Travesty...?

[King]

Re: Travesty...?

Also am I also the only one sad that it is no longer in the states?

Well, it is still in the states right now.....................well at least in Texas that is!

[King]

Re: Travesty...?

I guess all you guys are gonna be real pissed when we purchase Dago and return into stock, huh.

Much more money and history for the masses in stock than racing configuration.

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Travesty...?

I guess all you guys are gonna be real pissed when we purchase Dago and return into stock, huh.

Much more money and history for the masses in stock than racing configuration.

We would never be mad at you guys for doing awesome work. The owners on the other hand I am just a little bummed that bottom line wins out over ANYTHING these days. Not just in aviation.

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Travesty...?

I guess all you guys are gonna be real pissed when we purchase Dago and return into stock, huh.

Much more money and history for the masses in stock than racing configuration.

Works for me. Hell, why not go TF-51 while you're at it...tons more $$ in that config these days.

[King]

Re: Travesty...?

Works for me. Hell, why not go TF-51 while you're at it...tons more $$ in that config these days.

Just need the tooling.........................we are still looking for a TF-51, and may have found a good project. The first one we talked about was a bust.

[RichH]

Re: Travesty...?

It's just paint.

Who's to say someone else won't purchase the A/C down the road who thinks it's racing past is more significant and repaints it accordingly.

Far different than converting Stiletto to a stocker TF-51... #13 wasn't that hightly modified for racing.

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Clearing the air

Bill.. since I guess I sort of offhandedly started this thread with my "travesty" comment in the Dago story, I want to clarify some information.. The Gardner family tried for over a year to find backers to bring the airplane to prisine condition and then fly it out of a museum setting. They could not find that/those backers. Family financal needs dictated they sell to the highest bidder, which happened to be Red Bull...

The travesty, IMHO, is Red Bull discarding the racing legacy of the airplane and restoring it to stock military... a fact we don't really know will happen after all.. As far as I know, no formal announcement of the final look of the airplane has been made..

It's as sad to see Lefty's airplane go "stock" as it would be to see Rare Bear, Dago Red, Strega or some others go that way... It's something we all need to think about though as the owners of some of these airplanes grow older and less bolder and in some cases, unable to finance the airplane in present status...

We could lose them all as racers.

I hold to my original comment that this is a "travesty"....

I'm very happy the airplane will return to the sky rather than languish in a hangar on blocks... I'm just sad to see it go stock (if it goes stock)

To each his own..

Wayne, I don't disagree with ANYTHING that YOU have said here. And I think that's basically what I was saying to Michele about nobody from here stepping up to the plate to buy WL. I guess I just didn't mention the fact that nobody stepped up to help Lefty and his family put the aircraft back into good shape at the beginning, so the ultimate result was as it is. Sad, to say the least, but it is what it is. Right? And we will see what the do as far as a final paint choice. MAYBE they'll do the "right" thing. I'm just happy that it isn't going to remain in pieces and return to the sky. Somewhere.

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Travesty...?

I'd rather have a flyable, well-maintained airplane in a non-authentic paintjob than a hangar queen/grounded warbird in a famous paint scheme.

Keep 'em flying.

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Travesty...?

I'd rather have a flyable, well-maintained airplane in a non-authentic paintjob than a hangar queen/grounded warbird in a famous paint scheme.

Keep 'em flying.

Absolutely Randy. Not a question in my mind about that.
Man, I got a lot to tell you about in September!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Travesty...?

I'd rather have a flyable, well-maintained airplane in a non-authentic paintjob than a hangar queen/grounded warbird in a famous paint scheme.

Keep 'em flying.

I'm not sure where it happened in this but I think some of you misunderstand my feelings.. I was trying my best to help Ladd Gardner get funding to get the process of a ground up resto done on the plane.. probably not hard enough (trying)... The plan was that, if some of the fans threw in a few thousand, then Ladd would use that as leverage with a sponsor or two who, hopefully, would pony up the rest of the $$ to get it done...

To be honest, I didn't have a lot of faith that it would ever happen but I did have my fingers crossed for Ladd... he SO wanted to carry on the legacy his dad had started and I SO wanted him to have the chance..

I remain disappointed that the family couldn't keep the bird and get it flying in TOP condition, I'm HAPPY that it will be flying, I will be very disappointed if Red Bull does not sieze the chance to bring it out as White Lightnin'.... Hell... I'd buy some cans of their stuff if they had a special edition White Lightnin' drink!

I bet a lot of us would.. (hope they read here )

Wayne

[spacegrrrl]

Re: Travesty...?

Air race Addict,

WHY DO YOU KEEP POSTING ENTIRELY IN BOLD FONT!!!!! IF WE WERE TALKING WOULD YOU BE SHOUTING???

Please don't post all of your replies in bold fonts!

Michele

[Victor Archer]

Re: Travesty...?

I for one am very happy to see the plane get a full restoration.
As for the paint, I think that it should done in one of it's original schemes from the late forties that is where it's racing roots came from.

http://members.aol.com/conroeqb/47Miamiraceconfigindex.html

History:
Lilee Products Co, Chicago, IL, Apr. 1946.
- Acquired from War Assets Administration, Kingman, AZ for $1250.
- Registered as NX25Y.
J. D. ReedCo, Houston, TX, 1947-1953
- Flown as Bendix Racer #14/"Sky Ranger"
Hugh Wells, Baltimore, MD, 1953.
- Registered as N25Y.
Sylvan Lair & Vernon Thorpe, Yukon, OK, 1962-1963
Marvin L. Gardner & Lloyd Nolan/Confederate Air Force, Mercedes, TX, 1964-1970.
Joe Henderson/CAF, Brownwood, TX, 1972
Marvin L Gardner, Harlingen & Austin, TX, 1977-2005
- Flown as race #25 (later #13) "White Lightnin"
- Crash landed after engine failure, Greenwood, MS, June 25, 2001.
Red Bull, Salsburg, Austria, 2005.
- Under restoration to airworthy.

[SCEPTER]

Re: Travesty...?

Air race Addict,

WHY DO YOU KEEP POSTING ENTIRELY IN BOLD FONT!!!!! IF WE WERE TALKING WOULD YOU BE SHOUTING???

Please don't post all of your replies in bold fonts!

Michele

are you guys married?

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Travesty...?

are you guys married?

Stop it! You're cracking me up. HAH!

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Travesty...?

Air race Addict,

WHY DO YOU KEEP POSTING ENTIRELY IN BOLD FONT!!!!! IF WE WERE TALKING WOULD YOU BE SHOUTING???

Please don't post all of your replies in bold fonts!

Michele

Why? Does it hurt your ears? Michele, I do it because it's easier for me to read. I'm OLD! Just ask Brad. Cut me some slack. Sorry if I have broken from standard email protocol. I know what you're saying, but if I was shouting, I would raise the size of the font even more and use all caps.
I promise you will know if I am shouting.
Bill