Wingman Quiz

[wingman]

It's come to my attention that we have not had a Wingman Trivia Quiz for a while. So here are a couple of photos to be identified. The type of engine should be easy enough. But what is unusual and/or odd about it? From this can you figure out what airplane it belongs to, and even the year the shots were taken?

Bonus points for the engine builder. More bonus points for the identity of the airplane with all the windows in the background and its importance, if any, to air racing history. From that, can anybody tell us where the photos were taken???

The Wingman

[RandyGoss75]

Re: Wingman Quiz



You gonna be at the NAG banquet Wingman???? RG

[Hawkeye]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Rolls Royce Merlin built by Jack Hovey for the late John Crocker's Race 6 "Sumthin Else" The aircraft in the back is a Douglas B-26 with an executive interior. The photo's were taken at Oakland, Calif. airport - North Field. The white pick up that the engine is in also belonged to John Crocker.

Do I win!!!

[wingman]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Boy that was fast! Hawkeye, you got what I thought would be the hardest part right --- the location. This was at Mike Bogue's old Hangar 5 operation. How'd you manage that?

Right also on the engine builder -- the engine is certainly Hovey Gold.

Wrong on the raceplane though -- the answer is actually even more interesting than that. If you can guess the airplane you can get the year. There's also more to the story of the B-26!

Good start!!!

Randy -- no banquet this year -- just too far away. I miss them though -- I remember banquets from Bob Love to Lyle Shelton. Been 15 years since the last one...

Neal

[speeddemon]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Sorry I'm 'late' getting in on the Quiz.

The A-26 is the On-Mark conversion that Lloyd Hamilton raced in the 1971 Mojave 1000 (hence the red 16 on the fuselage). It's been 20 years since I've been to Oakland, but it was still parked outside last time I was there...next to Fertile Myrtle, Sumthin' Else, Mike Bogue's Tigercat, a P-40, and a TBM.

So if it's not #6, but still has a gold Hovey engine, I'm gonna say 1977-78 timeframe, maybe the #2 Jello-Mold Special?

[Unregistered]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Carb orientation is different....isn't it?

KMac

[Hawkeye]

Re: Wingman Quiz

hi Neal,

It wasn't that hard. I have spent some time at Oakland airport. I just figured since the engine was in John's truck, it was his. Maybe the engine was for Dago Red in 82 or 83 - the first time it came to Reno.

Wayne Cook

[wingman]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Late? Brad, you posted 46 minutes after my original post -- what kind of standards for board vigilance do you aspire to????

Good on the Douglas. I seem to remember Mike telling me that sometime after Lloyd raced that thing they discovered very heavy corrosion in the wing spar, which is why it remained parked there for so long. A scary thought, after beating on it at 100 feet AGL in the desert!

Way off on the airplane and year. I don't think Jack's airplane ever ran a "tube" motor, though I could be wrong.

NN

[Hawkeye]

Re: Wingman Quiz

I can't remember who owned the B-26 when it was at Bogue's place, but he had another one there and he used Race 16 for spares for the other. John Crocker ferried the "good" B-26 to the midwest and I think the other was scrapped.

[speeddemon]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Late? Brad, you posted 46 minutes after my original post -- what kind of standards for board vigilance do you aspire to????

Good on the Douglas. I seem to remember Mike telling me that sometime after Lloyd raced that thing they discovered very heavy corrosion in the wing spar, which is why it remained parked there for so long. A scary thought, after beating on it at 100 feet AGL in the desert!

Way off on the airplane and year. I don't think Jack's airplane ever ran a "tube" motor, though I could be wrong.

NN

Hmmmmm....gold 'tube' motor. I'm thinking Roto-Finish Special.

[wingman]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Brad -- Colder and colder -- I'm disappointed!

There has been a seemingly unnoticed clue here...

[speeddemon]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Brad -- Colder and colder -- I'm disappointed!

There has been a seemingly unnoticed clue here...

Hmmmmm. Well, upon looking at the picture closer, I notice something that another post hinted upon. It has a 'downdraft' carburator on it. So in that case, I'd guess that it was intended for Vendetta in '88. But the pictures I have of Vendetta from '88 in the hangar show a red painted Merlin. However, I recall she went through two or three engines that year, so the gold one could have been one from early in the week?

I dunno.

[RandyGoss75]

Re: Wingman Quiz

Hmmmmmmm.......I "thought" I knew!

Maybe Waldo "Clay" Klabo's #85 Fat Cat??????? RG

[Unregistered]

Re: Wingman Quiz

My guess would be Vendetta in '88....Maybe a P-39 or P-63 but the time period doesn't seem right. I guess I'm trying to cover too many bases. My first thought when I saw the carb was Vendetta because it only raced one year and would nail that part down.

KMac

[wingman]

Re: Wingman Quiz

It was indeed for Vendetta. It was photographed just before Reno 88 as Crocker's crew was frantically trying to get #6 ready for the Races. (This was my first year on the crew). Now this was very close to Reno time so I don't even know if this particular engine got into the airplane for the races. I do know that it was a Hovey motor that failed that winter and ended the program.

Well seen KMac!!

Neal