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Miss America 2023 - Let's get it done!

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  • #46
    Time to fill everyone in on the goings on at the Miss America hangar and let everyone in on the secret that we've been keeping. There has been some very good guesses and Wingnut hit it on the head (minus the tube). Kinda just like there has been some very good reasons why the news coming out of the Miss A camp has been a little slow. But first, here's a photo of Miss America as she sat in the hangar today - Saturday 5/20/23.



    She sits much as she's been for the last 6 months - waiting for the race motor to arrive from Rick Shanholtzer's shop. I'm sure you are wondering with all the time that's transpired, the race motor should have been done and in the plane long ago - it certainly should have been installed and tested before now one would think. BUT there has been some major changes since September of 2022... and these changes to the Miss America race program have understandably caused some delays from the original plan. We learned about the first big delay when we learned that the stocker was going to be rebuilt and delivered with the race motor, causing the original delivery date on the race motor to be pushed back. Since then, it's been a waiting game. Later we learned that the race motor had been completed and tested. But what we didn't know at the time, AND more specifically, was that this was only the 1st race motor AND that the stocker had been put on the back burner for a much higher-priority build... a 2nd race motor!!! Now in the final stages of assembly (if not already done), it should be on the test stand early next week.

    Although this is starting to really push the edge of the envelope in terms of time - the crew assured me that the plan to attend the PRS has not changed. Brent and Team Miss America are certainly going to Reno this year with everything possible, and as Brent told me earlier last month when I found out about the 2nd race motor - "I'll burn both of 'em down if I have to!". So yeah, he's serious about taking this to the next level - having a spare full-race motor in the pits along with a spare stocker kinda makes that statement, wouldn't you think?

    Reno 2023 - BE THERE!!!!!!!!

    In closing I wanted to show mitchcarley a few photos of Brent's other Mustang... as you can see it's a little ways off from being flyable and won't be at Reno this year. Looks like they're about 1 year away from completion - going to depend a lot on how many other projects the crew will be working on and how much time they can devote to Brent's project. As you can see it's coming along nicely... can't wait to see her in the air!



    Last edited by Pylon1_Mark; 05-20-2023, 07:54 PM.
    Mark K....

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    • #47
      Wow Markers... Although you told me the "secret chit" a while ago, seeing it in public print is awesome!
      Wayne Sagar
      "Pusher of Electrons"

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      • #48
        Thanks for the updates on this. This is exciting news.

        I can't think of a finer Reno finale than a Miss A win in the gold!

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        • #49
          Pylon1_Mark​!!! Sorry - been away. Delayed - thank you - thank you! Wow. I knew Doc, Greg and team were full of new-up stuff...love it. Great to hear engines and extras will not be an issue. PERFECT! Go Red White & Doc!!!
          As always - thank you Wayne, Mark and on-boarding-team to keep AAFO where it needs to be. The new server/service is faster and easier to read with the same screen setting - in Austin, TX, thanks. Respectfully, m

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          • #50
            I hate to be that person, but it seems to me that if Jose at Vintage V-12's would have been used, all this engine drama would be nonexistent.

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            • #51
              Originally posted by T. Adams View Post
              I hate to be that person, but it seems to me that if Jose at Vintage V-12's would have been used, all this engine drama would be nonexistent.
              A lot of folks are going to insist you eat those words come September Tim!
              Wayne Sagar
              "Pusher of Electrons"

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              • #52
                Originally posted by T. Adams View Post
                I hate to be that person, but it seems to me that if Jose at Vintage V-12's would have been used, all this engine drama would be nonexistent.
                Really? Forums aren't slow enough for you?

                Don't you guys realize that these are the kind of posts that drive people way from posting here? Why would anyone in their right mind (much less a race pilot or crew member) come here to share info? You wonder why virtually none of the players post here that used to?

                Show some civility guys, jeez.

                ---rant on---

                You know, it's not like Ricky, the crew, or Brent is not keenly aware of the reputation Ricky has amongst his peers - you're not telling anyone who knows anything more than they already do. But obvioulsy you just don't get it - so let me fill you in.

                Brent doesn't have Greg, Scotty, Johnny, the remainder of the crew, or Ricky Shanhotlzer on his team because there the undisputed best in the industry... there on his team because he trusts them. He has faith in them to achieve things that even they don't think they have the ability to do, they are family!!! You put their interests and self-worth on just as high a pedestal as you put yourself on - you allow them the opportunity to be the best they can be, you lead by example... and you simply don't kick a family member to the curb just because Joe Blow builds a better motor or turns a better wrench. What you do is show them you have the courage to believe in them as much as they do you. Brent Hisey IS that Team/Airplane Owner and a better person you'd be hard pressed to find. Loyalty is a thing not much seen these days, so I know it's "weird" to some people - but for some of us old school types.... loyally is more than a word in the dictionary or some abstract concept. It's a way of life... family, loyalty, trust.

                Nuff said!

                ---rant off---

                Anyway - keep posting stuff like this if you think we have too many posts to read through. Believe me, if you think it's slow now, keep it up. Be careful what you wish for (and please try to keep it civil guys... if you can't say it without attacking someone's reputation then maybe it shouldn't be said in public - keep those opinions to yourself please).​
                Mark K....

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                • AAFO_WSagar
                  AAFO_WSagar commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Spot on Mark, well put. T.Adams is a great (really) great photographer (if his username reflects his real ID) but he's not the most diplomatic of commentators who attend RENO.


                  To T. it is really REALLY rude to post comments like that one! Think about it, as though people like Ricky are real people, read posts... How would you like a comment like this about you? This is not facebook! Please, think about what you say B4 you type it...
                  Last edited by AAFO_WSagar; 05-24-2023, 07:48 PM.

              • #53
                What's the realistic target date they need to hit in order to install at least one engine, test fly, and get it safely to PRS? 2-3 days from today? (May 23rd 2023)

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                • #54
                  Originally posted by Race5 View Post
                  What's the realistic target date they need to hit in order to install at least one engine, test fly, and get it safely to PRS? 2-3 days from today? (May 23rd 2023)
                  Realistically, the crew mentioned around the 29th but that was 5 days ago... things change and Ihaven't been back to check. Brent is going to let me know when the motor arrives so I'll be updating you guys as soon as I hear something. Until then the crew needs to focus without me bugging them, so we're all just waiting to hear back from Brent.
                  Mark K....

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                  • #55
                    Originally posted by Race5 View Post
                    What's the realistic target date they need to hit in order to install at least one engine, test fly, and get it safely to PRS? 2-3 days from today? (May 23rd 2023)
                    Looking at last September, they got the engine the night of the 7th/early 8th and had it hung by about noon on the 8th. The test flight was on the morning of the 10th. If Doc plans on flying it over Tuesday, June 6th, they should need the engine by June 1st/2nd to make sure safety is in play.
                    Reno from '99 to '23

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                    • #56
                      Originally posted by GRNDP51 View Post

                      Looking at last September, they got the engine the night of the 7th/early 8th and had it hung by about noon on the 8th. The test flight was on the morning of the 10th. If Doc plans on flying it over Tuesday, June 6th, they should need the engine by June 1st/2nd to make sure safety is in play.
                      That gives zero time to address any issues though. One small issue and they miss making it again.

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                      • #57
                        This is the update that I know a lot of folks have been waiting on. The one where we get to share some details that got us to this point as well as correct some misinformation that we reported on earlier (but couldn't really correct until we were given the go ahead on this update). Knowing that everyone needs time to make plans, we've been working on getting this out as soon as possible.

                        The big news surrounds Miss America's engine program and the team's efforts to get the airplane & Brent to the PRS this year for testing on the course. Unfortunately, Brent & Team Miss America will NOT be attending the 2023 PRS... sadly, a paperwork snafu and the ever-present time crunch monster is going to keep Team Miss America here in Oklahoma City for a while longer. As Brent stated, "It was a good idea to go to rookie school if the engine was here and was completely broken in and ready for high manifold pressure. Obviously, that didn't happen so we will take our time, do our power runs here (in Oklahoma City) and be completely ready for Reno." This is certainly not the news we were hoping for, but as they say... every cloud has a silver lining, and this situation isn't any different.

                        So let's talk about that further, or more precisely... now that we've been given the green light let's discuss the engine program in detail and how the news has developed over the course of time, leading us up to today.

                        Much has changed since we first reported last year about Miss America's engine program. The original plan was to have one race motor & one stock motor for the racer. Around mid-April we reported that the race motor was ready and we were now just waiting for the stocker to be rebuilt, with both completed motors to be delivered to OKC for the planned trip to the PRS. What we didn't know at the time was there were two race motors... the race motor that was completed & ready to go wasn't the primary race motor - it was the backup race motor. This partially explains a little of the confusion about what's going on - but we hope to clear all of that up here by the time you get to the end of this post. But first, let's get back to the details.

                        The backup race Merlin for Miss America might not have all of the special parts that the big motor has (more on that later), but it's far from a slouch. The race-prepped Merlin is a clone of the Galloping Ghost motor Ricky built for Jimmy Leeward's racer. Although that airframe was quite a bit slicker than Miss America, we've all seen how this engine will perform. Back in 2021 we saw Miss America run a neck-to-neck battle with Dreadnought during the Gold Race running a wider course (remembering that the prop governor setting was not optimized, limiting power during that run) with Miss America pulling Dreadnought in the straights and Dreadnought pulling away in the corners. Although Dreadnought did hold the lead unchallenged, it doesn't take a great leap of faith to realize that IF the team had time to optimize the prop governor setting (remember, the heat race was cancelled on Saturday - so the team didn't get the chance to make this adjustment) this race could have ended much differently. Regardless, the "backup motor" alone would make Miss A very competitive and all but guarantee a podium finish. Still, from my perspective it's one hell of a backup (if you can even call it that). It's just an excellent insurance policy if the primary race motor goes south. So with the backup motor now ready, Ricky got right back to dedicated work on the big motor.

                        The primary race motor (the big yellow one) has all the "rather special" parts & pieces that puts this race motor in a league all its own. We'll be sharing just what makes this motor "rather special" in an upcoming article. For now, we're going to have to let you think about the possibilities and grind your gears on it (don't let that blow your mind - we'll let you in on it soon). Regardless, with Ricky working on the big motor exclusively since mid-April, we finally got the good news early Friday morning 5/26/23 at 4:07 AM that the rebuild had been completed and motor was going on the test stand later that day. Great news for sure and will allow for a full three months of testing prior to Reno, more than enough time to sort out any issues that might crop up on the aircraft.

                        Speaking of issues that might crop up... one did, and it was a game changer. The plan was for Miss A to arrive at Stead Saturday the 3rd for the PRS, early enough to allow for any last-minute hiccups or weather-related delays. Unfortunately, with the engine going on the test stand for the 1st time yesterday - it also means that the aircraft won't be able to attend the PRS. The game changer that occurred during the rebuild process was not caused by anything other than the normal "life happens, deal with it, move on" type of stuff. In order for you to have a better understanding of that, it will require we take a few steps backwards to earlier in the year.

                        You can imagine the thoughts that crossed all the racer's minds when it was announced earlier in the year (March 9th) that 2023 was going to be the last Reno - and with this news came the realization that if you were ever going to do anything at Reno, this was the last opportunity to do so. If you were ever wanting to win, this is it buddy! Go big or go home! This realization didn't fall on deaf ears my friends... for Team Miss America it became a call to action! As Brent puts it "We will settle for nothing else but victory. We will be ready for the final battle, Armageddon. This will be epic!!!!" That's a pretty bold statement, and one that Brent & Team Miss America now acted on.

                        A major change was made for Miss America's engine program... and the aggressive approach taken would tax engine builder Ricky Shanholtzer to the max. The ambitious nature of Brent's new engine program wasn't without it's own inherent risks. A number of things could happen along the way resulting in less than desirable results for one motor, or worst-case scenario, for both! Keeping this secret until both motors were completed became the prudent call. Getting everyone's hopes up on something that doesn't happen was fresh on the team's mind after their no-show last year, they were committed to NOT allowing that to happen again. Anyway, the work had already begun on the big motor and was well under way but the backup motor was going to require slightly more work/time to complete. Since the big motor was waiting on parts to come back from the machine shop, the backup was sitting right there ready to start on... it became the primary area of focus. Also, the big motor passed with flying colors after the inspection and was in the process of being freshened-up when the engine program changed. Time spent on it was going to be minimal so putting it second also made good sense. After the backup motor was completed, attention turned back to the big motor. Even though everything was good to go, it was then decided to go ahead and replace the big motor's cylinder liners (insurance - it's the final race guys. Take no chances, leave no stone unturned kinda thing.) and that was where the "life happens" moment occurred. A paperwork snafu resulted in the cylinder liners being delivered 2 weeks late - the crew and Ricky couldn't do anything about it - and it occurred at a critical time in the build. Nothing the team could do but pick up the pieces, move on, and try to make the best of things. The PRS just wasn't going to happen despite all of Ricky's & the team's best efforts in making that self-imposed deadline.

                        Even though the team won't be at the PRS, that doesn't mean the plane won't be ready for Reno. In fact, it will allow Brent more time on the stick and more time testing then he would have been able to do just at Stead. Brent added, "We are really ahead of schedule compared with all years in the past when the race engine wasn't ready and just installed before we went West. This will be the most prepared Miss America will have ever been."

                        We'll be continuing our coverage of Team Miss America as the situation develops... and from the sounds of it, things are about to get very exciting - so stay tuned!!!​
                        Last edited by Pylon1_Mark; 05-27-2023, 10:49 AM.
                        Mark K....

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                        • AAFO_WSagar
                          AAFO_WSagar commented
                          Editing a comment
                          VERY nice work Mark!!!!!!

                      • #58
                        A fantastic and very, very interesting update Mark. I really enjoyed reading it and am more hyped than ever for the next update!
                        Zac in NZ

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                        • #59
                          'Beautiful News' thank you Mark - and team, best and safe tests!!!

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                          • #60
                            Originally posted by mitchcarley View Post
                            'Beautiful News' thank you Mark - and team, best and safe tests!!!
                            We all are extremely lucky to have Pylon1_Mark back online! The guy is a history book of inside information! Excellent photographer, reporter etc! I can not thank him enough for his participation and more than "Inside Air Racing"!

                            Mark has been accepted as a team member With Miss America he is now beyond embedded reporter, he is officially a crew member!

                            Talk about "Inside Air Racing"!!!

                            Thanks Markers, I know it's been a hard few months on you! I'm happy that you're happy!!!!
                            Last edited by AAFO_WSagar; 05-30-2023, 12:33 AM.
                            Wayne Sagar
                            "Pusher of Electrons"

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