Some old Reno pics

[SpinB]

Wow..Have Bags, Will Travel!!

[wingman]

Reno 1979, Saturday middle heat. Mustangs, a Bearcat, and a Sea Fury. A nice racing field.

[wingman]

This was from the Pylon 2 of the time -- quite a bit West and down the hill from the 21st Century Pylon 2. Robert A. "Bob" used to release the Racers much lower and slower than Steve did in later years.

[wingman]

Unfortunately, one cannot always get it right. I missed this by about half a second.... No motor drives or even autowinders in those "primitive" days. No fancy zoom lenses, either. No "spray and pray" like the young dudes do these days. You had exactly one chance to get it right.

[Russ Craig]

Sir, I understand the "perfectionist's lament"; but believe me, we are still glad to see this "as is", and appreciate this photo as another great contribution to one of the greatest threads ever!

[wingman]

Actually I do like the shot, as an example of "could have been" and a record of "what was". The last shot in the sequence is a long time favourite of mine, though. Three of my favourite WW2 shapes...

[wingman]

This was the next day, at the start of the Silver -- from Pylon 1. I have no idea why I was there rather than Pylon2 which would have made more sense.

[wingman]

Reno 1979, Friday fast heat.

Again, closely matched airplanes, with the RB probably having a small edge most days. Both qualified as fast as 440mph, but in different years.

[wingman]

Veterans -- Bob Love and Chuck Hall on the home straight in the Reno 1979 Silver Race.

[wingman]

I always had a mixed relationship with black and white photography. Sometimes, though, black and white was the only correct solution...

[BellCobraIV]

A photo by Birch Matthews and printed by me. I always liked the look of this long range version. Much to see compared to the more familiar modern versions. Notice wing tips, canopy, cowl flaps etc.

Jack Hovey's recently acquired Mustang in the background.

At the US Cup Air Races in San Diego the aircraft took off in groups of four. You'll notice that the canopy is open on the Bearcat, Lyle always did take off and landings with the canopy open. Safety instruction per Navy training. The Reynolds/Green Bearcat and Lyle's drop tank equipped Bearcat ran 4th and 5th through most of the early part of the race, prior to Reynolds making a pit stop and pilot change. At one point Lyle had moved up to 2nd place. Lyle's pit stop took 6 minutes to fill the drop tanks and the main tank. On Lyle's way to the air races that morning he had borrowed crew member Austin Cranston's car so he could drive out later than the rest of the crew. On the way in Lyle was involved in an accident that totalled Austin's car. As Lyle got into the Bearcat Austin said to Lyle, "Hey, where did you park the car?" Lyle told Austin to talk to Joyce about the insurance. Then calmly went racing, he finished in 4th place, the drop tanks didn't seem to cause Lyle any concern during the race.

I'm fairly certain that the photographer was a crew member for our team.

[BellCobraIV]

Cape May, New Jersey was our first win. That was the first time we had the Skyraider Propeller in a standard length race. I have found some of the pictures of the crew having to remove and repair the AeroProducts propeller in Cape May. On race day everything worked fine and victory was Lyle's.

The trip home was started, Lyle flew through his hometown in Brownfield Texas and started off to home in California soon after. The propeller ran away and Lyle was forced to land the Bearcat on a ranch right next to Route 66. He tied the airplane's stick back, closed the canopy walked over to Route 66 and hitchhiked to Albuquerque. He called my Mom from Albuquerque said he was leaving the plane in New Mexico for a few days and grabbed a TWA flight for home with the Bearcat sitting outside with the rattlesnakes along Rt. 66.....

To be Continued;

[wingman]

At the US Cup Air Races in San Diego the aircraft took off in groups of four. You'll notice that the canopy is open on the Bearcat, Lyle always did take off and landings with the canopy open. Safety instruction per Navy training. The Reynolds/Green Bearcat and Lyle's drop tank equipped Bearcat ran 4th and 5th through most of the early part of the race, prior to Reynolds making a pit stop and pilot change. At one point Lyle had moved up to 2nd place. Lyle's pit stop took 6 minutes to fill the drop tanks and the main tank. On Lyle's way to the air races that morning he had borrowed crew member Austin Cranston's car so he could drive out later than the rest of the crew. On the way in Lyle was involved in an accident that totalled Austin's car. As Lyle got into the Bearcat Austin said to Lyle, "Hey, where did you park the car?" Lyle told Austin to talk to Joyce about the insurance. Then calmly went racing, he finished in 4th place, the drop tanks didn't seem to cause Lyle any concern during the race.

I'm fairly certain that the photographer was a crew member for our team.

That is a cool photo -- and an important bit of Bear history. Here's aother Birch Matthews shot from that event. So is this the canopy tat departed the airplane at Reno?

[wingman]

Cape May, New Jersey was our first win. That was the first time we had the Skyraider Propeller in a standard length race. I have found some of the pictures of the crew having to remove and repair the AeroProducts propeller in Cape May. On race day everything worked fine and victory was Lyle's.

The trip home was started, Lyle flew through his hometown in Brownfield Texas and started off to home in California soon after. The propeller ran away and Lyle was forced to land the Bearcat on a ranch right next to Route 66. He tied the airplane's stick back, closed the canopy walked over to Route 66 and hitchhiked to Albuquerque. He called my Mom from Albuquerque said he was leaving the plane in New Mexico for a few days and grabbed a TWA flight for home with the Bearcat sitting outside with the rattlesnakes along Rt. 66.....

To be Continued;

Randy Difani did a nice detailed post about recovering the airplane from the New Mexico desert -- it may have been the long Bearcat thread from a year or so ago...

[Big_Jim]

Then calmly went racing, he finished in 4th place, the drop tanks didn't seem to cause Lyle any concern during the race.

1. Where did Lyle procure the drop tanks from?

2. Prior to the race, was there any c/g calculation or testing done in the various degrees of 'fullness' and the impact of pulling g's as the fuel burned off?