Photos of old racers.

[T J Johansen]

Seeing as there are so many greaty photographers on AAFO, would anyone have color photos of the following a/c that they're willing to share here?

The planes are:
F-86 N8686D? white/red raced by Gary Levitz
F-86 N275X possibly USAF colors with white stars on tail. Crashed Sacramento
F8F N148F Black w/ gold trim as flown by John Church

T J

[Reno64]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Here is one of Bearcat #11 N148F Reno 1967

[Reno64]

Re: Photos of old racers.

I found one more. Enjoy

[Reno64]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Here is Bob Hoover in F-86 (Canadair?) N8686D at Reno September 1974.

[Reno64]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Sorry, N8686D attached here.

[deepsky]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Those are great photos! keep em coming please.

[Shawn Aro]

Re: Photos of old racers.

that yellow Bearcat is Mike Coutches based out at hayward hasnt flowen in Years Shawn

[Shawn Aro]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Also That white Sea Fury Is Getchell seafury is was flowen by Tom Taylor Shawn

[speeddemon]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Seeing as there are so many greaty photographers on AAFO, would anyone have color photos of the following a/c that they're willing to share here?

The planes are:
F-86 N8686D? white/red raced by Gary Levitz
F-86 N275X possibly USAF colors with white stars on tail. Crashed Sacramento
F8F N148F Black w/ gold trim as flown by John Church

T J

Gary never raced a white and red F-86. His F-86 was yellow with a red/orange stripe down the fuselage/tail.

Chuck Lyford did a wonderful aerobatic routine in John Church's Bearcat back in the late '60's. That airframe (if I'm remembering correctly) ended up being purchased by Bud Fountain and was the plane he was killed in at Mojave.

[T J Johansen]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Hey Race64. Great photos. Thanks a lot for posting them. N148F does look good in those colors!

Gary never raced a white and red F-86. His F-86 was yellow with a red/orange stripe down the fuselage/tail.

Ok. I just seemed to remember that he had used this according to an article at the time. From a look on the net I see the plane was regd. to Penhall in that timeframe, so I guess he fielded it!

Chuck Lyford did a wonderful aerobatic routine in John Church's Bearcat back in the late '60's. That airframe (if I'm remembering correctly) ended up being purchased by Bud Fountain and was the plane he was killed in at Mojave.

That is how I found out about the color scheme on the a/c. The "In Action" book (by Squadron Signal) had some b/w photos of the plane with the text that Lyford used to do some real short take-offs as part of his aerobatic routine. Do you know which shows (or some of them) he displayed this beast at? Does anyone know if the owner of that F8F, John Church is still around today? You are also correct that this is the a/c Fountain got killed in.

T J

[speeddemon]

Re: Photos of old racers.

That is how I found out about the color scheme on the a/c. The "In Action" book (by Squadron Signal) had some b/w photos of the plane with the text that Lyford used to do some real short take-offs as part of his aerobatic routine. Do you know which shows (or some of them) he displayed this beast at? Does anyone know if the owner of that F8F, John Church is still around today? You are also correct that this is the a/c Fountain got killed in.

T J

Chuck did several routines in this plane. Most of them, I believe, were up in the Pacific Northwest. Paine Field, Abbotsford. I know he also did a routine at the Seafair hydroplane race with it one year too.

I know Chuck also did a Bearcat routine at one of the Mojave 1000 races--but according to the math, it had to have been a different Bearcat, because the black one had already been sold to Fountain in '69.

[Leo]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Church had another Bearcat, blue with a large buzz number on the nose. Remember an article on him in AC around 1975-76, aircraft was on the cover.

[RandyGoss75]

Re: Photos of old racers.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f8fregistry/f8f-122637.html

John Herlihy did a superb Bearcat airshow too.

[Reno64]

Re: Photos of old racers.

Here are a few more from the 60's. Sea Fury #33 flown by Tom Taylor, P-51D #14 in 1965 and 1969 flown by E.D. Weiner, P-51D #13 flown by Dick Kestle, P-51D #2 flown by Mike Loeining, and finally a foursome from 1967.

[deepsky]

Re: Photos of old racers.

In the picture with the P-51 Chance III, which plane is to the right? Bardahl II is on the left, but I can't make out the other. It's not a P-51, I think it's a Bearcat with race canopy.