Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

[rampking]

Yes, 477.8 miles per hour in the Saturday Gold race.
Imagine for a moment if this engine would have been dropped into Dago Red.
Sparrow....The announcers Sunday claimed it was estimated that this engine put out around 3,800 horse power.
I think that estimate was about right.
Dan Martin's P-51 gives a whole new meaning to a "clean warbird"...it wasn't just all engine.
The love and care Dan gives his P-51 payed off.
Hats off to Dan Martin, Sparrow and everyone on the Ridge Runner III's crew.
The bonus is that even with all that speed and power put out, the
Ridge Runner crew is going home with a damn good engine that is still in one piece.

[JET1]

Danny is the best..

...or one of the best out there. Watch his line around the course...h rarely varies it. And that speed was in a stock airframe mustang! I've flown formation with him and he is one of the best!

[Peashooter]

Re: Danny is the best..

...or one of the best out there. Watch his line around the course...h rarely varies it. And that speed was in a stock airframe mustang! I've flown formation with him and he is one of the best!

Stock other than the clipped wings and modified cooling inlet -- and the race engine. RRIII would need a race canopy and full airframe profiling to get to the top. Eric Martin has mentioned elsewhere that that is not their intention. They want a "flyer" the other 51 weeks of the year.

[Hans Oberev]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Eric said all airframe mods are "bolt on". Someone else mentioned it takes a month to do the conversion so I guess that makes it a "flyer" 49-50 months a year factoring in the time it takes to bring it back to stock! I'm still having trouble reconciling the motive here but I guess it's not for us to question. John Penney said it best, " we're racers and 2nd place sucks". Maybe Ridge Runner III just wants to be in the show and finds satisfaction in competing against themselves...trying to go as fast as they can given the parameters they set for themselves. Ok, I get that...not. Put a low profile canopy on her and seal it up with duct tape and go for the win! Do they make 500mph duct tape?

[Reever]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

How about a low profile canopy like the one the Whittington Bros. had on the orginal Precious Metal, which I believe went to Bill Rhineschild and on to Risky Business.

Steve

[Eric Martin]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Hans
I'm sorry, i must have missed you at the crew meetings we had. It sounds like you have all the answers to this racing thing. Could you give me a call, we would win for sure with you on the crew. I am amazed that none of our crew members that have been doing this for years could come up with such a simple answer as you have. Wow, as for the comparison between our semi stock airplane vs. a purpose built racer it really isn't a good comparison. Please get in touch so we can put you on our crew so that we can win....NOT.

[Smee Again]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Eric said all airframe mods are "bolt on". Someone else mentioned it takes a month to do the conversion so I guess that makes it a "flyer" 49-50 months a year factoring in the time it takes to bring it back to stock! I'm still having trouble reconciling the motive here but I guess it's not for us to question. John Penney said it best, " we're racers and 2nd place sucks". Maybe Ridge Runner III just wants to be in the show and finds satisfaction in competing against themselves...trying to go as fast as they can given the parameters they set for themselves. Ok, I get that...not. Put a low profile canopy on her and seal it up with duct tape and go for the win! Do they make 500mph duct tape?

Okay, the good :

Many thanks to the VAST majority (99.9%) of you folks out there that did support our efforts this year. We received many, many well wishes for our efforts, and I hope you all know how much they are appreciated. THANK YOU!!!!

Sadly, the bad :

Open mouth, insert foot, eh Hans? The motive is to WIN! Can we beat a healthy Strega, Bear, or Voodoo? Not likely, but then there's that little thing called attrition, which you might recall (Lefty's "Thunderbird", Ken Burnstine's "Miss Suzi 'Q'", Super Corsair, Dreadnought, Dago in '99, etc., etc.). The point is to keep everyone honest and run as hard as possible in the process, then let the chips fall where they may. We have gone faster than anyone ever dreamed we should with an airplane that doubles as a stock warbird 8+ months out of the year. Do you have any idea how many races would have been won in recent years with our Saturday race average of 477+ MPH? Still having trouble "reconciling our motive"? Your post was demeaning and disrespectful to the efforts of everyone involved with RRIII, myself included. Yet another clueless railbird with no idea whatsoever what it takes to field a Gold class racer. Sad.

SA

[flyingjibus]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Eric, I dont understand why you seem to write post's with so much Venom and anger in them. This is not the first example of hatefull attitude I have seen you display on various forums. It seems at times that there are a large majority of people on the Ridge Runner team with large chips on their shoulders.

I dont see anything in Hans's post other then playfull "what if" musings about what he would do differently if he were in a position of ownership of Ridge Runner.

Is there a reason that you guys seems to take everything as a personal attack?


I would very much like to be a fan of the Ridge Runner team, but you guys are making it very hard for me.

Do I own an unlimited racer? Do I have a degree in aerospace engineering? Do I think I could do it better then you guys? No.No.No.

I am just a guy who like racing planes. But I can still see when someone is being a jerk.

[Smee Again]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Eric, I dont understand why you seem to write post's with so much Venom and anger in them. This is not the first example of hatefull attitude I have seen you display here. It seems at times that there are a large majority of people on the Ridge Runner team with large chips on their shoulders.

I dont see anything in Hans's post other then playfull "what if" musings about what he would do differently if he were in a position of ownership of Ridge Runner.

Is there a reason that you guys seems to take everything as a personal attack?


I would very much like to be a fan of the Ridge Runner team, but you guys are making it very hard for me.

Do I own an unlimited racer? Do I have a degree in aerospace engineering? Do I think I could do it better then you guys? No.No.No.

I am just a guy who like racing planes. But I can still see when someone is being a jerk.

Are you serious? Our good friend Hans was MOCKING the efforts of the RRIII team as though one of us had peed in his cornflakes! He's having trouble "reconciling our motives"? Maybe RRIII "just wants to be in the show and finds satisfaction competing against themselves"? You don't see any way we could find those remarks condescending, patronizing and offensive? Really? We went to Reno with the same mind as any other racers on the field - to WIN! And who is anyone on this board or anywhere else to question why?

Like I said, 99.9% of the fans out there have been VERY supportive and a real pleasure. Then there are the Hans's of the world who trip into a thread started by a fan who was kind enough to praise our efforts, and neatly toss a wet blanket over the whole works. Most people have NO clue the effort it took to get RRIII to Reno this year, and I don't fault them for that. But how about treading a bit more lightly whence publicly discussing things one knows little about. In other words, first try walking a mile in the shoes, as they say... Playful musings, my arse.

Thanks again to everyone who supports the RRIII effort (you know who you are), REGARDLESS of our motivation for being there.

SA

[KB Adkins]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

One of the highlights of Reno 2009 was seeing the awesome performance of RR III. 477+ on Saturday was screamin, and if memory serves me correctly would have won the Gold over Sept. Fury in 2006!

Competing amongst themselves? Certainly not! RR III seemed to be competing quite well this year against the Buick, Czech Mate, Riff Raff, Fury, etc., and gave the Bear a great view of its tail on Saturday!

I spent a good half hour trying to find the RR III pits at the end of the day on Saturday, just to let them know how special it was to see RR III back at Reno and doing so well, and buy a T-shirt. They seemed thrilled to hear my comments.

Thanks to Dan Martin and RR III for making Reno 2009 memorable for me and many others!

[hotrods55@hughe]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

When I got there Wednesday, Ridge Runner was in the hangar with both banks off, Per Pete Law, and put the show on that they did, I think was not just extra ordinary, but was a show of commitment from the total team effort! Great job RRIII!!!

[mayday51]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Eric said all airframe mods are "bolt on". Someone else mentioned it takes a month to do the conversion so I guess that makes it a "flyer" 49-50 months a year duct

..Hans they already beat ya buy 3-4 years....
they run it 51 WEEKS a year ! (not months a year)

[BKB]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Well said "flyingjibus"

RRIII crew be careful what you say and where you say it.
Lots of folks read posts here and never make any kind if comments.
You never know who might be looking..............a potential sponsor?
A new fan that might be turned off by negativity and condesension?
Who knows.......................Those that do know just how much work it took you guys to go that fast in your plane...............Those that know appreciate the effort.You too should appreciate the fans like I know you do. Because without us you got no place to play.
Don't get caught up with fishers and flamers they SUCK.
Let your spectacular results speak for themselves and leave the naysayers and flamers out in the cold.They'll have to find somewhere else to play.

Brian

[Mike Erickson]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Guy,Guys,Guys.Fans,pilots and crews.Are you kidding me?You people are arguing about one of the most stupid sports going.The sport thats runs one week of the year ,that has no circuit but one,(4SD),has no points system,and cost more to the owner to get his crew to 4SD and house them there for 9-11 days than he takes in if he does win the gold.Heaven forbid a blown engine or a crunched aircraft.Look at your P&L after you get home after all is said and done.If it was so great and a money maker,you would see more formula 1,sport class,and bi-plane races all over the country.But you don't because even in the cheapest less costly classes,the time one has to put into running a race plane on a set number of races around the country is cost prohibitive.No one has the time and money to do it.Especially the time.In the unlimiteds with the price they are fetching now days for a Mustang or Bearcat,just a couple of examples,who wants to risk that type aircraft more than once a year.
As far as the fans.The majority have no idea what the owners do to their aircraft or the reason why the owners do it to get them race prepped.And fans,it's not always to make the aircraft look "cool".Also fans,it's not all about you.Sure The Bear looks and sounds "cooler" with the three bladed prop on it,but it's not on there for a reason.Sure RRIII would look and perform "cooler" with a low profile canopy,but the Martins have a reason why they don't.Drop it.
Anyway,lets stop the hate and discontent and continue to show up every Sept.to watch airplanes and pilots fly fast,low,and turn left.Something thats illegal the rest of the year but with a FAA waiver they can get crazy and keep you fans and RARA happy. Mike

[flyingjibus]

Re: Ridge Runner III >477 plus MPH !

Are you serious? Our good friend Hans was MOCKING the efforts of the RRIII team as though one of us had peed in his cornflakes! He's having trouble "reconciling our motives"? Maybe RRIII "just wants to be in the show and finds satisfaction competing against themselves"? You don't see any way we could find those remarks condescending, patronizing and offensive? Really? We went to Reno with the same mind as any other racers on the field - to WIN! And who is anyone on this board or anywhere else to question why?

Like I said, 99.9% of the fans out there have been VERY supportive and a real pleasure. Then there are the Hans's of the world who trip into a thread started by a fan who was kind enough to praise our efforts, and neatly toss a wet blanket over the whole works. Most people have NO clue the effort it took to get RRIII to Reno this year, and I don't fault them for that. But how about treading a bit more lightly whence publicly discussing things one knows little about. In other words, first try walking a mile in the shoes, as they say... Playful musings, my arse.

Thanks again to everyone who supports the RRIII effort (you know who you are), REGARDLESS of our motivation for being there.

SA

Where are you getting this stuff from? Its like you have a persecution complex or something. If you are SO offended by his "mocking" you, then why go to the efforts to do it right back to a factor of ten?

If you read his post in context without the hate you seem to project into everything I think you would see what he was really saying.

But, just for fun, let me help you.

Eric said all airframe mods are "bolt on". Someone else mentioned it takes a month to do the conversion so I guess that makes it a "flyer" 49-50 months a year factoring in the time it takes to bring it back to stock!

Hans is saying that he knows that RRIII is primarily a cruiser and not a racer, hence the reason for not having full race mods

I'm still having trouble reconciling the motive here but I guess it's not for us to question.

Hans stats VERY Clearly here that he understands only RRIII ownership makes these decisions, but if it were up to him he would run a full race program.

John Penney said it best, " we're racers and 2nd place sucks"

This needs no explanation

Maybe Ridge Runner III just wants to be in the show and finds satisfaction in competing against themselves...trying to go as fast as they can given the parameters they set for themselves.

This is exactly what you guys are doing. You have stated it and now Hans did. There is nothing mocking about this. You guys have made the decision to go a fast as you can without going any further then you do with your mods. Its always impressive and no one has said anything different

Ok, I get that...not. Put a low profile canopy on her and seal it up with duct tape and go for the win! Do they make 500mph duct tape?

All that is stated here is that if it were up to him he would go full race program.



Where is the mocking? Where is the ridicule? It's all in your head.

This is not the only time Someone from RRIII has posted rude and derogatory things. Its a shame that such a nice plane and impressive performance has to be overshadowed by this school yard mentality.

RRIII crew:

Relax! We love your plane. We think Dan Martin is a great pilot. We know its your mustang, and you can do what ever you want with it. We are sorry for you that the DR thing turned out the way it did. No one here is attacking you. So please stop attacking us.

Thanks.