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  • Voodoo Speed Record

    Anyone heard of plans yet for new 3km speed Record attempt for Voodoo. Get record up there hopefully with a healthy race motor and associated aircraft systems.
    Mark G. Ehlers

  • #2
    Re: Voodoo Speed Record

    Originally posted by marke View Post
    Anyone heard of plans yet for new 3km speed Record attempt for Voodoo. Get record up there hopefully with a healthy race motor and associated aircraft systems.
    He's already got the record...

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Voodoo Speed Record

      Originally posted by grampi View Post
      He's already got the record...
      Yes, but hoping that could get the record up there a few more knots that will be more than 1% of the Rare Bears. Even though that record was retired. That would be nice,then no argument etc. The airplane is quite capable probably around 540 mph if engine and systems working properly. Get it out of reach.
      Mark G. Ehlers

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      • #4
        Re: Voodoo Speed Record

        Probably about half a million dollars for each M.P.H. that is gained above 525 would be a good start.
        Wanna donate to the cause?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Voodoo Speed Record

          Originally posted by marke View Post
          Yes, but hoping that could get the record up there a few more knots that will be more than 1% of the Rare Bears. Even though that record was retired. That would be nice,then no argument etc. The airplane is quite capable probably around 540 mph if engine and systems working properly. Get it out of reach.
          I'm surprised Rare Bear's record stood for all of those years unchallenged. I think Dago Red and Strega both could've beaten RB's record...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Voodoo Speed Record

            Originally posted by grampi View Post
            I'm surprised Rare Bear's record stood for all of those years unchallenged. I think Dago Red and Strega both could've beaten RB's record...
            I'm not. The Rare Bear team was about as good as you could get, and they had RB absolutely dialed in, with a very good pilot at the stick. They also had the intangible luck factor with them. As we saw with Voodoos attempt, the record is not an easy one to break, and if just one thing isn't perfect, the challenge becomes that much greater. Voodoos first few passes sounded great, and they were blistering fast, however the last couple sounded progressively less great. I think Lyle had a good bit of luck with him that the engine was happy the whole run (He just ran out of nitrous a bit early). They also seemed to have the best 3350 ever for the run. (That continued to run well at Reno the same year.) I think over the past 10 years Vintage V12s have really learned how to build a top notch racing Merlin that wasn't necessarily capable of running at the power settings required to go the speed needed. Also there were a lot of fuselage and wing mods done to Voodoo to make it happen, some of which may not have been feasible till recently due to technology. Perhaps I'm wrong, but Lyle set the bar very very high. No attempt less than 110% effort was going to be successful. Yes, Voodoo went faster, but not by much, and they were about as perfectly prepared as it gets.

            Will

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Voodoo Speed Record

              Originally posted by grampi View Post
              I'm surprised Rare Bear's record stood for all of those years unchallenged. I think Dago Red and Strega both could've beaten RB's record...
              Stevo dove out of the stratosphere going into the first pass, Lyle started straight and level. Also, the altitude above the ground was a tighter tolerance back in the day.
              The GPS equipment makes it easier to time it.
              (I was told all the above, I was not there for either attempt).

              Lyle was at a higher field elevation, Stevo did it at a sponsor's home airport, I think.

              In 1988-89 most of the parts were nearly 30 years newer than they are today. Some of that stuff is 75 years old now.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                Originally posted by RAD2LTR View Post
                I'm not. The Rare Bear team was about as good as you could get, and they had RB absolutely dialed in, with a very good pilot at the stick. They also had the intangible luck factor with them. As we saw with Voodoos attempt, the record is not an easy one to break, and if just one thing isn't perfect, the challenge becomes that much greater. Voodoos first few passes sounded great, and they were blistering fast, however the last couple sounded progressively less great. I think Lyle had a good bit of luck with him that the engine was happy the whole run (He just ran out of nitrous a bit early). They also seemed to have the best 3350 ever for the run. (That continued to run well at Reno the same year.) I think over the past 10 years Vintage V12s have really learned how to build a top notch racing Merlin that wasn't necessarily capable of running at the power settings required to go the speed needed. Also there were a lot of fuselage and wing mods done to Voodoo to make it happen, some of which may not have been feasible till recently due to technology. Perhaps I'm wrong, but Lyle set the bar very very high. No attempt less than 110% effort was going to be successful. Yes, Voodoo went faster, but not by much, and they were about as perfectly prepared as it gets.

                Will
                This has been explained to Grampi about a dozen times. The Rare bear is the fastest piston aircraft. PERIOD. This is not opinion, it is the result of everyone trying, and Lyle winning.


                The voodoo record is great, very happy for them, but their challenge was easier.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                  Originally posted by flyingjibus View Post
                  The Rare bear is the fastest piston aircraft. PERIOD.
                  Sorry to burst your fan boy bubble, but no it isn't...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                    At least the engine was re-usable after Rare Bear did it!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                      Originally posted by grampi View Post
                      Sorry to burst your fan boy bubble, but no it isn't...
                      Prove it.


                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                        Originally posted by flyingjibus View Post
                        Prove it.


                        It's already been done, did you not hear of Voodoo's record?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                          531>528

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                            Originally posted by Race5 View Post
                            531>528
                            Apparently, flyingjibus doesn't get this...

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Voodoo Speed Record

                              Originally posted by Race5 View Post
                              531>528
                              That may be so, but it wasn't the required percentage above 528 for it to be official. (Yes Rare Bear's record was "retired" but in order to beat a record, the speed must be a percentage faster. I think its 1% faster. If I'm not mistaken they needed 534 mph for the record to be beaten.) They set the current record at 531, but apparently it was just under the required amount to break the record according to the rules.

                              I am in no way belittling their accomplishment. What the Voodoo guys did was pretty amazing. My hat is off to them. I hope they make another attempt to beat their own record and in doing so beat Lyles record at the same time. (That way no one can argue the point over a technicality.) My guess is if they don't beat their own record, its still going to stand for decades the same way Lyles has simply because its a very hard record to beat. The bar is set in the stratosphere, someone will need to go to the mesosphere to clear it.

                              Will

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