Rare Bear Flight ???

[grampi]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

I can answer that for you GRAMPI. Ten years ago 120,000 would buy you the wildest mouse, engine that could be built. That was about double what a stocker was going for. Today a stock airshow or "slow reno mustang" engine can cost you 130,000 to 200,000. Owners would rather keep the engine they just spent 200,000 on for more than one week. And most of them have blown more than one up on the course. From talking to them a blown-up engine MAY-DAY looks alot more fun than it is. And it dosnt look very fun to start with.


no animals were injured in the writing of this post, and all engine/rodent referances are the sole property of Dwight Thorn. known mostly as DWIGHT,THORNY,EXPLATIVE,and GRAMPA (only in the presance of STEVE B. aka "STEVE DANGER")

Aren't these guys who race at reno "in it to win it?" If so, then why show up to race with a stock Mustang motor? The race engines for Rare Bear must be just as expensive as the race engines for the Mustangs and they're ready to race every year. Are you saying Team RB has more money than the Mustang guys? Mustangs such as Dago Red and Strega used to be just as fast, or even faster than Rare Bear, but in recent years they've been more show than go (if they even show at all).

[Stevo]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Aren't these guys who race at reno "in it to win it?"

Not necessarily so. Case in point; Air Biscuit, Speedball Alice and Sparky. Some come out to Reno for more than just trying to win at all costs.

[MRussell]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Aren't these guys who race at reno "in it to win it?" If so, then why show up to race with a stock Mustang motor? The race engines for Rare Bear must be just as expensive as the race engines for the Mustangs and they're ready to race every year. Are you saying Team RB has more money than the Mustang guys? Mustangs such as Dago Red and Strega used to be just as fast, or even faster than Rare Bear, but in recent years they've been more show than go (if they even show at all).

I think that post was unfair to the Mustangs and not entirely accurate.

[t-dub]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

I think that post was unfair to the Mustangs and not entirely accurate.

Yes i agree MRussell. The Mustang guys have been re-developing their engine programs if you will, since some of the inline gurus that were at the forefront of the Merlin mods are no longer with us. Don't worry, the little problems that have been plaguing the Merlins of late are being worked out, and their time to shine again is on it's way...............

[p51dplt]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Do you guys not remember last years gold race???? Not only was it won by a Mustang/Merlin, but Dago finished a strong 2nd, and to set the record straight, those are not even close to stock engines.

[Victor Archer]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Do you guys not remember last years gold race???? Not only was it won by a Mustang/Merlin, but Dago finished a strong 2nd, and to set the record straight, those are not even close to stock engines.

Yeah... What he said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BuckyD]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Do you guys not remember last years gold race???? Not only was it won by a Mustang/Merlin, but Dago finished a strong 2nd, and to set the record straight, those are not even close to stock engines.

"AMEN!!!" (You KNOW what Rodney Dangerfield would've said about it...)

DBD

[Leo]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Yeah, what they said!

And Sparky beat Air Biscuit, another merlin beating a roundy.

I predict the gold will be won by a 40+ year old design which either has or has not won before, with either a round or in-line engine and a fancy paint job.
Unless everyone either breaks or DNS and Sparky gets the gold by default. Still fits the criteria above.

[t-dub]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Do you guys not remember last years gold race???? Not only was it won by a Mustang/Merlin, but Dago finished a strong 2nd, and to set the record straight, those are not even close to stock engines.

I never mentioned ANYTHING about stock engines! Last year is proof that the issues that have plagued the (modified) Merlins for the last few years (Dago, Strega, and Voodoo to be exact) are being worked out.............

[Leo]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Ahhh, but last year Strega was supposedly showing up with a stocker, according to the rumor mill, and was written off by a lot of people as non-competative. All this, of course, before she was on the ramp. A perfect example of why the "Bear with no engine" story could be real, or just a smike screen.
In rumors, Tigers and Bears have a lot in common.

[t-dub]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

.
In rumors, Tigers and Bears have a lot in common.

Ain't that the truth!!! If Bear showed up with a "stock" go pack, i bet she'd still be huntin' gold!

[t-dub]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Ahhh, but last year Strega was supposedly showing up with a stocker, according to the rumor mill, and was written off by a lot of people as non-competative.

To what degree would it be considered "stock" though? You can take a stock engine and bolt on a few goodies to increase performance, but it's still theoretically a "stock" engine......... Now that i think about it, i think 2007 was the year that Strega was supposed to have the "stocker".........

[Leo]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

Oops.
Not only are the days running together, but now the years are...

[Propellerhead]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

To what degree would it be considered "stock" though? You can take a stock engine and bolt on a few goodies to increase performance, but it's still theoretically a "stock" engine......... Now that i think about it, i think 2007 was the year that Strega was supposed to have the "stocker".........

And no one was to read anything to the presence of Mike Nixon that year.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

[Skyracer]

Re: Rare Bear Flight ???

All this speculation about where the next engine for the Bear is coming from...don't forget the one before Dewlle's. That was a pretty highly modified race engine that served the Bear well for many years (with several rebuilds of course). Can't remember for sure, but wasn't that the engine that swallowed a big chunk of "aerospace filler"? (WOW, speaking of blurs...)

I don't recall that Lyle's last engine (financed by the fans and Doug Coates' Estate) grenaded, so there had to be enough large pieces left to be a starting point for a rebuild.