Critical Mass Restoration Update

[Propellerhead]

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.

Dago has A speed record not THE speed record (3 KM).

[Racer 18]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

My recollection of the the Dwelle family is that they are some of the nicest, and most energetic and enthusiastic folks in aviation. Also, true hard charging racers, as demonstrated by their accomplishments in T 6 racing, as well as unlimited racing. I had the privledge of flying with Tom Sr and Tom, Jr and will always been honored to have been able to fly with them. They would give one the shirt off their backs for anyone in need...

T 6 Race #18 (ret.)

PS Ken and TJ great job restoring your Sea Fury! Truely the right and historical thing to do. Ken, great paint scheme on Kitchen Pass!

[ignomini]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

So, we're agreed C-Mass deserves to be whatever the Dwelles want.

As far as additional Reno racers in the Smithsonian, been the Hazy Center lately? I'd say it's getting crowded enough that you'll have to choose which Bearcat is the one on display, or which Mustang gets the spot. I just don't see many more examples from one class of racing going in there.

If I had to hazard a guess as to what additional air racer is likely to end up on display some day, I'll stretch the ole neck out and guess it turns out to be a certain pink and white NXT.

[t-dub]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

In the first shot, right below the 707's wing, you can just see the nose of Greenamyer's American Jet. Above it is the Travel Air D4D Pepsi skywriter. In the second shot, hanging from the ceiling, is the Chipmunk of Art Scholl. Right behind it (going vertical) is the Laser 200 of Leo Loudenslager. Great stuff. I must be getting old, cause i have vivid memories of all of these aircraft at Reno................

[DaveH]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

I'm new to this forum and have never had th chance to actually see these great racers for real. But looking at what photos are available there is something puzzling me. Where were the air intakes on Critical Mass and Blind Man's Buff? Did the wing roots on CM also have the intakes as well as oil coolers?

[laminar]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

If I had to hazard a guess as to what additional air racer is likely to end up on display some day, I'll stretch the ole neck out and guess it turns out to be a certain pink and white NXT.

Hopefully not anytime soon, I need to hear that thing run a few more times...GRRRR

[stuntflyr]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Dago has A speed record not THE speed record (3 KM).

Yeah,
The one Lyle tried twice for and couldn't set! The 15KM record. It always seemed Lyle had a bit of respect for young Frank about that one.
And as far as non-FAI records... there is this little stopwatch thing about going 500 mph around the pylons enough times to set a race average... I seem to remember it too...what was that one about? Oh yeah, Dago Red is the only one to do it, ever! That's it...yeah.
Chris...

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Previous to 1999 the air intake was over the top of the cowling, for the 1999 race and after it was moved to the wing root inboard of the oil cooler inlet but a part of the same opening.

Ken


new to this forum and have never had th chance to actually see these great racers for real. But looking at what photos are available there is something puzzling me. Where were the air intakes on Critical Mass and Blind Man's Buff? Did the wing roots on CM also have the intakes as well as oil coolers?

[Race 29]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Ken,
Have you considered a Military scheme from an airforce other that British? I agree with having the Military paint scheme on a stock (looking) airframe. I don't know that you would want to go with Iraqi or Cuban right now, but maybe you could find something interesting out there. Or, it would also look pretty cool in a kitchen pass type of paint job! What the heck, put American Air Corps markings on it! Not exactly historicly accurate, but it would turn some heads! So, how do I get some seat time in that back seat? I for one, support you!

Race 29

[DaveH]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Thanks for that Ken.

Perhaps you can help me with some info about the oil coolers on Blind Man's Bluff too. I'm guessing from the poster I saw elsewhere on this forum that the inlet for the coolers are in the wing leading edges, about where the guns used to be. And on the profile drawings by Taichiro Yama****a there are air outlets annotated on the underside of the wings, where the middle flap sections are/were. Can you confirm that is correct, and if so were the middle flap sections still employed as flaps?

All the best for the restoration.

Regards
Dave

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Hi Dave-

You have a keen and perceptive eye. BMB employed custom built Harrison radiators in the gun bays with inlets on the L/E of the outer wing center section where the 20mm gun muzzles used to be. The air outlet was via a door on the under side of the wing in the space formerly occupied by the center flap. The center flap was deleted and therefore no way to operate flaps on the outer wing panels. BMB had 2 operational flaps out of the original 6 and a 6' clip on the wingspan. When we got the airplane to Auburn there was only 3,100' of runway so this configuration was a non-starter. We had to re-install the center flaps to get the outers to work which necessitated moving the oil coolers inboard next to the fuselage. Jim Flanagan spent the better part of a year building a variable geometry inlet and exit system for the oil coolers, which we ran at Reno in 1993. It didn't work, the oil was always hot. To hear Skip Holm tell the story BMB did the same thing and when he bitched about it they disconnected the oil temp gauge... don't know if it's true or not but it's a good story. Dad went to Bruce Boland for ideas about the oil cooler inlets and Bruce was quite sure that the problem was with the Harrison "automotive" oil coolers. At Bruce's urging, we tossed them in favor of a pair of Grumman S-2 oil coolers and an inlet design copied form the Super Corsair. We never had an oil temp problem again. In 1997 the modified A-26 Invader cowling with the over the top carb inlet came apart on the course while Skip was flying and took the right horizontal stabilizer back to the spar. We subsequently went to the DC-6 cowling (ala Rare Bear) which had no over the top scoop so that's when Jim modified the Super Corsair oil cooler inlets to add carb air on inner portions. This turned out to be a pretty good system with good ram air recovery for the carb and effective oil cooling without excessive drag once we closed the doors down tight. Clear as mud? You asked...

Ken

Thanks for that Ken.

Perhaps you can help me with some info about the oil coolers on Blind Man's Bluff too. I'm guessing from the poster I saw elsewhere on this forum that the inlet for the coolers are in the wing leading edges, about where the guns used to be. And on the profile drawings by Taichiro Yama****a there are air outlets annotated on the underside of the wings, where the middle flap sections are/were. Can you confirm that is correct, and if so were the middle flap sections still employed as flaps?

All the best for the restoration.

Regards
Dave

[Ken Dwelle]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

I like the early, natural metal, Sea Fury paint job and the Blue Australian one. The Iraqi one seems to be a non-starter but there is a photo of one being restored in Austrailia with a glossy Iraqi scheme here http://platinumfighters.com/ which looks amazing.

Thanks for the kind words.

Ken

Ken,
Have you considered a Military scheme from an airforce other that British? I agree with having the Military paint scheme on a stock (looking) airframe. I don't know that you would want to go with Iraqi or Cuban right now, but maybe you could find something interesting out there. Or, it would also look pretty cool in a kitchen pass type of paint job! What the heck, put American Air Corps markings on it! Not exactly historicly accurate, but it would turn some heads! So, how do I get some seat time in that back seat? I for one, support you!

Race 29

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Critical Mass Restoration Update

Ken,
thanks for more of the history of BMB/CM... But you are right, that iraqi scheme on the Panama Jacks Fury is pretty awesome and different.. The Midnight Blue RAN sea Fury scheme is cool.. very similar to the Dutch versions but a change in markings