BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

[BuckyD]

The RENO '09 NCAR event is just around the corner, and there's plenty of fan buzz going on 'bout the top Unlimited Class Gold contenders entered, along w/much conjecture regarding their present states of readiness for trophy competition- soon to commence, in just a few short weeks from now. The level of suspense & thirst for details escalates daily for all the hardcore air racing fans...

(And just when ya think ya know - "Ya NEVER know!" )

One thing I DO know, is that many of us are also very excited to note Doug Matthews' Race #24 F4U-4 Corsair on this year's Unlimited Class entry list for Sept. racing, following-up this plane's welcome PRS appearance. As a matter-of-fact, it will be a rather momentous occasion, being it's been 23 years that a war-paint Corsair's been pylon racing, since Bob Yancey's #101 Ole Blue last competed at Reno '86.

For the record- Corsairs have been entered to race at 28 Reno events, out of 45 runnings & were absent for 11 years straight @ Reno ('94-'05, following the loss of POF's #1 Super Corsair at the '94 PHX-500), until 2006. That year, Bob Odegaard made history come full-circle, by racing his beautifully-restored Goodyear F2G-2 #57 veteran Post-WW2 Cleveland Thompson Trophy racer at Reno. Only about 70 Corsairs still exist worldwide today, in various condition. Though not the fastest aircraft type in the Unlimited Class- it's always a rare treat to see the classic- 'Bent-Wing Bird' turning the racecourse pylons.

Here's a photo tribute to those beautiful- =BLUE CORSAIR RACERS=

Top Row photos (L-R):

1. '79 Miami-Homestead Air Races- Dennis Bradley's #115 (C-GCWX) & Howard Pardue's #67 (NX67HP) FG-1D racers resting on the grass.
2. Reno '79-Sun. 9/9- Jim Maloney Q'd POF's F4U-1 #0 'The Chino Kids' (NX83782) too slow to race & Bob Guilford's F4U-7 #93 'Blue Max' (NX33693) competed in the Bronze.
3. Reno '80-Thur. 9/11- #93 on the Stead ramp w/folded wings.
4. Reno '84-Sat. 9/8- 5 Corsairs raced in '84 & '85! Here's 3- J.K. Ridley's F4U-4 #37 (N4908M), #93 'Blue Max' & POF's F2G #1 'Super Corsair (NX31518) raced by Steve Hinton.
5. Reno '84-Mon. 9/10- Buck Ridley's #37 rounds Outer 4 Pylon during qualifying & practice.

Row 2 photos (L-R):

1. Reno '81- Rookie Bob Yancey's gorgeous F4U-4 #101 'Ole' Blue' (NX49092) turns Outer 4 his first race year.
2. Reno '82-Fri. 9/17- 'Ole Blue' & Howard Pardue's FM-2P #5 Wildcat in the pits, during showers & rainbows.
3. Reno '82-Fri. 9/17- Bob Yancey & #101 race towards Outer 6 Pylon in the rain during UNL Bronze HT #1, to 2nd-place @ 341.348av/mph.
4. Reno '83-Thur. 9/15- Ole' Blue in her pit stall next to Pardue's XF8F-1
5. Reno '81- Yancey & #101 spar w/John Dilley flying pal-Tom Kelley's P-51D #19 LOU IV at Outer 6 Pylon during qualifying & practice (Yancey & TK had a humdinger duel during the Reno '85 Silver that's still talked about often).

Row 3 photos (L-R):

1. Reno '86-Mon. 9/8- #101 on the Stead Field ramp for her last year of racing. (Note the big spinner & polished prop blades). Afterwards, her R-2800 went to Yancey's Yak-11 racer- #101 'Perestroika' (today's #86 'Czech Mate') & Bob sold the Corsair.
2. Reno '84-Wed. 9/12- Bob Guilford's #93 'Blue Max' turning Outer 4 Pylon during his qualification run. ('Maxie' was a real 'whistling' Corsair going by).
3. Reno '84- Sat. 9/15- Mike Wright in #82 'Wart Hog' approaches Outer 8 Pylon in UNL HT-3C.
4. Reno '84- Sat. 9/8- Wright arrives at Stead w/Tired Iron Air Racing Team's sharp FG-1D #82 (N4715C - w/ext. tank for ferrying) in her racing debut.
5. Reno '84- Mon. 9/10- Mike & Wart Hog turn Outer 4 on their qualifying run.

Bottom row photos (L-R):

1. Reno '85- Mon. 9/16- Bruce Lockwood tops-off Alan Preston's big & beautiful F4U-5NL #12 'Old Deadeye' (NX4901W) prior to departure following the Corsair's only racing year.
2. Reno '85- Sun. 9/8- Alan Preston taxis-in w/his new Corsair to go racing, after it's purchase from pal Lockwood.
3. Reno '85- Mon. 9/16- Ferry pilot Bruce Lockwood's departure takeoff from Stead in #12. (Note the Corsair's main landing gear retracts in same fashion as the Curtiss P-40).
4. Reno '85- Mon. 9/8- Alan Preston & #12 dive down along the fast West Chute (a.k.a.- 'V-O-S') during qualifying trials.
5. Reno '88- Sun. 9/11- Gary Meermans arrives in his newly-purchased FG-1D #111 'Skyboss' (NX97GM - the former #82 Wart Hog). Gary qualified too slow to make the field & this was the last time a Blue Corsair Racer came to compete at Reno.

Let's hope that Doug Matthews' Corsair stays 'gremlin-free' to make it to Reno '09 ship-shape for racing & wish him lots of luck for this year's event. Big Thanks to Doug & all his predecessors for keeping the Corsair racing tradition alive for us to enjoy & appreciate at Reno!

DBD

[t-dub]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

GREAT STUFF as usual Bucky! I didn't realize that it had been that long (11 yrs.)since we had the pleasure of seeing a Corsair fly the course! This year with the presence of Doug's beautiful bird, along with not one, but two P-40's, Tom Camp's FM-2, and Bruce Wallace's T-28, it's gonna be a great sight indeed! Thanks for the awesome post!

[F4U-7]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

('Maxie' was a real 'whistling' Corsair going by).

My father would use the whistling as an excuse for his poor performance !!! He didn't want the engine noise to drown out the Corsair's beautiful whistle-tone.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

Ahhhhh! (...viewing excellent photos and enjoying flash-backs of the early '80s when we had five(!) bent-wing birds in the pits...))

[Leo]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

Nice shots!
As an aside, in 1985 Blue Max was passed by the B-26 "Puss n' Boots" which had it's bomb bay doors open...
It's going to be nice to see the variety of warbirds in the bronze "parade" and it gives Sparky a chance.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

Nice shots!
As an aside, in 1985 Blue Max was passed by the B-26 "Puss n' Boots" which had it's bomb bay doors open...

I remember that moment clear as a bell.

I remember, because minutes after taking what was supposed to be a very cool shot of the above mentioned, I discovered that the roll of film was slipping on the take-up reel of my Canon A-1, and wasn't passing through the camera.

Didn't get it, obviously...and learned a painful lesson about checking for proper cycling of film before shooting.

[t-dub]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

I remember that moment clear as a bell.

I remember, because minutes after taking what was supposed to be a very cool shot of the above mentioned, I discovered that the roll of film was slipping on the take-up reel of my Canon A-1, and wasn't passing through the camera.

Didn't get it, obviously...and learned a painful lesson about checking for proper cycling of film before shooting.

One of the great things about digital, you know instantly! Still like my film cameras though, even though i've done the exact same thing AirDOGGe!

[Leo]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

I've done it the other way also, in the heat of taking multiple shots, force a wind and pulled the film out of the canister...

[t-dub]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

I've done it the other way also, in the heat of taking multiple shots, force a wind and pulled the film out of the canister...

And the next few words out of your mouth were something like: Oh mmaan,...Son of a ---- !.............

[Leo]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

A much longer string of words and heard by everyone in a 100 ft radius.
And I will admit I have done it more than once!
I like digital. I can shoot 500 shots in a day and it costs nothing, and I can shoot EVERTHING and just delete what I mess up. Then tell everyone I only really took 25...

[t-dub]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

Now that's funny right there, (and the truth) I don't care who you are! OK, i guess we better get back on topic, sorry Bucky, just couldn't help it.........Back to Corsairs.

[BuckyD]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

My father would use the whistling as an excuse for his poor performance !!! He didn't want the engine noise to drown out the Corsair's beautiful whistle-tone.

That's a cool (& funny) anecdote about your dad & thanks for sharing it with us.

For those unfamiliar w/the Corsair's history & its' characteristics- one its' WW2 nicknames (besides 'The Bent-Wing Bird' & 'Hose-Nose'), was- "Whistling Death". This grim moniker was supposedly bestowed by WW2 Japanese forces- in acknowledgment of the Corsair's success in the ground attack role & the unique eerie sound created by airflow moving over the inboard leading-edge ducts of the elegant gull-wing design.

During the air races, we used to love hearing 'The Corsair Whistle', during their approach & fly-bys out on the racecourse. Blue Max always put out a good whistle, but oddly-enough, not all Corsairs were 'whistlers'. We got an expert explanation for this at some point, which escapes my recollection for the moment, but it might have been due to different intake systems arrangements between some Corsair models ( - maybe someone can chime-in w/some clarification info?).

DBD

[sierra fox]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

Thanks for sharing Bucky, and everyone else, Leo your words hit home, opened the camera many times with the spool out instead of in, and, i remember when i used to shoot 500 on a card, those were the good ole days, there's alot to be said for the film approach to digital, i still have lots of stuff from Reno 08 i havent touched.

DBD, that F4U-5 is one of the best looking fighters of all time

[F4U-7]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

...my recollection for the moment, but it might have been due to different intake systems arrangements between some Corsair models ( - maybe someone can chime-in w/some clarification info?).
DBD

I think Yancy's Corsair had modified intakes at the wing root which eliminated the whistle... Dusty old memory access....

[BuckyD]

Re: BLUE CORSAIR RACERS

I remember that moment clear as a bell.

I remember, because minutes after taking what was supposed to be a very cool shot of the above mentioned, I discovered that the roll of film was slipping on the take-up reel of my Canon A-1, and wasn't passing through the camera.

Didn't get it, obviously...and learned a painful lesson about checking for proper cycling of film before shooting.

Yep, you can include me in that 'painful lesson' also. Everything I shot pre-'95 PHX 500, was using two standard Canon AE-1s. During film loading advance, you needed to check film tongue tension & look for the body's film takeup winder head to turn, when you advanced the film (instead of just noting the film frame counter tallying).

Made this boo-boo a half-dozen or so times over the years, but the toughest 'painful lesson' was when it happened to me early in the week at Reno '79. Think it was late afternoon 'Friday arrivals', w/Stead Field vacant of any Unlimiteds (& just about vacant of people also), and John Muszala arrived from Chino ferrying #5 RED BARON & parked it facing into the sun towards the west - the first Unlimited to show up. John deplaned and left the field for Reno pretty quickly as soon as his ride came for him.

I used the opportunity to shoot a whole roll of Kodachrome 64 slide portraits of the RB-51, from just about every angle, even using some of my 'trick lens filters' (polarizer, starburst, color-burst, etc.) for some extra variety on a few frames. The only lens I owned was a 50mm FD.

My design studio business partner & I had come down from Alaska equipped & hoping to land some work painting a raceplane while attending the races that year. Through serendipity, we soon afterwards landed the job designing & painting #69 JEANNIE on the ramp for McClain-Zeuschel & owner-Wiley Sanders. From that day on all through qualifying & race week, we worked feverishly from dawn to dusk alongside the team, and there was no time left at all for taking any pictures until the Unlimited Gold racers started taxiing out for the final.

Then, we all know about the melodramatic outcome of the Reno '79 Gold & the loss of the RB-51. I was really glad I took that roll of beautiful bright sunny portraits of #5 earlier that week, as my favorite racer was now just 'history', and made sure to send it off for its' special exclusive Kodak slide film processing. You guessed-it: The roll came back from the K-lab in Rochester, NY. w/no pictures on it & a friendly 'too-bad, so-sad - 'heads-up next time around' note from the lab included. ("OUCH!!!" ). Guess the Hands of Fate intervened & those pics just weren't meant to be. (More like the klutsy hands & mind of a 'cheechako photog'...)

Well, anyway, that was the first time I made the subject mistake (& hate to admit that it wasn't the last, unfortunately). Lot to be said for 'the checklist', including w/regards to photography.

Thought I'd share that tidbit in this sidetrack discussion. I'm headin' on back to the thread topic focus- =BLUE RACING CORSAIRS= . . . . .

DBD