Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

[Unregistered]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

I think the data plate is on Steve's Mustang NX7715C which sometimes gets raced at Reno.

KMac

[speeddemon]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Rumor has it, the data-plate survived, and the airplane is being "rebuilt".
Anyone out there know the status, and in what configuration it's being
built.
Paul

The data plate was salvaged and used as the basis to restore a 'new' Mustang using the same registration number, N7715C. But the number and the plate were the only thing that transferred over from the Red Baron. That plane raced in 1984 as #0 with John Maloney at Reno, but hasn't appeared since. I believe it is still currently painted as Wee Willey II at Planes of Fame.

The tail, canopy, a gear door, and part of the prop system from the Red Baron survived and are also on display at Planes of Fame.

The crumpled 'skin' from the center section of the fuselage (upper half, above the main longerons) was also salvaged, and for a while was part of a half-hearted attempt by Terry Rogers to 'rebuild' the Red Baron. A couple years ago, it was passed on to a young man in the Mid-west who bought the parts to work on an A-model Mustang restoration. As far as I remember, he didn't have any interest in the Baron fuselage...just the parts for the rebuild that came with it. But let's be honest...it was the crumpled skin that had been straightened and banged out, and stretched out over a jig. That's all it was. You could read the "Michelob" on the side...but there wasn't any internal stuff.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Speed, I don't know if the guy who got what was left of the Red Baron that I spoke to right after Terry sold it to him was the same one you're referring to in your post but when I spoke to him, he did express interest in restoring it to racing trim and returning it to Reno. However unlikely that prospect might have been due to the amount of airframe or lack thereof that was left, that's what he told me at the time..

Click here for link to April 2001 Story about the sale

It'd be nice to see it again to be sure, in whatever form it wound up in..

[rpzo]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Passing from your left to the right...the Red Baron.

Last year at the Palm Springs Mustang Fly-in I asked the pilot of Wee Willy II if the data plate was the same one that came out of the Red Baron and he confirmed that it was.

Rick

[MerlinV12]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

I mean the starfighter red baron not the p51 one.
This one

[Leo]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Does anyone know how to get a video of the RB-51 crash?
I was there, and later taped the ABC coverage on Beta. Alas, it does not survive.

Leo

[bearfan1]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

ESPN Classic showed the races from that year about 2 years ago. I was just perusing the cable channels that day and got lucky, at the same time I am shocked that it's on, turning on the video capture software and got that going and then went upstairs and threw a tape in the vcr, bad thing is that I only got the last 15 min. of the show. But thats got the whole last race and the crash, with some post crash stuff also, and a short interview with Steve Hinton. I'm not sure how many people saw that show. And I have never seen anymore air racing anything on ESPN Classic. Now ESPN 2 really has it going on with the sumo wrestling and the Scrabble Tourneys.

[Leo]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Wide World of Sports used to show it, actually that's where I first got the bug. I think 80 was the last year. I had 78, 79 and 80 on tape, the first "Betamax" that my dad bought, When Beta died he got rid of it all, including the tapes!
Any way of getting a copy Bearfan? None of my current air race cronies were there, and none of them believe my stories.
Probably the most emotional thing I ever experienced at Reno, especially the silence from the time of the fireball till the cheering at the announcement that Steve had survived. I have slides of the crash sequence from the stands, but nothing moving and had a lousy lens then.

[bearfan1]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Sure thing leo, I should have said that it WAS the Wide World of Sports broadcast of the races that ESPN Classic was showing.

email me and well figure it out, EMAILTO: dkh7d108@comcast.net

bf1

[GWB]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

ummmm... how could you see over the edge of Hoover gulch from the stands??? All we saw was the black cloud of smoke billowing up (no flames). I've got a few photos somewhere.......

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

ummmm... how could you see over the edge of Hoover gulch from the stands??? All we saw was the black cloud of smoke billowing up (no flames). I've got a few photos somewhere.......

Haven't read the whole thread Wayne but if you're talking about the Mustang Red Baron going in, there was one ball of flame buried in the initial smoke bloom.

Scary thing was it resembled the Tora Tora Tora mock shootdowns from earlier in the day. They'd flown down behind the bluff and then pyro was set off to simulate the downing.. when Steve went down, it was eriely similar..

I remember the hush that came over the crowd and how almost as a unit, everyone stood up and started to leave, very quietly... then we all heard one by one that Steve was "OK" and it made it a lot better leaving the field!!

The other other wayne...

[Leo]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

What we saw from the stands was him settle into the gulch. After hoping he'd pull up onto the runway for a second or two the smoke came up filled with flames, and there was a muted "thump" of the explosion. I got five shots before he dissappeared including one with the gear down, and the fireball. Hoover passed over and said something to the effect of " nobody could have survived that" and they announced it over the PA.
It was quite a moment when they announced he had survived.
The picture of the fireball DOES look a lot like the Tora shots I have, they used the gulch to dive into before setting off the pyro. The RB's was much larger tho.
Those that saw the end of the biplane race year before last with Rose's crash landing saw roughly the same approach pattern Steve was using. I got chills thinking back.

Leo

[GWB]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Of course we are talking nearly 30 years ago here... I have pics (somewhere) of the rockpile and wreckage. There must have been a fireball cuz everything was scorched...just did not see it from where I was sitting, just the black mushroom cloud of smoke. I distinctly remember the announcer saying that "Steve Hinton has lost his life"..I remember the hushed silence...and I remember the cheering a couple of moments (it seemed like months) later when they announced he was okay!! Heck, I even remember John Crocker winning the race!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

I distinctly remember the announcer saying that "Steve Hinton has lost his life"..I remember the hushed silence...and I remember the cheering a couple of moments (it seemed like months) later when they announced he was okay!! Heck, I even remember John Crocker winning the race!!

That was the first race I ever went to, I was so disturbed by it that I actually called the hospital to ask how Steve was, got the information from his nurse that he was basically beat to hell but no neurological (one of those words spellcheck would help with) damage...

Now I'm gonna nit pick yer memory though.. I remember what, I believe it was Sandy Sanders said... "ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that the pilot has lost his life" If I remember correctly and those words seem burned into my brain forever, that is what he said, I don't remember him saying Steve's name.

The hush was instant and I'll never forget how as a unit, everyone just got up slowly and started to leave. We got out the gate before they announced that Steve had survived, my nephew had to go to the Sani's and went back in while we waited out of the range of the speakers. Somehow, he either heard or someone said it but he brought out the news that Steve was "OK"... Man, I don't know if I'd have ever gone to another race if he hadn't survived!

I was WAAAAAAAAAAY down towward the tower in the cheap seats when it happened. It was such a sickening feeling watching him reach for the runway and everyone was just feeing the same thing, god, our energy should have been able to give him the extra lift!

Wayne

[Leo]

Re: Darryl greenmayer f104 rb(red baron) ??

Was quite emotional. Willing that plane to stretch juuust a little more and knowing by the angle it was'nt going to. The emergency and crew vehicles screaming by even before it hit it seemed. And the fact that he survived made it a drama instead of a tragedy.

Leo