Original Precious Metal Questions

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

A

Ralph Payne quote for the day;
"Mah, boy a Merlin in a crate is faster than an Allison in an airplane."

You and I never did put together that 'book of Ralphisms' we had talked about making. If we sold them it would come with a pair of mirrored sunglasses.

[CJAM427]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Do either of you know what other mods he had planned for the airplane if it hadn't been sold to the Whittington's?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Do either of you know what other mods he had planned for the airplane if it hadn't been sold to the Whittington's?

The thing I heard over and over again--which I never could quite envision 'how' it was going to happen logistics-wise--was to remove the radiator scoop from the bottom. He wanted to have a NACA scoop on the left side of the fuselage, just aft of the pilot seat, with the radiator fully 'inside' the fuselage, and an exit vent in the low-pressure area aft of the canopy on top of the fuselage.

I've had several 'experts' tell me in later years that not only could that not be done, but it would not have been as efficient as the radiator doghouse/exit door on current Mustang racers. But he had it planned out. And (as John can back me up on this) his favorite comment to that was 'an expert is just 'x' as an unknown quantity and 'spurt' being a drip under pressure.

Maybe BCIV remembers something about this.

[ZacYates]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

It raced at Mojave '75 and Reno '75 with a stock D tail. But the modification program from the start included putting the H-tail on it. Everything was done in phases with that airframe instead of doing it all at once. Ralph just felt that it would add more stability at higher speeds.

But anyone who ever flew that airframe with the H tail said it flew amazing.

Thank you

[CJAM427]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

The thing I heard over and over again--which I never could quite envision 'how' it was going to happen logistics-wise--was to remove the radiator scoop from the bottom. He wanted to have a NACA scoop on the left side of the fuselage, just aft of the pilot seat, with the radiator fully 'inside' the fuselage, and an exit vent in the low-pressure area aft of the canopy on top of the fuselage.

I've had several 'experts' tell me in later years that not only could that not be done, but it would not have been as efficient as the radiator doghouse/exit door on current Mustang racers. But he had it planned out. And (as John can back me up on this) his favorite comment to that was 'an expert is just 'x' as an unknown quantity and 'spurt' being a drip under pressure.

Maybe BCIV remembers something about this.

Oh wow!
The idea of putting the radiator in the fuselage was purposed for Miss Candace after the 1970 accident, but there wasn't enough room as I recall?

[wingman]

Re: Original Precious Metal Questions

Reno 1978