Fact checker needed

[W J Pearce]

I found an interesting article that was written in 2001. I don't mean to be a bad guy but...., I wonder if the authors were even at the air races. Some of the interesting points in the article are how the Critical Mass team changed the rotation of the engine, Dago's prop turns counterclockwise, and the 24-plane start of the unlimiteds.

Now I don't know everything about air racing and I don't claim to. There is some interesting stuff in the article but given the above, is it correct and accurate?

Please let me know if the critical mass team ever changed the rotation, other than when the centaurus was changed. Let me know if Dago's prop turns counterclockwise. And let me know if I missed the 24-plane start of the unlimiteds.

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m...le.jhtml?term=

Enjoy,

Bill

[AAFO_WSagar]

LOL Bill.. it does appear that they got a few things right but what's left ought to give the guys on the teams a few giggles ey!

Wayne

[Pylon1_Mark]

Yeah, seems like they did get their facts a little backwards on some stuff... but if you look at the authors you'll see Mike Wilton named as one of the contributing writers (one of the best wrench warriors around). So I'd say besides the obvious errors, the article is a good read. Gotta agree with you - they could have used a tech editor to smooth out the finer points.

BTW: I was somewhat involved with the article (provided the pics - even made the cover shot ) and taked with the guy in charge on a couple of occations. No, he had never been to the races, not really technically knowledgable on the sport at all, but he had a lot of enthusiasm for the project.

[W J Pearce]

I liked the article and thought there was a lot of good, technical info in it. But as a caught some "oversights", I began to wonder about the other facts. There's the stuff I think to be correct, the stuff I think to be incorrect, then the stuff I don't know about; is it right or wrong? Overall I think there is a lot of good info and I don't mean to bash anything promoting air racing (unless it is in poor taste, i.e. "it could hit the fan").

Did any P-38 ever have the left wing cut more than the right? The article says yes. I say I have never heard of any aircraft having asymmetry other then Beguine (but please, I don't mean to start that debate). Maybe one did, and I simply have not heard about it.

BTW, good to see you around Mark!

Bill

[Unregistered]

Shortened Left Wing

Bill:


If I remember correctly from John Tegler's book, Gary Levitz had shortened the left wing on the P-38 he raced.



Keith Doyne

[W J Pearce]

Keith,

Great memory! On page 284 in Tegler's book is a photo and caption that clear states the left wing of Double Trouble was clipped. Very obvious in the photo

Thank you Keith,

Bill

[Pylon1_Mark]

It always looks better in color though

[W J Pearce]

Yes it does. Thank you Mark!

Bill

[Pylon1_Mark]

Originally posted by W J Pearce
I liked the article and thought there was a lot of good, technical info in it. But as a caught some "oversights", I began to wonder about the other facts. There's the stuff I think to be correct, the stuff I think to be incorrect, then the stuff I don't know about; is it right or wrong? Overall I think there is a lot of good info and I don't mean to bash anything promoting air racing (unless it is in poor taste, i.e. "it could hit the fan").

I hear you Bill - it never came accross like you were bashing the article, only pointing out the errors any discriminating & concerned race fan would know about. I'd say most of the stuff on the Dago is spot on (save the direction of the prop) - it's a nice incite on Terry's racer.

Good seeing you too Bill... I'm always lurking

[Pylon1_Mark]

Originally posted by W J Pearce
Yes it does. Thank you Mark!

Bill

Oh no - thanks goes to Chuck... over the years he donated many pics for the P1 site - and as Wayne alluded to awhile back, it's a shame to see that kind of stuff stay idle on my hard drive.

Anywayz - sticking on topic here - here's another great shot by Chuck of what I think was Double Trouble's best look... circa 1983 (Black is beautiful baby ).

[Unregistered]

Double Trouble

Looks like both tips are cliped to me.

[Unregistered]

i mean "CLIPPED" sorry i'm only 39!

[Unregistered]

The rest of the story

" Please let me know if the critical mass team ever changed the rotation, "

Well.......Yes.

I once hooked up the starter backwards. No one knew the difference till Tom came back from a test flight and loved the handling in left turns. So we left it that way.

Remember discovering penicillin was an accident and see how good that turned out.

If you read it in print it must be true.


DT

[Unregistered]

hey Mark how are cool photes nice to see my dads photoes on the the web again hpe all is well Shawn

[AirDOGGe]

I suspect the author intended to mean a field of 24 unlimiteds, not a 24 in one race....Just a hunch.(heh heh)

I once hooked up the starter backwards. No one knew the difference till Tom came back from a test flight and loved the handling in left turns. So we left it that way.

Lol....I will have to try that with my Chevy....It might be fun to have 5 reverse gears and one forward