Bust the 1500 ft max limit, the attempt is void. Make your turn around and back you come in the opposite direction under the limbo pole, go forever, exit, make the turn around back again in the original direction, limbo pole, go forever, exit, climb up to a max of 1500 ft AGL, and back in the opposite direction again limbo pole, go forever. The attempt can have as many passes as one would like, BUT ONLY the best 4 CONSECUTIVE passes, 2 in each direction are counted. There can be the best 4 CONSECUTIVE of 5, 6, 7, 8 however many passes is done. But NOT SO FAST little mister....! There is a time limit, of 20 minutes from the time the aircraft enters the first gate, to complete. The attempt speed of record, is the AVERAGE speed within the 3km gates of the 4 consecutive passes. NOT the highest speed of a single pass!
This makes the 3km IS the defining speed the aircraft can go. It is done “on the deck” so to speak... These attempts are typically done at a high altitude airport or place. Higher altitude, the less drag on the plane. Turbos, super chargers, nitrous, ADI, Viagra you name compensates for the thin air and gives the engine the power even at the thinner air of the higher altitude.
It is a very intense 20 minutes, with the pilot having to be on top of it, or the attempt is void. The crew/team, must have the plane ready to go, it is not a test session, it is a go fast as you can to try to break the existing record, by 1% or more. No doubt VooDoo and team are trying to brake the absolute internal combustion engine land plane (C1) speed record that the Rare Bear holds from so may years ago. That in itself is soooo impresive, how long ago that was! The RB record is one for the ages! Well done Lyle, John and all involved!
Records are hard to break, they require a lot of thought a huge amount of work, a lot of luck, and lots of $$$$. They include having to have waivers for the speed and low level flying, closing the airport and surrounding areas for the attempts, and seems like filing everything including environmental impact statements, desert tortoise clearings, delta smelt head counts, all only in Ca of course....LOL! There are a lot of hoops to go through.
So GOOD LUCK STEVO and TEAM, it will no doubt be a BLAST, and you and ALL involved will remember this for the rest of your life!
Chase the Dream
Jon
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