End of an Era

[ignomini]

Re: End of an Era

Reno won't be the same without him. Thanks Mr. Pardue for all the history you leave us.

[Hans Oberev]

Re: End of an Era

Definitely time to retire...he's flying backwards! Just kidding!

[TomL]

Re: End of an Era

Definitely time to retire...he's flying backwards! Just kidding!

I guess he should be DQ'd for flying too low!!!
He's also got the speed brakes down

Sorry to see Howard retire (assuming he really has! )
It's been a real pleasure watching him race over the years, a _REAL_ class act!
TomL

[flyingjibus]

Re: End of an Era

Yes and no. Yes, "Air Biscuit" was the best the Navy had in 1941, and "Sneak Attack" (and an earlier version of White Lightnin') were the best the Army Air Forces had. But for all they lacked in some of the advancements of the Zero and BF-109, they were still superior in other ways. Longer range (P-38) than the BF-109, and better armor and self-sealing fuel tanks (all USAAF and USN) than the Japanese airplanes.

All the technological advancements in the world will be little or no help when your enemy can out turn and out climb you.

Where the Zero was lacking in armor and sealing fuel tanks it more then made up for in its ability to out dogfight its opponent. Standard procedure when encountering a Zero in anything less then the perfect situational advantage was to not engage and leave the area as fast as possible.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: End of an Era

All the technological advancements in the world will be little or no help when your enemy can out turn and out climb you.

Where the Zero was lacking in armor and sealing fuel tanks it more then made up for in its ability to out dogfight its opponent. Standard procedure when encountering a Zero in anything less then the perfect situational advantage was to not engage and leave the area as fast as possible.

That's why you don't fight an enemy with those advantages by their rules. Getting into a typical turning dogfight with a Zero was suicide.

We got by the climbing/turning disadvantage by making high speed attacks using our greater velocities. The Zeros couldn't get a decent shot if you could strike and then outrun them.

Our earliest aircraft were limited in this ability, but top speeds of allied aircraft grew quickly, while the zeros remained light, slow and maneuverable, and as mentioned, far more vunerable due to lack of tank sealing and armor for the pilot.

[planecrazy2]

Re: End of an Era

The one constant of all 17 of my Reno experiences since 1985 was Mr. Pardue and his Bearcat.

Howard you will be missed. Thanks.

GM

[p51fan]

Re: End of an Era

I knew this day would come. Just like when Mr.Lefty stop showing up with his planes. This sucks. But thank you Mr.Pardue.

[mustang5151]

Re: End of an Era

Stock Bearcats were wicked machines when they came out, and for some time after. Too bad we didn't have them earlier in the war.
Looking up specs, top speed is rated at 421 mph, so Howard's bird is right up there where it should be.

I read somewhere in a magazine about a public air display shortly after the war, when they had a race between a new jet fighter and a stock Navy Bearcat. From a standstill on the runway, they took off and the Bearcat could beat the jet to 10,000 feet!! In another tale, a P-38 and a Bearcat took off at the same time and the 'cat could take off into a loop and do an overhead gunnery pass at the P-38 as it was retracting it's gear!! True or not, I'd say Grumman got it right with the Bearcat.

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: End of an Era

The Jet/Bearcat takeoff was at the Cleveland air races & I got to see that. It was between the F9F Panther versus the F8F Bearcat. There may have been others.

[t-dub]

Re: End of an Era

OK, Back on topic! Thanks Howard for all of the years that you supported the Air Races, both with your magnificent flying, and with your magnificent aircraft! After 30+ years of seeing you bend the pylons, you are going to be sorely missed! Here's wishing you all the best in your future indeavors......... Below is a shot of Howard and Tiger shooting the breeze on arrival Saturday.........

[Shawn Aro]

Re: End of an Era

On Sat the 19 i was looking for tee shirts and went to Howard pit and they didnt have any in my size well they had John Teglers Gentiman you have a race got it for 15 dolars and it wa sign by Howard and the last chapter is when he came to race the BearCat shawn