Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

[Victor Archer]

OK, Not too positive on the Galloping Ghost race history but here it is so far:

#1 Need a little help with the 1946-1949 History.
#2 Does anyone have any info as far as where she was from 1949-1963???
#3 I think I'm not too far off on the 1963-1979 history except Mojave and I'm sure she raced at other venues?
#4 What years was she Race #9 and races other than Reno as Race #9
#5 What years was she Race #44







History:
Delivered to USAAF as 44-15651, 19??.
- Surplussed at Walnet Ridge AFB, AR, 1946.

Steve Beville & Bruce Raymond, IL, July 1946-1949.
- Registered as NX79111.
- Flew as race #77/"The Galloping Ghost", 1947-1949.
- 1946: Thompson Trophy races 4th place Bruce Raymond. Speed: 364.66
- 1948 Thompson Trophy races 2nd place Bruce Raymond. Speed: 365.23
- 1948 Sohio Trophy races 4th place. Speed: 315.62
- 1949 Thompson Trophy races 4th place Steve Beville. Speed: 381.21
- 1949 Sohio Trophy races 4th place Steve Beville. Speed: 376.72

Reported planned export to Israel, impounded, 19??.
Reported (15651 to Haiti AF in 1950) – Not true

Clifford D. Cummins, Riverside, CA, 1963-1979
- Registered as N79111.
- Acquired as stripped hulk.
- Rebuilt, Chino, CA, circa 1965.
- Flew as 413366, race #69/"Miss Candace".
- 1969: Reno Air Races – 4th place Gold. Speed: 358.839
- Crashed short of runway after attempting emergency landing due to
an engine failure during race, Reno-Stead, NV, Sept. 18, 1970.
- Rebuilt as modified racer #69, Long Beach, CA, 1971.
- 1972: Reno Air Races – 1st place Medallion. Speed: 367.564
- 1973: Reno Air Races – 2nd place Gold. Speed: 417.076
- 1974: Reno Air Races – DNS. Qualified Speed: 420.283 (2nd)
- 1975: Mojave Air Races - 1st Place
- 1975: Reno Air Races – DNF. Qualified Speed: 414.571 (4th)
- 1976: Mojave Air Races - 1st Place – Speed: 422
- 1977: Reno Air Races – 3rd place Gold. Speed: 424.375
- 1978: Reno Air Races – DNF. Qualified Speed: 400.670 (2nd)

Dave Zeuschel & Wiley Sanders, Van Nuys, CA, 1978-1980.
- Flew as race #69/"Jeannie".
- 1979: Reno Air Races – DNS. Qualified Speed: 446.928 (1st*) New qualifying record.
- Crashed on take-off, Van Nuys, CA, Sept. 4, 1980.
- Rebuilt.

Wiley Sanders/Sanders Truck Lines, Troy, AL, 1980-1981.
- Flew as race #69/"Jeannie".
- 1980: Reno Air Races - 1st place Gold. Speed: 433.010 New race record
- Pilot Mac McClain* McClain also won 1972 AT-6 Championship.
* First to be champion in two different classes at Reno.
- 1981 : Reno Air Races -1st place Gold. Speed: 433.010
* Pilot: Skip Holm* First rookie to win championship race.

Jimmy Leeward/Bahia Oaks Inc, Ocala, FL, 1981-2002.
- Flew initaially as race #X/"Spectre".
- 1983: Reno Air Races – DNS. (Raced in the Bronze?)
- Later flew as race #9.
- Later flew as race #44/"Leeward Ranch Special".

[W J Pearce]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Hey Victor,

I'll send you an article tonight after I scan it in. It may shed some light.

[jarrodeu]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Those are some great photos! thanks for sharing them

Jarrod

[wingman]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Yes Victor -- They are great photos. Do you know what years the two Miss Candace shots were taken? It's interesting that we have two different props and spinners, but no tail stripes in either shot. The first shot may be with the Bearcat prop, but the second is interesting for the square-tip prop.

The first is neither Reno or Mojave, but does have the Bear in some form of purple and no other racers visible -- an airshow somewhere?

Neal

[Shawn Aro]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Neal it might Be Miami Shawn

[wingman]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Shawn -- I was thinking Miami too, but was The Bear purple at that time? I remember a story from the time of Cliff flying back with Lloyd Hamilton I think, having an engine failure over some swamp, and deadsticking into a little duster strip in the middle of nowhere. I suspect the logistics of that engine change were interesting!

Victor -- She was #X in 1983, 44 in 1984, and yellow thereafter. She raced as #9 in at least 1985, 86, 88, and 89, and only at Reno.

Her time with Jimmy has been star-crossed, to say the least -- he always seemed to get screwed either by engine builders or just circumstance and bad luck.. It sure would be great to see her come back strong...

Neal

[wingman]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Victor -- In 1983 she did fly in the Bronze, but with a stock motor and in place of Cloud Dancer ( I don't think Specter ever qualified, went through I think three race motors and was missed by the timers on the only fast qualifying run she had. An interesting and depressing engine builder story there.). She is therefore not in the race records as #X at all, even though she did fly a race. She was there, but officially not there -- a ghost...

Neal

[Victor Archer]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Neal, Thank you VERY much!!!. Also a huge thank you to Bill for sending me a ton if information too!
Neal/Shawn your right about the one shot with the Bear. It is written on the slide Miami the other two I don't have any info. I was loaned a DVD full of Mustang shots from a private slide collector. Unfortunately most of the photographers are unknown and no information is on the slides.
I have a bunch of articles from the GG days and some old books.
I plan on keeping on with this little project I've started, might even do a couple illustrations. Specter X is one awesome looking machine.

[wingman]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

I've always loved the Specter paint scheme, though a lot of people didn't.

There was a long and very useful Air Classics or Air Progress article from about 1978 or 1979, probably by John Tegler, with quite a few Jim Larsen phots from the Cliff Cummins years. An excellent resource in trying to sort out the history of those times. There were also some fairly good Air Ckassics articles from the Jeannie times, 1980 to 82. This machine has had a very eventful 35 years...

Neal

[stuntflyr]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

The top picture is from The Great Miami Air Race at Tamiami Airport in Jan of 1973. Not to be confused with the 1979 Homestead race.
Cliff stood down with propeller linkage troubles, IIRC. It had Bearcat blades as one can tell, cool.
The Bearcat won, it was white and purple with the left accessory cowling still not yet run over.
Chris...

[speeddemon]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Victor...

PM me with your e-mail address...I have something that might be of interest to you on this subject too.

Brad

[speeddemon]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Yes Victor -- They are great photos. Do you know what years the two Miss Candace shots were taken? It's interesting that we have two different props and spinners, but no tail stripes in either shot. The first shot may be with the Bearcat prop, but the second is interesting for the square-tip prop.

The first is neither Reno or Mojave, but does have the Bear in some form of purple and no other racers visible -- an airshow somewhere?

Neal

Neal,

The first shot is from Miami '73, and the second shot is from Reno '72. Both have the Bearcat prop, although it doesn't 'look' like it in the second shot. The red & white spinner was actually 'borrowed' from Dave Z's N332 for Reno '72.

The Air Classics article that was brought up was from March of 1977. It was written by John Tegler following the '76 Mojave races. Very good insight on Cummins and the plane.

[John]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

One of the most beautiful air racers of all time, thanks for the photos!

[aerojock]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

i have a couple of pics here of her in 1988 i think.


Aerojock

[aerojock]

Re: Galloping Ghost questions - little help please.

Ok I will try this again. They are a before and after Jimmy had to land on I think a dirt road .


Aero