Frank Taylor, Dago Red

[grampi]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

I guess that brings up another questionable issue. Why was Dago taken out of racing as the fastest plane in racing and then dismantled? I could see doing this if the plane was no longer competitive, but taking the plane out of service when it was at the top of its game makes no sense. Like I said, there would've been another Mustang racing team willing to pay a pretty price for Dago in racing condition, along with all of her go fast secrets...I mean these guys race to win, right? Who wouldn't want to be a Mustang racing team showing up at reno with the fastest plane in the sky?

[flyingjibus]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

The reason why has been discussed on here in several threads.

Dago was not "taken out of racing" The plane was on a path to get overhauled and become faster. That didn't happen because of money/legal issues.

Also, Strega is faster than Dago Red.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

I guess that brings up another questionable issue. Why was Dago taken out of racing as the fastest plane in racing and then dismantled? I could see doing this if the plane was no longer competitive, but taking the plane out of service when it was at the top of its game makes no sense. Like I said, there would've been another Mustang racing team willing to pay a pretty price for Dago in racing condition, along with all of her go fast secrets...I mean these guys race to win, right? Who wouldn't want to be a Mustang racing team showing up at reno with the fastest plane in the sky?

You're way off base here with your facts.

The plane was bought in 2009 by Frank Taylor and a group of investors. Frank Taylor was the ORIGINAL owner back in 1982 when it was built by Tiger Destefani. Frank had to get rid of the airplane in 1986, but had been trying for many years to get it back.

He bought Dago from the Costo family, and stripped everything off the plane and took it apart--essentially breaking it down to zero and a detail inspect and repair as necessary--and then put it back together. He then brought in specialists to do a computer scan of the airframe (the same thing that is being done to the Jackson-Cornell racer that Rod Lewis owns). By scanning the airframe at 'zero' they could plug all the data into the computer and find the optimum shape to fill and smooth to.

There was a lot of criticizm at the time for Frank stripping off all the work that Bruce Lockwood and Chris Wood had spent years refining, but it was all going to go back on, hopefully in an 'updated' profile.

There was EVERY intent of racing it again. Frank not only wanted to win Reno again, but he has always wanted to get the 3km record that 'got away' from him in 1984. Unfortunately, this was a BANK issue that involved the previous owners, and before he could get the airplane back together and racing again, the bank seized the airplane as payment--again, the bank for the previous owners, not Taylor.

It was never 'taken out of service' with the intent of not racing it anymore. It just got caught up in something 'bigger' than racing, and ultimately it derailed everything.

[Leo]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

WARNING! Dago-Strega war starting!
Voodoo is a good example of the scenario. Mr. Button tried real hard to modify it into the fastest racer. At one point he realized he had a fast plane he could not fly, with all those costs, and reworked it with a stock canopy so he could (Bob's a big dude). His committment to racing is strong and the last few years he has toiled to win the big prize, only to just barely fall short. At some point you look at it all and think "do i want to do this anymore?" The time, money, etc. If your not going to race it, why have a fire breathing monster? I'd rather have a stock sport plane that is reliable (well, as reliable as a Mustang can be) and fun to fly with a friend. So you either sell or rebuild. A stocker is worth 2 mil. A racer? I seem to remember Dago for sale a while back at around a mil with spares, trailer, support equipment, etc.
Of course Dago's story is not that simple but essentially the same.
I loved it as a racer but economics is economics.

[Dialtapper]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Why? For the same reason that John Crocker decided to turn Sumthin' Else back to stock. For the same reason Alan Preston decided to turn Stiletto into a TF-51. For the same reason that everyone teases that it's only a matter of time before Dago, Precious Metal, and Voodoo become TF-51's as well. Because as a racer their 'market' value only appeals to a very small slice of the warbird market 'as is'...and the operating costs go up as exponentially as the 'value' of the airplane goes down. 99.95% of the people in the world who can afford to buy/own a P-51 are not interested in racing one.

Did you know that back in 1990 both Dago and Stiletto were put up at the Santa Monica/Museum of Flying auction for some insanely low opening bid price...and nobody bid on them?

There are only a few people in the world who can afford it that owning a RACER appeals to...and right now, most of those people already own one. Or more, if you're Rod Lewis. A stock warbird is 'worth' more restored on the open market than it is as a racer. If I can buy a million dollar racer yet restore it so that it's worth double...that's a hard equation to argue with. Good business AND a good deal.

Did you know that Doug Matthews had his P-51 "The Rebel" torn apart in Tiger Destefani's hangar with every intent in the world of modifying it as an all-out racer a couple years ago? Then LD and Tiger started talking about the costs associated with operating it in racing configuration. And you'll notice that it's a really nice stocker again.

That's why.

Anyone know of a TF conversion kit for a F8F?

[Bob]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Anyone know of a TF conversion kit for a F8F?

[Leo]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Wasn't there one a few years back that had a compartment in the back behind the pilot and a window on the side?
I know there is a Wildcat floating around (once literally after a ditching) that has 4 seats in the fuselage.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Wasn't there one a few years back that had a compartment in the back behind the pilot and a window on the side?
I know there is a Wildcat floating around (once literally after a ditching) that has 4 seats in the fuselage.

The old Richard Foote Wildcat had 4 seats inside the fuselage. I think that plane is based in Delaware now.

And the former Elmer Ward "Gulfhawk IV" Bearcat had a second seat installed under a larger blown canopy. That was the one that had the engine quit on takeoff at Oshkosh many moons ago and was torn up really bad. I think Fighter Rebuilders owns the wreckage and is slowly putting it back together again.

[grampi]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

The reason why has been discussed on here in several threads.

Dago was not "taken out of racing" The plane was on a path to get overhauled and become faster. That didn't happen because of money/legal issues.

Also, Strega is faster than Dago Red.

Really? How many times has Strega run 500+ MPH laps?

[grampi]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

You're way off base here with your facts.

The plane was bought in 2009 by Frank Taylor and a group of investors. Frank Taylor was the ORIGINAL owner back in 1982 when it was built by Tiger Destefani. Frank had to get rid of the airplane in 1986, but had been trying for many years to get it back.

He bought Dago from the Costo family, and stripped everything off the plane and took it apart--essentially breaking it down to zero and a detail inspect and repair as necessary--and then put it back together. He then brought in specialists to do a computer scan of the airframe (the same thing that is being done to the Jackson-Cornell racer that Rod Lewis owns). By scanning the airframe at 'zero' they could plug all the data into the computer and find the optimum shape to fill and smooth to.

There was a lot of criticizm at the time for Frank stripping off all the work that Bruce Lockwood and Chris Wood had spent years refining, but it was all going to go back on, hopefully in an 'updated' profile.

There was EVERY intent of racing it again. Frank not only wanted to win Reno again, but he has always wanted to get the 3km record that 'got away' from him in 1984. Unfortunately, this was a BANK issue that involved the previous owners, and before he could get the airplane back together and racing again, the bank seized the airplane as payment--again, the bank for the previous owners, not Taylor.

It was never 'taken out of service' with the intent of not racing it anymore. It just got caught up in something 'bigger' than racing, and ultimately it derailed everything.

I didn't know any of this, which shines new light on the subject for me...

[flyingjibus]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Really? How many times has Strega run 500+ MPH laps?

A few times now.

How many times has Dago won?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Will you guys just stop? All of you? This plays like a broken record.

Strega AND Dago have BOTH recorded laps over 500 mph. They both have had ups and downs, and have rarely both been on an 'upswing' at the same time. The last time both ran head to head and were both running strong, and both FINISHED, Tiger got the upper hand.

One owns a competition lap record, the other holds a qualifying lap record.

They're both fast, okay?

Drop it.

[Box A35]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

Strega is faster......













(sorry, couldn't resist)

[Race 29]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

I agree with Big Jim (although A35, that was funny). If we're going to compair two "sexy fast" racers, there's positive points to each one. They both are beautiful airplanes, Sexy fast, and no one here would turn down the ownership of either one as a prize in a lottery! Seriously, we all have bigger fish to fry, like, how can we make sure the races continue for years to come. If both Dago and Strega were on the top of their game, we would all show up on sunday to see who came out on top, and we would do the same the next year, and the next year after that! All a win means is that you have bragging rights for that year when it all boils down. My personal favorite is Voodoo, and I've gone every year to cheer them on. They haven't got the big trophy yet, but it's certainly not from a lack of trying. I'll be there in september, and if they show up, I'll believe they are the fastest racer out there. If they win it, I know it'll be harder charging for everyone the next year. A great show! We can all have our favorites, but a definitive fastest will never be determined until they all are back to stock, and the history books are closed. We can only say "the fastest so far".

Race 29

[John H]

Re: Frank Taylor, Dago Red

The old Richard Foote Wildcat had 4 seats inside the fuselage. I think that plane is based in Delaware now.

And the former Elmer Ward "Gulfhawk IV" Bearcat had a second seat installed under a larger blown canopy. That was the one that had the engine quit on takeoff at Oshkosh many moons ago and was torn up really bad. I think Fighter Rebuilders owns the wreckage and is slowly putting it back together again.

Yes , I guess u could say the engine quit, but not because it or anything else broke

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001211X13083&key=1