Jawbreaker: Should he be allowed to race??

[Fly-By Knight]

OK, I just read an article about the Glasair III, Jawbreaker. It looks like the owner/builder/pilot (I'm affraid I don't have his name available at this time) is planning to race it in the sport class this year at Reno. The problem is that this Glasair is powered by an IO-720 which, according to the Sport Class rules, is too big to for a racer in that class. In the article, the owner was fairly confident that RARA would bend the rules to allow him to race his aircraft.

My Opinion: I do not believe that the rules should be altered in order for Jawbreaker to race. In the previously mentioned article, the owner knew from the time that he started building the plane that he wanted to enter it into the Reno races. With that in mind, he should have built the plane to meet the requirements of the races. They wouldn't let a 4360 powered T-6 (wouldn't that be cool!!!) to race in the T-6 class, NASCAR wouldn't allow Hendrick Motorsports to run V-12's in their cars, so why should RARA bend the rules to allow a non-conforming racer into the sport races? Especially this close to the start of the '03 races when the other teams would not have time to make adjustments to their planes to remain competitive.

Don't get me wrong, Jawbreaker looks like an amazing plane. The detailed workmanship is flawless, the performance specs were pretty impressive, and it has a pretty wild paint job too. It simply does not meet the rules of the races.

Now I open this discussion to all of you. Should Jawbreaker be allowed to race in the Sport Class this year?? I'm curious to hear all of your thoughts.


FBK

[Unregistered]

Rules are rules, plus it wouldn't win anyway. The G-III is a great airplane -- I know, I built one -- but it isn't as clean as the Legacy, much less the anxiously awaited NXT. Peas

[mayday51]

....I say let him run it,
BUT......don't score him......

.....in karting,if not enough showed for a class (read as a single type) we were often placed with another class (providing we were a competant driver) though not scored so we had a chance to at least run.

....I agree build it to the rules,
....race to the rules

............I'd think about giving him a chance to run non-scored.




Mayday51
Jim Gallagher

[Unregistered]

As a race viewer, I believe that the addition of more aircraft is always a good thing. The 720 is a fairly rare motor, so the chances of one being the start of something big are quite remote. Incidentally this engine is rated at 520 hp at 2,650 rpm and is an eight baed on the popular 360'. The engine was not a slaes success. Here I think is the opportunity to make the Sport class more interesting by allowing him to race in exhibition this year and next, with full "vesting" on the third year. On that third year all engines specified by the rules would be legal. The rules would be amended to allow engines based on types and engine families available to the sport class airframes, with the omission of large inlines or radials from the War years. In other words if you could build a flat Twelve by putting together two 540's!!, then because the TSIO-540 is legal, so is your shadetree interpretation of it! Why not? It might allow some pretty neat aircraft to arrive, and the competitive meat of the class, highly tuned Lancair and Glasairs, would probably not have much to worry about anyway. Longer bigger engines are sometimes just weaker or less than optimal than others. Nobody will really listen at RARA, but what a great selection of oddities this could create!

[FlyinLo]

The biplanes have a rule about non-conforming airplanes and letting them race for last place money if the field is not full. This has let us field more airplanes in down years when new competitors wanted to try the sport out without making a big investment beyond the not quite legal biplane they already had. As long as the plane is not too far out of the general spec for the class, I think this can be a good thing. I don't know if the Sport class has a rule like thie, but last I checked the Sport class is over oversubscribed this year, and I cannot recommend bumping someone who follows all the rules with someone who doesn't.

[Unregistered]

OK, I like the Biplane idea. Let him race, but regardless of finishing possition, he finishes last in the standings. I could live with that. However, if the rules were to be officially changed, don't you think they should state this a good year in advance so that all of the teams could bring their planes up-to-speed (no pun intended!!) with the newly introduced powerplants.

I greatly appreciate the comments regarding how the Glassair III airframe is not as sleek as the rest of the competitors, and how sometimes larger engines are actually a hinderance rather than an asset. This is clearly evident in the Unlimiteds. The two huge 4360's will be fighting to stay in the Gold while some smaller inlines should make the Gold field without even pushing their engines.

With that said, what if someone came along with a 720 powered Legacy (realistically I don't know if that's even possible to build, I'm just playing Devil's advocate here) should RARA allow them to race this year, or should there be a minimum 1 year wait time so the other teams would have time to compensate for the modified rules??

This is the kind of discussion that I love. No too technical (yet!!!), but yet interesting. Thanks for all your comments so far, and keep them comming. All this race talk is making my heart race in anticipation of Reno race week!!!!


FBK

[pitgirl]

No More Rule Changes!

There are months of anticipation...
If you want to build an engine that is not in spec
with current sport class or any class, then you need
to petition for another classification, unlimited sport class!
Follow the rules! Maybe if the players would follow the rules
RARA wouldn't keep making up rules as we go!

I think as players we need to help the rule makers, so that
they stay inline! Every day we see a better engine!

If you build them, they will come!

SeeYa There,
Pitgirl

[Bill@Interstell]

I have one word for this plane...
Unlimited