Relentless ?

[Sky Critter]

Anyone know what's up with Relentless? Seems way off the pace this year.

[Wilnit]

Re: Relentless ?

Have no idea, they are keeping it under wraps. Sucks though, they were lapped today by Nemesis. I am sure that Kevin was P@#$ed!!!

WRL

[rnichols]

Re: Relentless ?

Kevin went up late this evening (just before sunset) and flew over the course for about 15 minutes. While it's completely unscientific (and potentially biased because it's what I wanted to hear ), it sounded like he had it wound up more than he did during the heat race.

[Wilnit]

Re: Relentless ?

Lets go Kevin, we love RELENTLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope everything is fixed...

WRL

[MRussell]

Re: Relentless ?

Kevin put what sounded like some pretty good power on it during about 3 of his 5 or so test orbits (huge radius orbits I may add, several minutes to get around each time). It sounded really good from what we could tell. I have no idea how he sees out through that tinted bubble at sunset!

[AeroFilly]

Re: Relentless ?

My friend talked with Kevin afterward and he mentioned that before the Super Sport gold race they were having issues starting the engine. They hooked up the starter and somehow ended up frying the water pump's electrical system (or something like that). He was out there with no spray and was pretty much running the race with a stock set-up.

Feel free to add any corrections - I may have misheard...

[Inverted]

Re: Relentless ?

could be right. It just wasnt the same Relentless this year.

[forbergler]

Re: Relentless ?

Plagued by cooling issues all week.

[Sky Critter]

Re: Relentless ?

Thanks for the info guys! I'm sure Kevin will have it all worked out for 09. Does anyone know how much info Jon and Kevin share (regarding race set-up)? I guess I assumed that, through their previous business partnership with the NXTs, they would have similar stuff under the hood. I know Kevin posts on here from time to time... any insight you can share Kevin? Also, any word on NXTs making the dance next year?

GO Team Relentless!!!!

[MustangScott]

Re: Relentless ?

I havent seen how much extra room there is between the engine and the firewall since the rebuild after the off airport landing after sun-n-fun 2 years ago, but he did say he moved the TIO-540
foward 8 inches to correct aft CG situation. Which makes the IO-780 seem like a more reasonable
proposition (or a Twin Turbo V-8!).
Wonder what prop will be appropriate for 800+ HP. on NXT. Is there a hub that will accept the present NXT blades?
Still-the cooling scheme is going to drive me crazy to I see what they have in mind for the Trace Racer.
I know Kevin and his crew will GIT ER DONE.

His last post said Relentless will be for sale after he starts to campaign Trace Racer.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Relentless ?

This "Super Sport" class is simply the bomb! I'm thinking back to, OMG.. was it '98, first PRS??? When the Sport Division was introduced?? We were coining the phrase "NASCAR of the Air" that year.. .Mamma throw me a V-8 RacePlane... PLEASE!!!!!!

Someone bring me back up to speed on the Orenda.. isn't it "sort of" based on the GM Big Block 454??

Had one of those in a pickup once.. 4/11 rear end.. stump pullin full on traffic passer it was.. pass everything on the road.. cept gas stations.. Had two fuel tanks.. Should have been a head's up when I bought it!!

But dang.. did that thing pull!

[MustangScott]

Re: Relentless ?

In a nutshell:
[edit] Orenda Aerospace
Magellan Aerospace was formed in the 1980s, primarily from the assets of the Canadian operations of Fleet Aerospace, Fleet Industries. Over the next few years they aggressively expanded by purchasing a number of Canadian aerospace companies, including Orenda, which they renamed as Orenda Aerospace, the name which it operates under to this day. In addition to producing complete gas turbine engines, the precision manufacture of critical rotating and stationary engine components for leading OEMs since the 1970s, including General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. Repair and overhaul remains a major business as well.

In the late 1970s, race car driver Lee Muir started a project to adapt the 8-cylinder aluminum-block Chevrolet CanAm engine for aviation use as Thunder Engine. In 1994, Orenda purchased the design, completing the certification process in 1998,(a lot of the cerification flying was done with a turbine AeroCommander) and putting it on the market as the Orenda OE600. They marketed it primarily as a replacement for 600 hp (450 kW) turboprops, notably the Pratt & Whitney PT-6. The engine offered better high altitude performance as well as somewhat better fuel economy.Current STC for AirTractor Agplane. They also set up a conversion facility as Orenda Recip at the former CFS Debert in Debert, Nova Scotia, and started certifying conversions for various popular aircraft, starting with the DHC-2 Beaver, with plans to offer similar conversions for the DHC-6 Twin Otter, Beechcraft King Air and various crop dusters powered by the Wright R-1830 or eastern-bloc designs of similar power. Magellan dropped the project in the early 2000s, reportedly after $100 million had been invested in development.

Now the project is Under the Trace Engines banner in Midland Tx.

[ebutner]

Re: Relentless ?

Thanks for the info.

[Relentless]

Re: Relentless ?

My friend talked with Kevin afterward and he mentioned that before the Super Sport gold race they were having issues starting the engine. They hooked up the starter and somehow ended up frying the water pump's electrical system (or something like that). He was out there with no spray and was pretty much running the race with a stock set-up.

Feel free to add any corrections - I may have misheard...

What the **&%% is up with Relentless?

I could go on for an hour about how disappointed I am about my performance this year! The bottom line is I took on to much, to late in the game, and simply was not ready to race!

My commitments to my sponsors for Oshkosh delayed my "improvements" until weeks before the race and I simply did not have the bugs worked out. Early in the week I found the changes I made to the cowling for the new injection system blocked the oil cooler. On Sunday the oil seal to the left mag blew for some reason and the mag filled with oil. While my gracious competitors from Blue Thunder and Aerochia busted out and figured out how to get the plane started for the race at the last moment, the fuse to the ADI system was burned up in the process and I was forced to run at much lower boost.

I have already pulled the prop and sent the flywheel to Klaus at Lightspeed Engineering to install the electronic ignition. The instrument panel is out and I will be re-wiring the entire 12volt system to accommodate re-settable breakers on the ADI system, (hello)! And lastly, I am moving the oil cooler out of the cowling and redesigning the induction intake.

The only bright spot for our team was the power the new injection system put out at the beginning of Sunday's race. I was pulling on Jon hard and believe that had my ADI been on I would have made him go to max to retain his position.

That is racing and only the prepared deserve to win! Jon was prepared and my hat goes off to a great competitor!!!

Relentless will return with speeds over 400mph, albeit at the hands of another pilot and I will do my best to be ready for '09 in my new NXT "Tracer"!!!

Kevin
Get some!!!

[Inverted]

Re: Relentless ?

Taking resumes to fly her???? Hehe