New Flash...
ROB VACCARIELLO has chosen Pat McGarry to pilot his Super Gold Biplane racer #711, "Rollin" this year at the Reno National Championship Air Races.
The Biplane Racer was seen departing Prescott, Arizona last week heading south.
When interviewed by the press after making his announcement that he was standing down from competition to attend Air Force Test Pilot School, Captain Vaccariello responded to the question of why he made this choice,
"Captain McGarry is the only man for the job. His extensive experience in warbird, aerobatic and air racing flight operations through the years, as well as his grit, makes him the right man for the job."
Patrick McGarry was interviewed later and commented that his Airframe and Powerplant and Inspection Authority certificates were powerful players in Captain Vaccariello's choice.
After making a Super Splash at RARA's PRS this summer, McGarry sold his Super S-1T Pitts Special when a local Phoenix aerobatic hot-shoe made him an offer he couldn't refuse for the Advanced Aerobatic National Championship winning mount.
"She was a cute little bus and a sentimental favorite of mine so it was hard to let 'er go..." said the former Spitfire Unlimited jock.
This left him without a ride after fellow racer Chris McMillin's Racing Biplane lost sponsorship and was sold to Dave Roelofs.
"Rob wanted the airplane raced as it has been a long time competitor at Reno." said McGarry, going on to explain the ship's competitive edge.
The Racer's Edge
Race #711 has a long history of competition and high placings. Robert Jones raced it as "One Armed Bandit" for years, and the airplane is always ready for a Gold event.
The engine is a LyCon of California prepared Racing Unit with a Super Compression power section and specialized racing oil sump, intake system, fuel injection, ignition, exhaust and camshaft timing . "It is a stump puller..." said Pylon Polisher Patrick McGarry.
The airframe is as clean as any Pitts Special racer, however this one has many small but meaningful mods that clean up the racer's profile to the slipstream.
"Wetted area is where the drag comes from in a big way, if one was to measure this racer, it would be apparent that there are big differences in "Rollin" that cannot always be detected by the naked eye."
We asked about the special features on Race 711's cowling and intersections that are visible, and make up the ship's sexy profile in flight,
" The team and I used all the latest F1 and wind tunnel results to quantify the shapes and total volume of the fairings and found the airplane at 90 % of optimization as it sits. We are now going the rest of the way to have a 99% efficient racer by September.
Black Art, or Black Magic?
When asked about propeller's, McGarry was non-commital about the teams plans.
"We have several to choose from, but the American, Catto, and Lipps props are all being flight tested at this time. I cannot comment further..", McGarry said from the old Pitts Stop Air Racing facility in the SE Phoenix Valley area.
This was the same facility where McMillin and McGarry started their own "black art" propeller knowledge with a die grinder and a tape measure.
Look out Phantom!
Race Standing, The Odds
It is this reporter's opinion that the Biplane Racing Class has three hot shoes from Phoenix and Prescott, McGarry, Roelofs and Murphy; as well rival dark horse from Missouri, "Zippy" Andre; to complicate the Gold race for Norman Way and Tom Aberle.
These boys are hungry for a win, and with all of the Super Specialized equipment I saw in the camps visited, it sure looks like they mean business!
Sorry you'll have to sit this one out, Captain Vaccariello, but your racing mount will be flying high and fast at the Nationals. You can bet on that!
CWM reporting...
ROB VACCARIELLO has chosen Pat McGarry to pilot his Super Gold Biplane racer #711, "Rollin" this year at the Reno National Championship Air Races.
The Biplane Racer was seen departing Prescott, Arizona last week heading south.
When interviewed by the press after making his announcement that he was standing down from competition to attend Air Force Test Pilot School, Captain Vaccariello responded to the question of why he made this choice,
"Captain McGarry is the only man for the job. His extensive experience in warbird, aerobatic and air racing flight operations through the years, as well as his grit, makes him the right man for the job."
Patrick McGarry was interviewed later and commented that his Airframe and Powerplant and Inspection Authority certificates were powerful players in Captain Vaccariello's choice.
After making a Super Splash at RARA's PRS this summer, McGarry sold his Super S-1T Pitts Special when a local Phoenix aerobatic hot-shoe made him an offer he couldn't refuse for the Advanced Aerobatic National Championship winning mount.
"She was a cute little bus and a sentimental favorite of mine so it was hard to let 'er go..." said the former Spitfire Unlimited jock.
This left him without a ride after fellow racer Chris McMillin's Racing Biplane lost sponsorship and was sold to Dave Roelofs.
"Rob wanted the airplane raced as it has been a long time competitor at Reno." said McGarry, going on to explain the ship's competitive edge.
The Racer's Edge
Race #711 has a long history of competition and high placings. Robert Jones raced it as "One Armed Bandit" for years, and the airplane is always ready for a Gold event.
The engine is a LyCon of California prepared Racing Unit with a Super Compression power section and specialized racing oil sump, intake system, fuel injection, ignition, exhaust and camshaft timing . "It is a stump puller..." said Pylon Polisher Patrick McGarry.
The airframe is as clean as any Pitts Special racer, however this one has many small but meaningful mods that clean up the racer's profile to the slipstream.
"Wetted area is where the drag comes from in a big way, if one was to measure this racer, it would be apparent that there are big differences in "Rollin" that cannot always be detected by the naked eye."
We asked about the special features on Race 711's cowling and intersections that are visible, and make up the ship's sexy profile in flight,
" The team and I used all the latest F1 and wind tunnel results to quantify the shapes and total volume of the fairings and found the airplane at 90 % of optimization as it sits. We are now going the rest of the way to have a 99% efficient racer by September.
Black Art, or Black Magic?
When asked about propeller's, McGarry was non-commital about the teams plans.
"We have several to choose from, but the American, Catto, and Lipps props are all being flight tested at this time. I cannot comment further..", McGarry said from the old Pitts Stop Air Racing facility in the SE Phoenix Valley area.
This was the same facility where McMillin and McGarry started their own "black art" propeller knowledge with a die grinder and a tape measure.
Look out Phantom!
Race Standing, The Odds
It is this reporter's opinion that the Biplane Racing Class has three hot shoes from Phoenix and Prescott, McGarry, Roelofs and Murphy; as well rival dark horse from Missouri, "Zippy" Andre; to complicate the Gold race for Norman Way and Tom Aberle.
These boys are hungry for a win, and with all of the Super Specialized equipment I saw in the camps visited, it sure looks like they mean business!
Sorry you'll have to sit this one out, Captain Vaccariello, but your racing mount will be flying high and fast at the Nationals. You can bet on that!
CWM reporting...
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