Mojave 1978

[V1670]

Happy New Year aafo'ers. Going through the post holiday cleaning and found these. Enjoy.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Mojave 1978

Nice.

Al Letcher's Hawker Hunter there too!

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Mojave 1978

What happened to the A26? Is it still around?


Cool shots.

Will

[Big_Jim]

Re: Mojave 1978

What happened to the A26? Is it still around?


Cool shots.

Will

That was Dwight Reimer's "Cotton Jenny". I think One-Eye'd Wally flew it at Mojave '78. It's now "My Mary Lou" with the Collings Foundation.

[ukmerlin]

Re: Mojave 1978

splendid to see Ridge runner again . I do miss that bird but hope to see the fastest pig in the sky again some day . Cheers

[ignomini]

Re: Mojave 1978

A few years ago I was standing in the pits watching the ramp. An older gentleman wandered up and asked a couple questions about the racers. We started to chat. He mentioned he used to race a Mustang. I asked which one, and he said Fat Cat. Scored some points when I told him his name and said I remembered him from Mojave in '78.

Shot all b/w film in those days, and kicked myself for it in later years. Now that all the old color prints are fading, maybe I made a good choice. Like many of you folks here, my retirement project will be to sort and scan all my old negs.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Mojave 1978

A few years ago I was standing in the pits watching the ramp. An older gentleman wandered up and asked a couple questions about the racers. We started to chat. He mentioned he used to race a Mustang. I asked which one, and he said Fat Cat. Scored some points when I told him his name and said I remembered him from Mojave in '78.

Shot all b/w film in those days, and kicked myself for it in later years. Now that all the old color prints are fading, maybe I made a good choice. Like many of you folks here, my retirement project will be to sort and scan all my old negs.

Clay Klabo passed on a few years ago (embarassingly, Mike Houghton identifying him as the 1970 National Champion...which is Clay Lacy not Clay Klabo), but he was a nice guy. A bit quirky, but very nice none the less. I always liked Fat Cat even though it was a horribly inaccurate paint scheme.

[T J Johansen]

Re: Mojave 1978

That was Dwight Reimer's "Cotton Jenny". I think One-Eye'd Wally flew it at Mojave '78. It's now "My Mary Lou" with the Collings Foundation.

And was badly damaged in a take-off accident in IL some years ago.

T J

[Big_Jim]

Re: Mojave 1978

And was badly damaged in a take-off accident in IL some years ago.

T J

Yes...nasty situation. Anyone who flies multi-engine aircraft dreads losing an engine on takeoff....and that incident played itself out in front of a crowd.

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Mojave 1978

Clay Klabo passed on a few years ago (embarassingly, Mike Houghton identifying him as the 1970 National Champion...which is Clay Lacy not Clay Klabo), but he was a nice guy. A bit quirky, but very nice none the less. I always liked Fat Cat even though it was a horribly inaccurate paint scheme.

I had the chance to talk with Clay Klabo at some length several years ago and enjoyed the conversation immensely. About 5 minutes into the chat, I learned his name and we talked a lot about Fat Cat from there, including it's sale. I left the conversation convinced that he was a true gentlemen.

[ignomini]

Re: Mojave 1978

So, there was supposed to be a football game Monday night, but I tuned in and it was just Alabama having a private track meet. I then got bored and started digging around the house. There will be more pictures in the near future, as soon as get them scanned.

What originally drew me to Fat Cat was the (I presume) K blades. I love the shape of those props. Klabo himself seemed like just another guy, very unassuming. It was fun talking to the pilot of an airplane I had seen and enjoyed at Mojave 30 years prior.

[T. Adams]

Re: Mojave 1978

Yes...nasty situation. Anyone who flies multi-engine aircraft dreads losing an engine on takeoff....and that incident played itself out in front of a crowd.

I think that was in Kankakee, IL. I watched as he rolled down the runway, engine pouring out smoke the entire time, thinking to myself this is not going to end well. Weird show, the Blues were actually on the airport for a full show. Tiny airport, but they were all there.

[Smee Again]

Re: Mojave 1978

What originally drew me to Fat Cat was the (I presume) K blades. I love the shape of those props. Klabo himself seemed like just another guy, very unassuming. It was fun talking to the pilot of an airplane I had seen and enjoyed at Mojave 30 years prior.

Pretty certain that's an Aeroproducts prop from a P-51H model. Although Aeroproducts also made the prop for the P-51K, it was a much narrower chord design, and from what I remember, a very poor performer.

I like the looks of the "H" prop as well. We ran one on RR III in 2005, only to have a torque seal blow out after Saturday's race. Cool prop!

SA

[ignomini]

Re: Mojave 1978

Oops. You're right, it's an H prop. Jimmy Leeward flew one on Cloud Dancer, but I guess he learned like everyone else it was better for looks than race speed.

[Chad Veich]

Re: Mojave 1978

I did a lot of growing up in and around Deer Valley airport and have many fond memories of "Fat Cat". It, the P-51D "Unruly Julie", and the TR.9 Spit of Woodson K. Woods (now with Bill Greenwood) pretty much accounted for all the heavy metal fighter types active in the area at that time. And I still think "Unruly Julie" was a trend setter towards more accurate Mustang restorations and it remains one of my favorites still today.