'BUCK SHOTS'

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Great shots. I bet the sound was something else. That low shot & the one of "Lefty" in the P38 flying low were awesome.

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Once again- thanks all for expressing your kind & generous compliments (Rachel- my check's in the mail!)

Now, here's a photo subject that REALLY gets my ole' ticker thumpin'-

Midget Mustangs

Way back in 1948, Piper Aircraft's chief engineer- Dave Long, designed & built his prototype 'P-Shooter' Midget, which he premiered & raced that year in Goodyear Trophy Midget Class closed-course pylon competition @ the Cleveland National Air Races, as Race #67.

After additional mods & refinements, in 1949 Long's little speedster got renamed- 'Midget Mustang' & established itself as one of the most successful classic kit sportplanes in aviation history, & for all the right reasons. An estimated 400+ have been built to date & plans are still marketed by Mustang Aeronautics.

For some great history w/photos & video, specs, etc., check out the following link (& be sure to click on the outstanding special 50th Anniversary article featured on the page's 'History' tab):

http://www.mustangaero.com/Midget%20...20Mustang.html

Here's a trio of 'Buck Shots' showcasing a couple MM's at Stead Field - Reno '88 & '96 NCAR events...

DBD

(P.S. I still recall the fun I had as a kid building plastic scale model kits of the Midget Mustang. Might've been a HAWK kit...Anyone recall the kit mfr. & scale?)

[t-dub]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Nice thread Buck! Some amazing shots! If i remember correctly, the racing biplanes "Cobra" and "Sundancer" were derived from Midget Mustangs. Do you have any pics of them you could post? Troy

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Nice thread Buck! Some amazing shots! If i remember correctly, the racing biplanes "Cobra" and "Sundancer" were derived from Midget Mustangs. Do you have any pics of them you could post? Troy

Thanks v. much, Troy. Believe you're correct - know Sundancer utilized MM fuselage & tail (per the Mendenhall ref. books). Sorry, no dice re. your req. f/Sundancer & Cobra biplane pics (ones I did have were amongst numerous slides/negs lost in two seperate studio floods suffered in years past) I'd suggest you start a seperate thread for your request & bet you'd get some good responses fm the many photogs who visit the msg. board.

BTW- Tim Bovee entered his bright yellow & blue Midget Mustang- Race #90- 'Purty Pony' at Reno '01 (+9/11+)-'02-'03-'04 & did race it @ Reno '02 (4th-pl. Bronze) & Reno '04 (3rd-pl. Bronze). Once again, sorry-no pics (none taken).

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Classic CUB"...

The Piper J-3 Cub certainly belongs in the icon ranks of the World's Greatest Aircraft Designs, & this forever-famous light aircraft type has helped launch the aviation careers of countless civilian & military pilots, during its' lengthy & distinguished career. Between 1938-1947,-over 20,000 were built. During WW2, the J-3 was the main primary trainer utilized for the Civilian Pilot Training Program-providing 80% of all U.S. military pilots w/their initial flight training.

As a warbird (O-59/L-4/NE), the Cub faithfully-served for duty in WW2 & Korea as a dependable reconnaissance, liason & air ambulance airplane. In the final days of the ETO Campaign, an L-4 'Grasshopper' successfully-engaged in an improbable air-combat encounter w/a German Fieseler Storch, using crew-fired 45-caliber pistols to force their lightweight adversary down for capture!

Today, Piper Cubs, -original Mod. J-3s & their various modern upgraded versions, are still being flown in great numbers worldwide, on wheels, skis & floats as one of the most-popular light STOL aircraft, f/both business & pleasure.

Here's a couple shots of one very fine example- a 1946 Mod. J3C-65 (NC98640/Ser.#18866), proudly-posing on the Reno/Stead Field ramp on Mon. 9/20/99 after the air races, alongside Jack Hovey's P-51D.

The J-3 Cub is one of my absolute personal favorites, & I've flown in Cubs & Super Cub seaplanes up here in Alaska. The only time I ever got to fly in one on wheels, was in a yellow J-3 similar to this one,-while volunteering at the 1979 Miami/Homestead Air Races. Early in the week, race management provided the Cub & its' pilot f/me to do some aerial photo-mapping of the Unlimited racecourse. After our task was finished, the pilot 'coaxed' me into taking the controls for one final lower circuit of the course. Gotta tell ya, I was- grinnin' like a coon dog', during the entire lap! That sure was one v. special fun experience I'll always fondly-remember.

DBD

[stuntflyr]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Olin and Comet, much later a Mexican outfit Pegaso used the same molds to produce those models. The Midget Mustang, Swee' Pea, Clipwing Monocoupe, and Knight Twister were the racers in about 1/48th scale. There were other civil models too; Mooney Mite, Ercoupe I think. Bonanza and a Stinson Station Wagon, too.
Neat kits, I have a few.
Thanks for the pics.
Chris...

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Re: Midget Mustang plastic model kits (Kit Mfrs./Scale) ...

Hey Chris-

Thanks very much f/all the info! Yes, I'm fairly sure the kit I built was 1/48-scale, but without seeing the kit box art-I'm still drawing a blank on the kit mfr. brand it was. I do recall that there weren't alot of assy. pieces, -but the kit was easy to build w/good overall fit of the parts & it really looked great finished & painted.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Up A BIG Tall Ladder...!"

Reno '86 NCAR:

During Monday's Unlimited Qualifying & Practice Session, Rare Bear driver- John Penney was flying practice laps out on the racecourse, when his crew clocked an impressive, but unofficial, 426-mph lap speed f/Race 77. After pulling-up f/the cool-down, gremlins jumped into the big super Bearcat's engine compartment, forcing Penney into a quick landing, while trailing smoke. As Penney related to Reno Gazette-Journal veteran newspaper reporter-Phil Barber shortly-afterwards in Tuesday's edition: "I was cooling down (the engine), when it POPPED!" Barber went on to note: "One of the engine's 18 pistons apparently burned,-a problem that could be fixed overnight." Well,...not exactly, as it turned out for Lyle Shelton & his dedicated- TEAM RARE BEAR crew.

Closer internal inspection revealed that metal fragments fm one of the newly-installed Simplex piston rings, had essentially junked #77's race-prepared R-3350 motor. At 10-pm on Monday, Lyle's son-John Slack & a volunteer, hit Highway 395 South on a mission to retrieve & bring back a brand-new canned stock loaner engine in storage down in Chino, courtesy of Frank Sanders.

On Tues., the Bear crew worked all thru the 2nd Qualifying day removing the 'fubar-ed' race engine to prepare for a super-intensive all-niter engine-swap,-which launched immediately upon Slack's 9-pm Stead return that eve. w/their replacement powerplant.

'Down-to-the-wire'- John Penney & #77 took-off w/only 30-min. left before the final qualifying deadline & managed to post a 402.171-mph Q-run,-successfully making the competition in 9th-place. Then, running-conservatively thru all their Unlimited heat events on the 'borrowed' zero-time R-3350, TEAM RARE BEAR worked their way up the ladder to a 4th-place finish in Sunday's UNL GOLD Championship @ 407.565-av/mph, & impressed everybody, especially their new primary sponsor- Residence Inns owner-Jack DeBoer. These amazing guys had once-again displayed their well-established tradition of showing tremendous heart & determination to WIN, despite the odds!

Tues. 9/9/86 Photos (L-R):

1. Frontal view of Rare Bear, w/crew chief- Dave Cornell (back to camera) on the ladder, assisting crewmate- Greg Shaw, in rigging the sling f/removing the Bear's ruined R-3350 using the big USAAF-surplus mobile crane hoist. Standing-by at lower-right is #77 race pilot-John Penney (in blue work coveralls) & crewman-Chris Wood.

2. High-angle perspective top view of #77-Rare Bear shot from way atop the crane hoist, just prior to removal of the race motor. Greg Shaw (blue shirt) & Chris Wood are seen standing on the wings, discussing proceedures.

DBD

[stuntflyr]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

'86, Buck. Wasn't it '86?
Chris...

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

'86, Buck. Wasn't it '86?
Chris...

YESSIRREE!!! Sometimes,-'the obvious is the least', as that time-worn cliche' goes...

Thanks, Chris f/the heads-up & typos duly-corrected. Proofing is always an ongoing editorial process in writing copy.

DBD

[Apteryx]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Nice thread Buck! Some amazing shots! If i remember correctly, the racing biplanes "Cobra" and "Sundancer" were derived from Midget Mustangs. Do you have any pics of them you could post? Troy

Most current pic I can find here

Paul

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

More- 'RIDGE-RUNNERS' & 'HEDGE-HOPPERS'...! ("Fly Low-Fly Fast!")

"Heavy Metal Thoroughbred" - IN FULL-GALLOP!

* North American P-51D Mustang- NX79111 *

Photos (L-R):

1. Wed. 9/16/81-Old Outer 4 Pylon- Rookie Unlimited race pilot- Skip Holm flies Wiley Sanders' #69 'Jeannie' on a rail, during his record-setting qualifying run of 450.085-mph. (Skip made the record book again on Sunday,-as first Unlimited rookie to win Gold)- "Ridge-Runner"!

2. Mon. 9/8/86-West Chute- The first day of Reno '86 Practice & Qualifying was so windy, that a record 100 pilots decided to pass on flying their race planes. By late afternoon wind velocities decreased, & a few Unlimiteds took to air for a few practice laps around the Stead Field racecourse. Here we see Jimmy Leeward & his #9 'Air Ranch Special' diving down into the 'V-O-S' ("Valley of Speed"). On Wed., Jimmy qualified Race 9 in 6th-place, @ 430.432-mph, & won Sunday's Silver @ 409.582-av/mph.

3. Mon. 9/9/85-West Chute- Jimmy's got his bright yellow Mustang runnin' v-fast & right down-on-the-deck thru the 'V-O-S' (Photo'd here whizzin'-by the W. Guide Pylon), -just doin' some practice laps! Leeward qualified Race 9 the following day @ 429.485-mph in the 8th-slot. Definately a- "Hedge-Hoppin'-Jack Rabbit Rouster"!

DBD

[Big_Jim]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

I think we need more pics of that airplane....especially as Specter, please.

[corbinace]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

BTW- Tim Bovee entered his bright yellow & blue Midget Mustang- Race #90- 'Purty Pony' at Reno '01 (+9/11+)-'02-'03-'04 & did race it @ Reno '02 (4th-pl. Bronze) & Reno '04 (3rd-pl. Bronze). Once again, sorry-no pics (none taken).

DBD

I have some but no ready means of posting them. I can email them to you. It was a great chapter of my life.

Now I am arranging the Great Northwest Air Race here in Washington. It is an open course race santioned by the Sport Air Racing League.

http://www.sportairrace.org/index.html

A great time for one and all.

[3dWrightBrother]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

That third photo is awesome Bucky
Russ