Stead Visit

[Lockheed Bob]

While out at Stead Saturday I stopped by the Blue Thunder hanger & they had the 5 bladed prop hung on one of them for testing & they were working on the engine on another one. Down by the "Bear" cave the "Rare Bear" semi is still outside & "Air Classic is trying to get the "Bear" people to move it. Rumor is that they putting a new wing spar on the "Bear" & getting it ready for a record speed run. Vicki has flown into Stead with the Purple P51 on Wed's. a couple of times to have lunch with friends. Refuels & leaves. All else quiet.

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Stead Visit

That is great that the rumor from Stead is that Rare Bear is getting Dusty's wing spar. Of all the Bearcats out there, that one has likely been thrashed on the hardest, crashed twice (The original wreck that Lyle rebuilt as well as the belly landing at Mojave) on top of having a high power R3350 trying to twist the wings off, especially the years with the 3 blade prop.

The F8F-1 that Ezel's rebuilt last year is currently the only Bearcat with Dusty's wing spar upgrade.

Will

[De Camara]

Re: Stead Visit

Dusty from “Pure Country”?
😂

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Stead Visit

Dusty from “Pure Country”?
😂

Dusty, as in Dusty Dowd, the owner of Race 92. He identified issues with the Bearcat wing spar years ago. He set about designing a new one out of better materials of a better design for his F8F1 Bearcat, that was later sold and rebuilt by the Ezels, featuring the updated spar assembly. If you look on the Rare Bear page of the Lewis Flying legends site, you will see he is listed as one of the engineers.

Will

[rc38pilot]

Re: Stead Visit

While out at Stead Saturday I stopped by the Blue Thunder hanger & they had the 5 bladed prop hung on one of them for testing & they were working on the engine on another one. Down by the "Bear" cave the "Rare Bear" semi is still outside & "Air Classic is trying to get the "Bear" people to move it. Rumor is that they putting a new wing spar on the "Bear" & getting it ready for a record speed run. Vicki has flown into Stead with the Purple P51 on Wed's. a couple of times to have lunch with friends. Refuels & leaves. All else quiet.

The Blue Thunder hangar is no more !!! With out John there is no longer a Blue Crew...The new hangar is owned by Fred Roscher of 51 Aero and the owners of race 67 and 151 who reside in Switerland and Austria (?) Â… I think it should be known as the 51Aero Hangar or as the team is called "Swiss Thunder" hangar....see ya at the races