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"THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

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  • "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

    In light of the recent $52 Billion corporate aquisition of Anheuser-Busch by Belgium's InBev to become the Global Leader in Beer- here's a photo tribute to Budweiser's brief foray into Unlimited Air Racing sponsorship.

    Of course, many fans still recall the Michelob Light banner art decking-out Ed Browning's #5 Red Baron RB-51 Mixmaster Mustang for its' final competitive outing at Reno '79 as new-'World's-Fastest' piston/prop single-engined aircraft. But, HEY!- We're talkin' 'bout The BIG Roundy- Race #1 "Bud Light Special" here!!!

    Enthusiastically-prepared during a short span of only a few months by The Planes of Fame gang (including the legendary- 'Chino Kids') & many very-talented friends, using a boneyard F4U-1 Corsair - this old veteran warhorse was magically-transformed into a potent 'Homebrew' F2G Super Corsair Unlimited air racer in time for pylon combat at Reno '82. Registered in the 'Experimental' category as NX31518, Race #1 was the first P&W R-4360 corncob racer to see action since the Post-WW2 Thompson Trophy events in Cleveland. She attracted a Budweiser sponsorship for the 1982-83 race seasons, and gave fans a wonderful dozen-year career of Unlimited air racing thrills that included a Reno Gold Championship at Reno '85, before her untimely loss (w/successful pilot bailout) at the '94 innaugural Phoenix 500 Air Races.

    Hope these Reno photos bring back fond memories of one of modern day air racing's grand favorites of the Unlimited Class: #1 SUPER CORSAIR DBD

    Top row (L-R):

    1. Sun. 9/12/82 - Steve Hinton taxis-in at Stead upon arrival w/rookie Unlimited aircraft entry - #1 'Bud Light Special', resplendent in new racing colors of metallic silver and navy blue w/prominent sponsor banners. Hinton was #1's primary race pilot for '82, w/pal- Jim Maloney as alternate. Jim raced the Super Corsair to 3rd-place in Sat. Gold Heat #2.

    2. Mon. 9/19/88 - John Maloney's Stead departure takeoff run in #1. Maloney took over as Super Corsair race pilot in '86 until Kevin Eldredge got checked-out for the '93 race season.

    3. & 4. - Thur. 9/15/83 - Steve Hinton takes off #1 for a late afternoon test flight.

    5. Mon. 9/10/84 - Hinton's 8th-place 424.015-mph qualifying run in Race #1 seen from Outer 4 Pylon.

    Middle row (L-R):

    1. Sat. 9/18/82 - Crewmen John Hinton (top l.) & John Maloney guide upper cowling into place during cowl-up for start of Gold Heat #2, as brother Steve (lwr. l.) and fellow team mates stand-by.

    2. Mon. 9/20/82 - Bud Light Special's big corncob radial starts up w/standard exhaust oil cloud in preparation for return back to Chino, Ca. home base.

    3. & 4. Tue. 9/14/82 - Profile views of Steve Hinton's engine start & warmup run of #1 BLS Super Corsair for a late afternoon test flight during qualifying/practice days.

    5. Mon. 9/13/82 - Hinton takes #1 around Outer 4 Pylon during qualifying & practice, placing 4th-fastest @ 413.208-mph.

    Bottom row (L-R):

    1. Sun. 9/12/82 - Pilot John Maloney arrives at Stead w/POF P-51D 'Budweiser Light II' (N5441V - aka-'Spam Can'), which was raced by brother- Jim Maloney at Reno '82 NCAR. Budweiser's 1982-83 sponsorship package included both the Super Corsair & P-51D. John took over as race pilot for 'Bud Light II' for Reno '83.

    2. Sun. 9/9/84 - Steve Hinton gives #1's R-4360 a late aftn. test runup as the 'Bud-less'- Super Corsair.

    3. Thur. 9/16/82 - Hinton takes 'Bud Light Special' down the fast W. Chute's 'Valley of Speed' during practice runs.

    4. Sun. 9/15/85 - Pilot-Steve Hinton & his jubilant (& 'surprised') #1 Super Corsair air race team rides back to the pits following their Gold Unlimited Class Championship victory, that capitalized upon front-runner Neil Anderson's final lap cut of Outer 8 Pylon in #8 Dreadnought. Nonetheless, #1 garnered the win at a new race record average speed of 438.186-mph!

    5. Tue. 9/11/07 - 'History Comes Full-Circle' on the race course! Who would've 'thunk-it'? - One of Cook Cleland's F2G Super Corsair Thompson Trophy vet racers returns to pylon competition again at Reno '06 - '07, thanks to warbird-restorer/pilot- Bob Odegaard. Seen going around Outer 4 Pylon last year during Tuesday's 2nd-period of Unltd. Qualifications/Practice. This is the 'real deal': Race #57 (N5588N, F2G-1, mfr. s/n 88457), is an authentic Goodyear-built 'Super Corsair', of only three surviving examples from 17 total F2Gs (7-prototypes, and 10 production aircraft). *** Compare design differences between the Goodyear F2G & the modified F4U-1/F2G racers ***

    Air Race Fans - "THIS Bud's 4-U!"
    Attached Files
    Last edited by BuckyD; 07-18-2008, 12:39 AM.

  • #2
    Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

    Thanks Bucky! The Super Corsair has always been my favorite racer. Post more pics of her! PLEASE!
    Tony

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

      Ah, the memories. I still have pictures I took from the late 70's of the "Super Corsair" before she was transformed with Corncob power. It was a fixture in the POF "boneyard" in the back behind the hangar.

      I was sad to see her life end.

      On the bright side, though, there is ANOTHER F2G (real one) being restored to flight in Ohio. This is in ADDITION to Odegaard's example.

      Real soon, there will be two Corncob powered Corsairs flying together!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

        Bucky, thanks for the pictorial of one of my favorite racers, this and all the other "re-count's" are what i look forward to every morning before i go to work. I have some great classic shots of races gone by but my memory has faded as to some of the many details you've shared with us.

        Love the shot of the departure with the gear still coming up.

        Anthony

        attached are two from Reno 88 out by pylon 4 and of course the fateful outing at PHX 94. my appologies for the crappy scans
        Attached Files
        Last edited by sierra fox; 07-18-2008, 06:25 AM. Reason: spelling
        "dont believe ANYTHING you hear and about HALF of what you see"...................J. Mott 1994

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

          Great memories of the Corsair. I was fortunate to be at the Cleveland Air Races as a teenager. I was with Jimmy DeSanto during his career there.
          Lockheed Bob

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

            Originally posted by sierra fox
            Bucky, thanks for the pictorial of one of my favorite racers, this and all the other "re-count's" are what i look forward to every morning before i go to work. I have some great classic shots of races gone by but my memory has faded as to some of the many details you've shared with us.

            Love the shot of the departure with the gear still coming up.

            Anthony

            attached are two from Reno 88 out by pylon 4 and of course the fateful outing at PHX 94. my appologies for the crappy scans
            COOL pics, Anthony!
            Rutan Long EZ, N-LONG
            World Speed Record Holder

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

              You'll have to help me with the year/race on this one. She was a pretty cool bird.
              Bob
              Attached Files

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                THX, Anthony for the S-Corsair shots & everyone for the warm comment posts. Super Corsair was a real beauty and she just looked right-as-rain/fine-as-frog's hair! Something about how nice the A-26 cowls, the clipped wing & fairing work, and the smooth wrapping windscreen worked w/the conversion that really looked- "SUPER"!. That big thick bent wing on her kept her from reaching those extreme speed ranges, but sure added much to her 'powerful' essence.

                FX Bob - There's a real photo-ID challenge! Well, must be a Gold heat or trophy event (looks to be Strega behind or overtaking) & from the sun angle, I'd guess location to be the W. Chute ('VOS' - Valley of Speed) in late afternoon which would coincide w/Gold bracket event.

                DBD
                Last edited by BuckyD; 07-19-2008, 03:16 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                  It's gotta be somewhere between '82 -'86 because of the red spinner backplate. You're right Bucky, that is Strega lurking in the background. I sure miss the Super Corsair..............
                  "Racefuel, It's not just for breakfast anymore!" http://www.twracefotos.net

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                    Originally posted by t-dub
                    It's gotta be somewhere between '82 -'86 because of the red spinner backplate. You're right Bucky, that is Strega lurking in the background. I sure miss the Super Corsair..............
                    It's either Reno '84 or '85, w/Ron Hevle as Strega's race pilot ('83-'84-'85) during her initial teething period (which would explain why #7 is behind #1 in your picture & not ready to lap the Corsair).

                    Reno '84:

                    Heat #6 - Fri. 9/14/84, 6-laps
                    #1 - 4th-place @ 408.631-mph
                    #7 - Last-place (Out Lap-2)

                    Heat #9 - Sat. 9/15/84, 6-laps
                    #1 - 2nd-place @ 422.652-mph
                    #7 - 5th-place @ 399.652-mph

                    GOLD - Sun. 9/16/84, 8-laps
                    #1 - 3rd-place @ 413.686-mph
                    #7 - 7th-place (Out Lap-7 w/toasted piston)

                    Reno '85:

                    Heat-2A - Fri. 9/13/85, 6-laps
                    #1 - 2nd-place @ 421.007-mph
                    #7 - Last-place (Out on Pace-Lap)

                    Heat-3A - Sat. 9/14/85, 6-laps
                    #1 - 2nd-place @ 433.844-mph
                    #7 - 7th-place (Out Lap-6)

                    GOLD - Sun. 9/15/85, 8-laps
                    #1 - 1st-place @ 438.186-mph
                    #7 - DNS

                    FX-Bob - I think these are the most-likely options to mull over for back-dating your photo (unless, of course, the photo was taken during a late afternoon qualifying/practice period when both racers were out on the course).

                    Good luck on sorting this out!

                    DBD

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                      Originally posted by t-dub
                      It's gotta be somewhere between '82 -'86 because of the red spinner backplate. You're right Bucky, that is Strega lurking in the background. I sure miss the Super Corsair..............
                      Duh, I brainfarted on that one, it couldn't be '82 as Strega hadn't debuted yet! My bad.........
                      "Racefuel, It's not just for breakfast anymore!" http://www.twracefotos.net

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                        OK if I post a couple of old favourites, Buck?

                        I did love that airplane!



                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                          Hi Neal! Since when does my photo guru wingman gotta ask? ? - Man, you're SUPPOSED to be sharing some of your awesome treasure trove of classic oldie-goldie original air racing shots with everyone! (We gotta keep the dust off the archives to keep the fires stoked in honor of the many fabulous folks who've made air racing possible & happening for the fans, and to help bring-in new fans for the future, right?)

                          GREAT pics & I know how much you loved the Super Corsair - you made no bones about it & reminded us often.

                          Get that scanner cookin' and give everyone the chance to enjoy your photo talents more & see some of the great action we were lucky to enjoy & capture, OK?

                          BTW - How 'bout a little photo ID info too to go with them (At least year taken - I know you're a historian too w/a great memory)? Looks like Jim Maloney in the red shirt?

                          Your old student & fan - DBD

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                            Just thought I'd see if the fans could ID the years and pilots, and what sort of discussion might ensue. A Wingman quiz, as it were...



                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: "THIS Bud's 4-U!" - #1 Super Corsair

                              Ahhh..."I see, said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and 'saw'."

                              The ranks of grizzled veteran air race 'fans' (AND mainstreamers) who were there & who can recall enuff to pin down exact ID data going back decades are definately dwindling daily. ("Where'd I put my damn car keys, anyway???")

                              BTW- My hat's off to all those new generation hardcore fans who've learned the lore & historical details sufficiently to be able to pin down archive shots taken before their air racing arrivals.

                              'Ahh-hem...' Once again, we DO need to include a 'watermark photo credit line' (complete w/proper 'circle-c' copyright symbol, year taken, & photographer name) on every photo posted -IF- we so desire to maintain copyrights to our images. Old news, and always a tedious chore, especially including the whole publishing & finish print gamut, as you & I have learned thru the years, ole' buddy.

                              Nonetheless - 'SUPER' shots, Neal. The late & great POF pilot-Jim Maloney it is. Is it Jim also in the flying shot wearing red helmet or John Maloney? Steve Hinton wore a white helmet then. (Year of shot sometimes can be a clue if we're not that familiar w/the people. Which reminds me, YOU took the BEST people pics too, when the rest of us were chasing the planes around. Birgitta seems to have this great portrait talent these days too).

                              MORE classic photos, PLEASE! DBD

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