Critical Mass Restoration Update

[catalinadave]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Ken, thanks for all the updates on CM. I read that your family is looking for a stock Royal navy paint scheme. Any possibility of keeping Taz and the CM name on her with her new clothes?

Thanks to your entire family for all the racing and wonderful views of CM and your T-6's

Dave

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Thanks Ken for you & the rest of the Dwelle family for all the years of racing. Yes you are right about whats coming down the pipe. I've been around the races since the 40's & every year is different thats why I keep going to Reno at 77.

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Dave-

We honestly haven't decided on a scheme yet but we do have some ideas. It will keep the name and Taz in some form.

Ken

Ken, thanks for all the updates on CM. I read that your family is looking for a stock Royal navy paint scheme. Any possibility of keeping Taz and the CM name on her with her new clothes?

Thanks to your entire family for all the racing and wonderful views of CM and your T-6's

Dave

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

It's inevitable that unlimited air racing has a limited number of years left but I feel more optimistic than I have in a long time about the top end of the Gold. Dago, Strega, Bear, Dreadnought, Galloping Ghost, Czeck Mate, Fury, Spirit of Texas, Riff Raff, Vodoo and don't forget Furias which I think is going to surprise a lot of folks. 11 airplanes capable of 430+ and every one of them appear to have sound programs. When was the last time you saw that? Plus there are a couple of really exciting unknowns in Sept Fury and the Cornell Racer.
.

AMEN to that Ken....
we also cant count out Wildfire as well.. as the latest RARA podcast.. Bob Button stated that there will be a nearly full field of airplanes that will run at over or near 500mph.. im excited for next year al ready.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Interesting to read this thread. Some of you I agree with, some of you I don't. Space Girl and FlyingJbuss, we aren't ever going to agree on this but it's been three years now, it's going to happen, you should work at getting over it. This is supposed to be fun and after 16 years with the airplane we weren't having any fun. It was time to come up with a new plan. To answer someone elses question, we tried for 3 years to sell or trade C-Mass. There was no interest.

It's inevitable that unlimited air racing has a limited number of years left but I feel more optimistic than I have in a long time about the top end of the Gold. Dago, Strega, Bear, Dreadnought, Galloping Ghost, Czeck Mate, Fury, Spirit of Texas, Riff Raff, Vodoo and don't forget Furias which I think is going to surprise a lot of folks. 11 airplanes capable of 430+ and every one of them appear to have sound programs. When was the last time you saw that? Plus there are a couple of really exciting unknowns in Sept Fury and the Cornell Racer.

You'd have to be in a coma not to be pumped about a field like that. Lighten up a little and enjoy the great things that ARE happening and quit worrying about what WAS.

Rant over.

I definitely understand why you've decided to do what you are doing. You deserve to enjoy the plane! I think what I was saying I'd hope for is you consider retaining a color scheme that is in keeping with the racing heritage of the plane. Her racing history makes her far more interesting as a racer than yet another generic Sea Fury.

Is there a specific reason that you are going back to a "stock" paint scheme? If it for resale value? Just wondering.

Spacegrrrl

[Red]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

I definitely understand why you've decided to do what you are doing. You deserve to enjoy the plane! I think what I was saying I'd hope for is you consider retaining a color scheme that is in keeping with the racing heritage of the plane. Her racing history makes her far more interesting as a racer than yet another generic Sea Fury.

Is there a specific reason that you are going back to a "stock" paint scheme? If it for resale value? Just wondering.

Spacegrrrl

For more interesting to whom? When did they say they were going to a stock scheme?

[SCEPTER]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Plus there are a couple of really exciting unknowns in Sept Fury and the Cornell Racer.

Is there anything going on with 232? Not really off-topic since 232 has CM's
old wing panels.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

...You'd have to be in a coma not to be pumped about a field like that. Lighten up a little and enjoy the great things that ARE happening and quit worrying about what WAS.

Rant over.

Yeah, I know I'm beefing out loud, Ken. I truly am excited about the current group of ultra-fast unlimiteds. I guess I was just spoiled by the past.

Looking forward to seeing CM in the air again, and hope to see it in the silver/bronze events someday. Best wishes.

[Daver]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Hey Ken! - Can't wait to see the finished product - and do a new painting for you guys! Say Hi! to your Dad and the rest of the clan for me!

Dave

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

"Is there a specific reason that you are going back to a "stock" paint scheme? If it for resale value? Just wondering."

To learn the answer to that question you have to understand a little bit about our family. My Grandfather, his Brother, My Father, his Brother and I were all Army Aircorps/Air Force Fighter Pilots. I grew up in a military family hearing stories about warplanes, Thinking about them, building models of them and wishing I could fly them. I was lucky enough to spend much of my 20's and 30's doing just that. So you can see where my interests and passions are, what chance did I have to get it any other way? I respect and appreciate the history of these airplanes and the purpose for which they were built. It's going to get a Military scheme.

That being said, I'm not a complete purist regarding authenticity as evidenced by the paint job on our T-6 Kitchen Pass. It's from a P-47 circa 1944. I just thought it looked cool and knew we would never own a real one. My Brother lobbied for a civillian scheme and I don't recall Dad having an opinion as I turned out I sprayed it so I got to pick it.

I honestly don't know what Military scheme it will be but I'm sure it will be a Sea Fury one. It will probably not be 100% authentic, which will annnoy the purists. It will certainly carry some evidence of its history as a red racer. It has to be something which gets your heart rate up when you walk into the hangar.

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Hey Ken! - Can't wait to see the finished product - and do a new painting for you guys! Say Hi! to your Dad and the rest of the clan for me!

Dave

Thank you Dave, I'll pass that along.

[TWD]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

<<<<The rub here is over the perceived need to make stock museum-pieces of a/c that have acquired more fame as racers >>>

So is Conquest 1 a racer or a museum piece?
TJ's answer: It's both. It looks great, but it never flies.


When we first put out the CM as a stocker idea, I saw a few posts about how it should live out it's days in a museum. Screw that! How about we figure out a way to fly it instead. Even better, how about we put a back seat in it and take someone along. Even better than that, how about we put a second set of controls in it so whoever we take along can fly it also.

At the core for me is that the Dwelles love to fly. Racing is our passion, but flying is our lives.

I just took my oldest boy for his first flight in a T-6. I can hardly wait to check him out in it and fly with him like I do with my father. OK, I know, today's his 6th birthday, so it will be a while till he can reach the pedals, but his flying education is well under way.

Rant just getting warmed up

TJ

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

This may draw some controversy, but...

...Not CM, but I think Rare Bear is a good example of a racer that should SOMEDAY end up in the Smithsonian rather than get converted into a stock Bearcat.

I only say that because of it's lengthy and rich history as a gold winning competitor. All those championships plus the massive backing by the fans as"the people's racer" make it worthy of such status. It SHOULD have the honor of being placed alongside the likes of Chuck Yeagar's X-1 and the Spirit of St. Louis when it's race career is finally over.

In short, it should remain Rare Bear forever.

Of course, I hope this doesn't happen for a long time (hopefully not in my lifetime), but when the day finally comes, and the day WILL come eventually....Well, you know.

Just don't let Red Bull get ahold of it. Please!

Critical Mass was a beautiful and competitive racer that we all loved and appreciated, but just doesn't have the record of championship wins to be considered in the same way as RB. C-mass has too much potential converted back to stock, so I think the Dwelles made the right choice for it. I mean absolutely no insult to that fine Sea Fury, so don't take this viewpoint wrong.


I kind of feel the same way about Dago Red as I do the Bear. With it's massive history of championships, not to discount it's wide-spread fame due to the countless radio control and static models made of it over the years plus other sources, Dago too should finish it's days on display for all those who will come after us to enjoy and appreciate. Dago should never go stock, in my opinion.

Can you just picture 20-30 years from now, both Rare Bear and Dago hanging from the Smithsonian's ceiling, side-by-side in a permanent banked left turn? I can. What a sight that would be!

NOTE please that I say "Smithsonian" because neither aircraft should end up in just any aviation museum. They should be displayed where they could and would receive the most appreciation and care, hence our National Aviation museum is the only choice to me.

OK, you can slap me around now if you wish. I'm ready

[BJH]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

I feel the same about Strega as well. 8 Reno championships to Dago's 6. Dago has the speed record though.

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

"Critical Mass was a beautiful and competitive racer that we all loved and appreciated, but just doesn't have the record of championship wins to be considered in the same way as RB."

Absolutely Correct.

Ken