Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

[GRNDP51]

Of course by now most of us know the last steps that Dago took before her current fate. I was curious if anyone has an idea what would have been found with the scanning that Frank planned on doing? What could’ve been “smoothed” out that hasn’t been on Strega and Voodoo? Would’ve been incredible to see if it looked any different than a normal mustang. Maybe one day.........

[Fence Sence]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Good question. Since it got “put away” before it really hit any kind of Strega stride, who knows? Wasn’t Steveo checking out the dog house a while back?

[GRNDP51]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Good question. Since it got “put away” before it really hit any kind of Strega stride, who knows? Wasn’t Steveo checking out the dog house a while back?

Yes and there was and still is a ton of secrecy about the visit and what Steven is allowed to say. Location and other information seems to be off limits.

I'm still curious if all the pieces are in one place too. Rumor was the parts were separated and given to different parties or something like that, the bank's doing.

I saw some pictures recently of Dago being torn down in 2009 I think, whenever it was stripped of the "Dago-esque", and it makes sense why it isn't racing. It isn't just putting together Dago, it's making a whole race plane again.

[Race5]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Of course by now most of us know the last steps that Dago took before her current fate. I was curious if anyone has an idea what would have been found with the scanning that Frank planned on doing? What could’ve been “smoothed” out that hasn’t been on Strega and Voodoo? Would’ve been incredible to see if it looked any different than a normal mustang. Maybe one day.........

The scan wasn't just planned, it was done. The data could be used to run CFD analysis, as well as giving them the ability to put it back as it was before it was stripped. The six million dollar question is who has the data and if they would make it available at any price. My guess is that it will never be seen by anyone. Not that anyone seems interested in fielding a top level Gold racer at this point anyway....

[Big_Jim]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

I think Jason brings up the biggest point here. The general public takes Frank Taylor's name in vain as the 'reason' Dago isn't racing anymore, and is in parts in a hangar in Sacramento. Lots of criticism for stripping off everything that Bruce Lockwood applied in 1995-96...but there was such a method to the madness by doing that. They didn't 'ruin' it. They took technology that was too expensive or didn't exist when the profiling in the '90's took place, and applied it in a way that (as Jason said) would allow them to either put it back to how it was, or to improve it based on the changes in the course in the ensuing years. Frank and his partners spent a lot of money doing that, and the data is still there and available. But as my buddy Ralph Payne used to say..."proprietary information, my boy".

The bank repossessed the airframe from Taylor, not because HE defaulted on payment, but because the previous owners defaulted. Taylor and his partners lost everything with no recuperation of any of their investments.

Even in the smallest of ways, I was involved with Frank on that project and I know that he didn't do anything--ANYTHING--to with the intent of making the plane slower.

I can't say that about everyone. There is at least one (for now) retired owner who took one of the fastest racers ever and invested millions of dollars over the years to make it slower.

[GRNDP51]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

I think Jason brings up the biggest point here. The general public takes Frank Taylor's name in vain as the 'reason' Dago isn't racing anymore, and is in parts in a hangar in Sacramento. Lots of criticism for stripping off everything that Bruce Lockwood applied in 1995-96...but there was such a method to the madness by doing that. They didn't 'ruin' it. They took technology that was too expensive or didn't exist when the profiling in the '90's took place, and applied it in a way that (as Jason said) would allow them to either put it back to how it was, or to improve it based on the changes in the course in the ensuing years. Frank and his partners spent a lot of money doing that, and the data is still there and available. But as my buddy Ralph Payne used to say..."proprietary information, my boy".

The bank repossessed the airframe from Taylor, not because HE defaulted on payment, but because the previous owners defaulted. Taylor and his partners lost everything with no recuperation of any of their investments.

Even in the smallest of ways, I was involved with Frank on that project and I know that he didn't do anything--ANYTHING--to with the intent of making the plane slower.

I can't say that about everyone. There is at least one (for now) retired owner who took one of the fastest racers ever and invested millions of dollars over the years to make it slower.

Lol at the last paragraph. But yes this is my understanding about all of this. I’ve read over some of the older threads and agree that Frank was doing really what was best for Dago and he ended up getting screwed. Doesn’t make sense to me that Frank wouldn’t get reimbursed in any way for the previous owners issues, but I have very limited knowledge of repossessions... so basically when it went up for sale from the bank Hoffman bought it (for unknown reasons) and Frank couldn’t because he lost all of his money? How is that fair? Seems like you can file some sort of lawsuit about that, at least I would think

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

...Doesn’t make sense to me that Frank wouldn’t get reimbursed in any way for the previous owners issues, but I have very limited knowledge of repossessions... so basically when it went up for sale from the bank Hoffman bought it (for unknown reasons) and Frank couldn’t because he lost all of his money? How is that fair? Seems like you can file some sort of lawsuit about that, at least I would think

But is there any point in suing someone who doesn't have any money? Sadly, that will only make the attorneys richer and leave the plaintiff (Frank Taylor, et al in this case) with even less money.

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

it would be interesting to see those scans. Apparently it was well known that the doghouse on Dago was the cleanest one built. That was why Stevo went to have a look at it. He knew he could find the winning edge with Voodoo by copying it. My guess is that the current owner of Dago has the scans.

Its a shame what happened to Dago, I do hope that one day it will return, and not as a stocker, not as a TF, but as Dago Red.

Will

[Fence Sence]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

But as my buddy Ralph Payne used to say..."proprietary information, my boy".

Proprietary Information

Best race plane name ever?

I loved Dago so much. As a fenceline rat, I watched most of it’s laps from the VOS. There was something special about the way that thing came through there. It seemed like it would pull from 6 so much better than anyone. It was amazingly smooth. Best I ever saw.

Thank you for the comments. Always appreciated.

[Race5]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

My guess is that the current owner of Dago has the scans.


Will

Why would he have them? He was not involved with that program, and I seriously doubt the person that was would let go of that data. Especially since he was the one that got screwed over the most.

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Why would he have them? He was not involved with that program, and I seriously doubt the person that was would let go of that data. Especially since he was the one that got screwed over the most.

Considering its a former team member who ended up with Dago, it would make sense that FT got some of his $ back (yes a very small amount in the grand scheme of things) by selling them to the current owner who may or may not return it to racing at some point. They do FT nothing other than be a painful momento to remember the whole bad deal by. I mean seriously, its like buying a Ferrari 330GTO from someone who defaulted on the loan, having the bank repo it but since the steering wheel was off being refinished you got that back, but the car is now gone. Do you leave the $10K steering wheel hanging on the wall, or do you sell it to the guy who bought the rest of the car from the bank?



Yes, this is pure speculation, but really, what is FT going to do with the scans if he doesn't have the plane anymore?

Will

[GRNDP51]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Considering its a former team member who ended up with Dago, it would make sense that FT got some of his $ back (yes a very small amount in the grand scheme of things) by selling them to the current owner who may or may not return it to racing at some point. They do FT nothing other than be a painful momento to remember the whole bad deal by. I mean seriously, its like buying a Ferrari 330GTO from someone who defaulted on the loan, having the bank repo it but since the steering wheel was off being refinished you got that back, but the car is now gone. Do you leave the $10K steering wheel hanging on the wall, or do you sell it to the guy who bought the rest of the car from the bank?



Yes, this is pure speculation, but really, what is FT going to do with the scans if he doesn't have the plane anymore?

Will

To you and Race 5, so Frank paid to have the scans done so it's guaranteed that he would've been the one with them? I was thinking that whoever did the scans would have them, maybe because Frank couldn't pay for them so they just kept the scans and went on their way?...

But if Frank did have them I can see him keeping them. He waited 20+ years to get Dago back maybe he wants to do it again. I think holding onto those scans is the best thing for him to do, why give/sell them to this sketchy Hoffman guy who obviously has show zero interest in the plane's future? What is Frank doing now anyway, if I was the "real" owner of Dago I would be giving the guy some s*** for not doing anything with it the past 8 years. Does he have no interest in getting it back after all that's happened? Like Will said, I think he got some money back somehow and how much could Hoffman really want for parts and pieces of a race Mustang.... Let's be real here. He has a plan for it and if is to put it back to stock that's incredibly stupid and selfish, especially being a former crew-member, it's almost like he has something against it. You can say "it's his plane he can do what he wants with it", but seriously...

[John H]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

I’m not sure what Dago in Sac means. Unless the owner moved to Sacramento , his place isn’t near there.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Dago Red has been stored in a disassembled state in Sacramento for several years now...regardless of where Eric Hoffman lives.

[knot4u]

Re: Dago Red, drag-reduction scan potential?

Dago Red has been stored in a disassembled state in Sacramento for several years now...regardless of where Eric Hoffman lives.

I'm not aware of the details, but I am curious, how did a crew member end up as the owner? Or was he a paying crew member (sponsor)? When I was a crew member for the Bearcat most of us would've considered ourselves pretty lucky to have a couple of nickels to rub together. Or maybe it was just me.