Original Precious Metal Questions

[knot4u]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

This must be what it's like when @Big Jim and @BCIV get together...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4_W_I-GQDB8

[wingman]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Reno 1977

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

This must be what it's like when @Big Jim and @BCIV get together...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4_W_I-GQDB8

The truth is, whenever I spend the weekend with the BCIV family it is mostly debating musical history with BCIV-daughter, as to whether the Foo Fighters or Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were the better band!

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Beautiful pics of my favorite racer, Neal. Muchos gracias!

[Reever]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Reno 1981 Shawn

That's the canopy! What kind of cockpit adjustments did they have to make that canopy useable? Seat height?

[Shawn Aro]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

sorry I re edited my photo shawn

Reno 1981

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Isn't there a story about the prospector on the cowl, maybe someone from around here painted it on the airplane?

I honestly don't recall who painted the original artwork on Gary's racer. I was 10, so......

But what I do recall is that the Prospector was holding a solid gold P-51 with the #81 on it. That, as well as the PM race number, was a tribute to Leroy Penhall, who had perished in the crash of his Beech Duke a few months earlier. Ralph Payne had built Leroy's #81 racer back in 1969 and Bob Hoover said it was the best flying P-51 he had ever flown.

There was a running joke amongst Gary and the crew about the Prospector artwork. Each race under Gary's ownership had a different belt buckle on the nose art. At Mojave '75 it was just a plain belt buckle. At Reno '75 it said CSA (Confederate States of America). At Mojave '76 it had the Star of David (Gary was Jewish), and after it was sold to the Whittington brothers, it said USA....which it held through 1983.

When I painted my tribute noseart on Ron B's Griffon racer in 2003 I put Gary's initials on the belt buckl and Ralph's initials on the canteen as a memory of my lost friends.

The Mojave '75 photo via Ran Slaten collection. Reno '75 from Aero Research. Mojave '76 I can't remember the photographer's name. Reno '77 Mark Daniels photo.

[ZacYates]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

That's the canopy! What kind of cockpit adjustments did they have to make that canopy useable? Seat height?

Forgive me for intruding - all of this was before my time - but I'm keen to know more about the lowered canopy and screen. Did it offer much of an advantage?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Forgive me for intruding - all of this was before my time - but I'm keen to know more about the lowered canopy and screen. Did it offer much of an advantage?

The original PM actually ran with THREE different low-profile canopies.

The first one was at Reno '75 and Mojave '76. This was purchased from Tony D'Allasandris, custom built for his aborted Allison-powered Mustang of 1973. It utilized a stock windscreen mount and canopy frame but was several inches lower in profile.

The second one was put on when PM was sold to the Whittington brothers and ran from Reno '76 through Reno '80. It had a single piece windscreen but was on stock height...with 'bump' in the bubble canopy smoothed out---similar in shape to the canopy that Howie Keefe had on Miss America in the 1970's.

The third one was custom blown and about half the height of a stock Mustang canopy. This was on PM from Reno '81 through Reno '83. After PM stopped racing, it also appeared on Georgia Mae in 1985-86, and Risky Business on/off between 1994-98. Visibility on the this canopy was reportedly quite distorted and I don't think anyone really liked using it. Looked cool, but any speed advantage was out-done by distorted optics.

(whoops...sorry. First photo Sid Roberts via Chris Luvara. Second and third photos Aero Research)

[ZacYates]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

The third one was custom blown and about half the height of a stock Mustang canopy. This was on PM from Reno '81 through Reno '83. After PM stopped racing, it also appeared on Georgia Mae in 1985-86, and Risky Business on/off between 1994-98. Visibility on the this canopy was reportedly quite distorted and I don't think anyone really liked using it. Looked cool, but any speed advantage was out-done by distorted optics.

photo Aero Research)

I thought it looked familiar, I was about to ask if it was the same one as on GM and RB. It strikes me as an attractive option but if you can't properly see through it enough to race, then...

Thank you for the info, Big_Jim!

[ZacYates]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

This was a uniquely beautiful and charismatic Racer. It's hard to say why -- it was far less modfied looking than Miss Candace or the Red Baron. That unique genuine -H tail made a huge difference visually. This Racer always drew the eye...

Neal

I know it's probably difficult to say as I imagine this version of PM only flew with the H vertical, but did this provide any racing benefits over the D vertical?

[Shawn Aro]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

these are my dads pics from his archives

Shawn

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

I know it's probably difficult to say as I imagine this version of PM only flew with the H vertical, but did this provide any racing benefits over the D vertical?

It raced at Mojave '75 and Reno '75 with a stock D tail. But the modification program from the start included putting the H-tail on it. Everything was done in phases with that airframe instead of doing it all at once. Ralph just felt that it would add more stability at higher speeds.

It was erroneously reported that the decision to put the taller tail on was a result of Gary being DSQ for busting the deadline at Reno '75, but that was not true. Gary had been wrestling with his pet St. Bernard a few weeks prior to Reno and was bit on his ankle--injuring the tendon. Gary had a hard time standing on the rudder pedal at race speed at Reno that year and resulted in him flying a wider course than he had wanted.

But anyone who ever flew that airframe with the H tail said it flew amazing.

Aero Research photo.

[BellCobraIV]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

It raced at Mojave '75 and Reno '75 with a stock D tail. But the modification program from the start included putting the H-tail on it. Everything was done in phases with that airframe instead of doing it all at once. Ralph just felt that it would add more stability at higher speeds.

It was erroneously reported that the decision to put the taller tail on was a result of Gary being DSQ for busting the deadline at Reno '75, but that was not true. Gary had been wrestling with his pet St. Bernard a few weeks prior to Reno and was bit on his ankle--injuring the tendon. Gary had a hard time standing on the rudder pedal at race speed at Reno that year and resulted in him flying a wider course than he had wanted.

But anyone who ever flew that airframe with the H tail said it flew amazing.

Aero Research photo.

As ideas flow from group to group I see some influence from The Phoenix 1 or Phast Phoenix canopy into the Precious Metal canopy. Maybe just me.....but we visited Ralph and he visited us.


Ralph had his shop on the Scottsdale airport and the roads around the airport were used for taxiways and fast cars. I remember visiting Ralph at his shop and hearing an unbelievable sound. I started to walk outside and Ralph told me to hang back and just stick my head out of the door. Seconds later a Ferrari 512 Boxer went by the door at speed. Harley Cluxton had a shop on the airport, Ralph took me over on a tour later.... marvelous things!

Ralph Payne quote for the day;
"Mah, boy a Merlin in a crate is faster than an Allison in an airplane."

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

As ideas flow from group to group I see some influence from The Phoenix 1 or Phast Phoenix canopy into the Precious Metal canopy. Maybe just me.....but we visited Ralph and he visited us.


Ralph had his shop on the Scottsdale airport and the roads around the airport were used for taxiways and fast cars. I remember visiting Ralph at his shop and hearing an unbelievable sound. I started to walk outside and Ralph told me to hang back and just stick my head out of the door. Seconds later a Ferrari 512 Boxer went by the door at speed. Harley Cluxton had a shop on the airport, Ralph took me over on a tour later.... marvelous things!

Ralph Payne quote for the day;
"Mah, boy a Merlin in a crate is faster than an Allison in an airplane."

The story about Ralph, Carroll Shelby and A-L-A-N is typical...and hilarious.