Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

[Big_Jim]

So some former and current Unlimiteds at Oshkosh last week, served up for your review:

1. Bob Odegaard in the restored Cook Cleland 1947 Thompson Trophy winning F2G. Note Bob has put a spinner on it this year to make it an accurate version of Dick Becker's 1949 racer.

2. Jack Roush's "Gentleman Jim", the ex-Dave Norland #76 "No Name Dame" from the '70's.

3. John O'Connor's #52 Blue Angel Bearcat from 2011.

4. "Petie 2nd", the ex-Burns Byram's #71 "Playboy" and "Tangerine" from the late 60's/early 70's.

5. "Big Beautiful Doll", the ex-Tom Kuchinsky #18 "Miss Gen-Gard" from 1968.

6. "Barbara Jean", the ex-Jack Sliker "Escape I" from the early '70's, and Wiley Sanders' "Georgia Mae" from the mid-80's. In the background is the #42 Yak-9 "Anya" that Dave Morss raced in the 2000's.

7. Doug Matthews' "The Rebel" from the last few years.

8. Carl Koeling's P-64 from the 1968 Harold's Club Transcon race, and Paul Poberezny's "Paul I" from the '79 Homestead race, as well as the ex-Bob Love "Grey Fox" from the early/mid '70's on display at the EAA Museum.

9. Toby McPherson's "Boomer", the ex-Max Hoffman "Boomer" from the late '70's, and Mickey Rupp's "Old Crow"/"Samurai".

10. Parts of the old Sandberg "Tsunami" on display as part of the rebuild project.

[rampking]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

I presume Ridge Runner III is locked away in someone's hanger now...

[Chad Veich]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

I believe "Paul I" also raced at Reno in 1979, no?

[T. Adams]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

I presume Ridge Runner III is locked away in someone's hanger now...

It's on MN now. It was at Oshkosh last year.

[MustangFan]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

Anyone know if Mr. Odegaard plans on bringing #74 to Reno this year?

[Harley909]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

Ridge Runner is in Anoka getting a new engine...and some TLC.

jim

[Rigby]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

Thanks for the great pic of Boomer. When I moved to Ft. Collins, CO in 1980-81, I called Max Hoffman, out of the blue, and asked if I could see his Mustang sometime. He was very gracious and informed me that it was parked outside and I was free to go look, but please do not climb on it. Back then the airport he kept it at, like many others, was wide open for us aviation "nuts" and you could walk along the flight line.
I drove out and not only was Boomer parked out on the apron, but so was Stump Jumper and a nice olive drab, no "shark mouth" P-40E complete with drop tank. Shortly after that the B-17 Aluminum Overcast was parked down the apron at the north end of the airport.
Downtown Ft. Collins was Daryl(sp?) Skurich's place and N167F was parked out back of a hanger in the weeds awaiting its restoration. Some other interesting warbirds came and went, including, and I can remember this very clearly, no mistake, a bright yellow and white Bearcat with the registration number N818F was parked in a hangar right behind the 5 blade prop assembly that was on the Whittington's P-51H for awhile.
Another trip out there, several years later, the same P-51H with the standard prop reinstalled, was sitting in a hangar I got a chance to look into while touring Daryl's(sp?) hangar.
Also at the downtown aiport wre pieces of a P-82 that belonged to Daryl(sp?) and later the B-24/LB30 retrieved from Alaska with numerous B-17 parts thrown in for good measure (wings, nacelles, control surfaces, etc.)
Those were the days!

[T J Johansen]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

You wouldn't by any chance have a photo of N167F you could post here? Would be cool to see what it looked like before restoration commenced and it was ferried to Norway in 1986.

T J

[Rigby]

Re: Racers (old and new) at Oshkosh

I think I have a slide of it somewhere. It was parked out back of a hanger, overall bare, dull metal. I will see what I can find and post it if I can find it.