'BUCK SHOTS'

[Ramjets]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Way cool, Ric!

[Curt]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Ten Bux and they used my AE-1

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Hey Ramjets- Great to hear fm someone who enjoys & appreciates all the wonderful history we've posted along the way to share w/aafo site goers over the years & thanks f/your kind & generous 'atta-boy' props.

Looks like you & Curt are real avatar photo brothers (& share an strong likeness in your cockpit portraits to boot).

Lowpasskid- Big thanks f/relating your White Lightnin' cockpit photo anecdote as well (which cracked me up, btw )

We're all lucky to have been around back then to enjoy the awesome & spectacular experience of witnessing Lefty Gardner perform & race his beautiful Lockheed P-38 around the pylons during that grand chapter in air racing/airshow history. They were my personal hands-down favorites & have been sorely-missed ever since by me & those folks who saw 'em.

Here's an N25Y cockpit portrait of yours-truly taken by my good pal-veteran race #13 crewman-Joe Harmon, using my old AE-1 camera to capture the shared privilege of getting to sit in Lefty's 'office' too.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Reno 2011's- Unlimited Class 400+MPH Club"

Obviously, air race fans will never get to know what the final results of the scheduled Reno 2011 NCAR Unlimited Class Sunday Gold Trophy event showdown might've been had tragedy not struck Stead Field during the running Friday's ill-fated UNL Heat-2A.

There were alot of high-expectations felt before that happened regarding the chances of seeing the first UNL Gold Championship to break the formidable 500+mph race average for the 8-lap finale for the 'heavy-metal thoroughbreds of air racing motorsports. That possibility was boldly-accentuated on Monday 9/12/11 at 12:30pm,-when defending UNL Gold champion race pilot- Steven Hinton, Jr. drove Bill 'Tiger' Destefani's P-51D #7-"Strega" around the course for one qualification lap to set a blistering new class record of 499.160-mph!

What an impressive lineup of UNL Gold contenders were on hand this year, w/only Sherm Smoot & super-Yak #86-"Czech Mate" as a no-show listed entry. Here's a photo gallery review of all the Unlimited Class entries who managed to notch a qualifying speed over 400-mph:

DBD

(Note: I felt compelled to also include rookie UNL pilot/owner-Thom Richard & #38-"Precious Metal" f/their 399.178-mph Q-time and give them the 'A'-4-Effort Special Award f/just getting his racer to Reno this year! There was some attrition & position juggling due to paperwork & mechanical issues, etc. during Reno 2011 UNL qualifications & no-telling on which racers would've held up or bumped-up to make Sunday's UNL Gold...)

Photos (L-R/Top down):

1. Steven Hinton, Jr.- P-51D #7-Strega- 499.160-mph (New Record)
2. Will Whiteside- P-51D #5-Voodoo- 485.184-mph
3. Stewart Dawson- F8F-2 #77-Rare Bear- 479.430-mph
4. Robert 'Hoot' Gibson- Sea Fury #232-September Fury- 467.054-mph
5. Jimmy Leeward- P-51D #177-Galloping Ghost- 465.807-mph
6. Matt Jackson- Sea Fury #15-Furias- 462.190-mph
7. Dennis Sanders- Sea Fury #8-Dreadnought- 443.210-mph
8. Dan Vance- Sea Fury #71-Sawbones- 423.796-mph
9. Brent Hisey- P-51D #11-Miss America- 414.923-mph
10. Mark Watt- Sea Fury #114-Argonaut- 402.774-mph
11. Will Whiteside- Yak 3U #33-Steadfast- 400.452-mph
12. Thom Richard- P-51D #38-Precious Metal- 399.178-mph

[Ramjets]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Great pics, Don. I hope someday, before I get too old to be allowed, to get out to the pylons. The days of going out to Red Rock are long gone So, until that time comes, keep those photos comin'

[sandramore]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Great pics, Don. I hope someday, before I get too old to be allowed, to get out to the pylons. The days of going out to Red Rock are long gone So, until that time comes, keep those photos comin'

Yeah, if there's an age cutoff, you and I could be in trouble!

[wingman]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Vey nice set of pics, Bucky D...

Neal

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Super Corsair &Sawbones !"

Sun. 9/11/11-Reno NCAR-Unlimited Practice Session-

Bob Odegaard flies his magnificent newly-restored authentic F2G Cleveland-era corncob racer #74, in a just-for-fun duel w/Dan Vance & Sea Fury Race #71 around Reno's Stead Field racecourse.

Thanks once again to Bob O. f/making air racing history come full-circle for all us fans! Indeed- 'You are-The Man', kind Sir!

DBD

[jarrodeu]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Where was that taken from?

Jarrod

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Cleveland-Era Classic!"

Reno 2011 NCAR's terrible Galloping Ghost race accident catastrophy Friday 9/16 halted the event's 48-year running prematurely in brutal fashion, which pretty-much overshadowed the fact that before that fateful happening,-racers & race fans were thankfully-blessed in getting to enjoy several excellent days of qualification & practice flying, which was followed-up by some exciting race action too.

So come to think of it- there were indeed many bright spots highlighting the first half of Reno 2011 race week, despite the tragic circumstances that befell us. Of course, Stevo Hinton's 499+mph new Unlimited Q-record in/Tiger Destefani's multi-Gold Trophy winning P-51 Mustang #7-Strega during the first day of qualifying on Monday was tops for many race fans.

But if anyone were to ask me what my personal most-favorite fun & exciting Reno '11 happening was, there would be no hesitation on giving my answer: getting to see air racing history come full-circle a second time via Bob Odegaard's newest flying warbird restoration- Cook Cleland's Vought-Goodyear F2G Super Corsair Race #74 (NX5577N).

There was tons of anticipation throughout the air racing community, as soon as it was announced that Odegaard had officially-entered #74 f/Reno 2011 Unlimited Class competition. Folks were totally-stoked about the exciting news, having been already previously-treated to seeing Bob Odegaard's other authentic Cleland F2G racer #57 restoration (N5588N) make its' debut @ Reno '99 to win the first Rolls-Royce Heritage Trophy & then return to race in pylon competition @ Reno '06-'07 & '08, before being sold to Arizona warbird collector Ron Pratt.

But when this racer's newly-overhauled P&W R-4360 corncob motor went sour following the first test flight last summer,- forcing cancellation of Odegaard's EAA/AirVenture 2011 debut,-things didn't look all that promising for Bob's Reno race plans this year.

Through perserverance by Odegaard & his crew, w/strong support fm his engine-builder, late on Sat. 9/10/11- Race #74, accompanied by Bob's beautiful new P-51D restoration, appeared in the grey skies over Stead Field, bringing-out smiles & exclamations fm the eager fans waiting down below all along the ramp. Looking up through my long camera zoom lens, as the Mustang broke-off f/landing, I gasped at the sudden sight of a huge smoke trail that came flowing out of the F2G's exhaust pipes just as the Corsair continued its' overhead arrival approach to complete the last leg of the flight after a stop in Wyoming. "Oh no! -#74's engine gremlins are back at it again & so much f/racing!", I thought to myself & then it hit me (w/some self-contained embarrassment)- Odegaard had turned-on his built-in airshow smoke generator to create some fanfare & show his joy on making his Reno destination after all the trials endured to get there.

Watching Bob Odegaard & crew successfully-making their qualifying & practice runs w/Super Corsair #74, and then getting to race her,-was nothing short of fantastic & a pure joy to behold. Of course, all the dedicated air racing afficionados & history buffs knew NX5577N had won the 1947 Thompson Trophy w/Cook Cleland piloting & was there to compete again f/the TT in '48 & '49 w/Cleland's partner-Dick Becker at the controls. They were doubly-aware now that there were TWO Post-WW2 Cleveland-era big-iron racers present on the Stead Field ramp f/Reno 2011 this September, w/Super Corsair #74 reuniting w/Jimmy Leeward's P-51D NX79111- retro-dubbed & painted-up as a extremely-modified version of Steve Beville & Bruce Raymond's original #77-"Galloping Ghost",-that raced in all four Post-WW2 Cleveland events. We all hoped to possibly see these two old pylon war horses make a few photo op demo circuits together in formation again just for- 'old time's sake' around the Stead Unlimited racecourse, which didn't come to pass, also in-part due to their disparate racing speeds within the UNL Class.

But then thank goodness f/someone's great foresight & coordination, because both these two old raceplane rivals were subsequently-spotted alongside each other out there on the ramp f/sunrise photos Thursday morning,-much to the delight of the photogs who were on hand to capture the rare reunion event of this elite pair of historic veteran racing birds.

So now, I'd like to proudly-premiere this special full-gallery of my best 'Buck Shots' documenting the historic occasion of Super Corsair Race #74's wonderful return to air racing this year at Reno 2011. I've also included a couple pics of Super Corsair Race #57, along w/a comparison shot of Doug Matthews' stock F4U-4 that returned to race again at Reno this year, to note the external airframe configuration differences between variants.

On behalf of air racing fans everywhere, I wish to also express our sincerest-gratitude to Bob Odegaard, his family & crew for making it all possible (AND actually doing it ala-'encore' fashion, which was absolutely-amazing!). Thanks, Bob- You're a 100% Class Act & thanks for your fantastic flying warbird restorations to help- 'Keep 'Em Flyin' & allowing air racing history to come full-circle by returning those two magnificent F2G Super Corsair- 'Cleveland Classics' back into the air to race again.

"AWESOME" (X2-'Size Large'!)

DBD

(P. S.- Now, if we can just possibly persuade our fearless webmeister into resurrecting my Pylon1 article on Cleveland racing Super Corsair history to republish here on aafo, that would really-be- 'SUPER-DUPER'!!!)

[Ramjets]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

[Spoolfool2]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

I've been mesmerized at these photos for over half an hour now and can't get enough of them. The words "great job", or "well done", don't do justice to them. Thank you. This is a great way to end the week.

Mike Barnard

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Dueling Rocket Men!"

RACE: Fri. 9/16/11-Reno NCAR-Sport HT-2C -

Greg Nelson flying his Sport type F1 Rocket #122-"Xray"- turns the pylon low & tight to stay ahead of his pursuer- pilot Jeff Ackland in #95-"Radial Rocket".

Ackland pulled-out after Lap-3 for a DNF & 6th-place, and then Nelson got nailed w/a DQ f/low-flying to put him in last. Despite the outcome, these two racers sure put on a great dueling performance, that had the fans cheering for 3 whole laps!

DBD

P.S.- Thx Neal, Ric & Mike f/your prev. kudos of appreciation!

[JLKnolla]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

That Radial Rocket with retracts is sexy! Great shot Bucky!

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Hey thanks, -JL!!!

+ I totally-agree w/you that Race#95-Radial Rocket is just way-cool (& she has such a sweet purr comin' fm her round motor when going-by too)!

DBD