Unlimiteds Wanted Back

[kennsmithf2g]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

I also would like to see F2G #57 race again but a lot of work will be needed to make her competitive. In the 1949 Thompson, Cook Cleland won it in #94 at only 397.071 mph with his fastest lap being at 406.351 mph. That was with a clipped wing, striped down plane with a special prop. #57 is a basic stock F2G. #57's 3rd place speed for the 1949 Thompson was 387.589 mph. Accorsing to the book "GOODYEAR AIRCRAFT", Don Armstrong was able to get a F2G above 500 mph by diving from 12,000 feet.

May all your bent wings be F2G Corsairs!

Kenn

[Apteryx]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

There's that eerie distant rumbling that is cliche of an ominous threat. I have only experienced that at Reno.

You were warned about the Polish...

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Thats a cool picture of Red Barron. I have to agree that it would be good to see F4Us and F4Gs at the races, there are far too many that don't show up even as a show and shine. They are just cool to see, let alone race. As for cool planes to race, it would be cool to see someone bring out some more Tigercats and perhaps even an A26 Invader (they have raced in the past) or two. Round engines are cool. If Reno became a bigger warbird show and shine as well being a race, some owners might really get into it and the bronze class might fill with some really cool stuff.

Just a thought,
Will

[kennsmithf2g]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Not to dwell on #57, but is there something about the F4G that makes it extrodinarily rare, or is it just due to the fact it's an F4G? Also, I remember the narrator at Oshkosh commenting on the single white prop blade. Can someone remind me of the significance of that feature. Thank you Wayne for enduring my ignorance!

The F2G Corsair was/is a redesign of the standard Corsair replacing the P&W 2800 with a P&W 4360 and the canopy with a bubble canopy. It was built by Goodyear with a very limited production, only -3- examples remaining (not counting the one burried at Cleveland Hopkins that was used for fire practice in the 50's) F2G #74, owned by the Western Reserve Historical Society awaiting funds for Bob Odegaard to put back together, won the 1947 Thompson Trophy Race with Cook Cleland as pilot. XF2G #94 (the one burried at Hopkins, engine & prop at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Engine Mount used by Odegaard for #57) won the 1949 Thompson Trophy Race, also piloted by Cook Cleland. F2G #57, owned and flown by Bob Odegaard, won the 1949 Tinnerman Trophy Race, piloted by Ben McKillen Jr. There is a stock F2G also in a museum. When their engines stayed together, they dominated the Postwar Cleveland races that they entered, taking 1st & 2nd in the 1947 Thompson, 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the 1949 Thompson.

But, I've lived in the shadow of Cleveland Hopkins Airport all my life so I'm probably biased, but to me, the F2G is the Ultimate Racer!


May all your bent wings be F2G Corsairs!

Kenn

[kennsmithf2g]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

I almost forgot.

The single white blade on #57 is for effect. At the rev's that it turns, it makes the engine look like it's loafing. #57 origionally had it. Odegaard recreated it. One story I heard is that origionally it was a replacement blade and they didn't have time to repaint it. Cook's mechanic tried the effect in Korea on their std. Corsairs but with the revs different, it didn't give any effect.

May all your bent wings be F2G Corsairs!

Kenn

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Not to dwell on #57, but is there something about the F4G that makes it extrodinarily rare, or is it just due to the fact it's an F4G? Also, I remember the narrator at Oshkosh commenting on the single white prop blade. Can someone remind me of the significance of that feature. Thank you Wayne for enduring my ignorance!

Tyson, I get my numbers mixep too sometimes, but it's an F "2" G not "4".. The significance of the breed is that they were produced in reaction to the Kamakize attacks as an airplane that could be launched and climb like hell to meet the threat. They had the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 28 Cylinder engine in place of the 2800 that Corsair flew with.. (hey numbers guys, am I right there or did they fly with the 3350? stock) The war ended before any of them saw action.

What makes this particular one so rare, and I'm digging into memory for the conversation I had with Bob in '01 here so it's going to be somewhat, off the cuff... When the Cleveland races started again after the war ended, the drill was to obtain surplus military fighters which were available for very cheap and then race them. Cook Cleland wanted to race an F2G and he approached the right military (Navy) guys to obtain one or two.. and here's where my memory is going to be somewhat unreliable (at best) I can't remember wheather Cook got two, or three airframes... but regardless, one aircraft of whichever number he got was NOT to be raced, as stipulated by the US Navy, it was to be used for parts only.

Well, the one that was ready for race had a problem and as related to me by Bob, Cook said, "we raced all the parts in formation" so this airplane, though slated as a parts machine, is actually, historically, a former Cleveland racer... So, not only a very rare type, as there were precious few F2G's produced, a particularly rare F2G, in that it was actually raced by Cook Cleland at Cleveland in the post war era of the sport..

That's as much as I can remember off hand, do a search from the main page of the site, you might find that stuff that I wrote directly after doing any research, might contain more, and more accurate information..

And... if he chimes in, or if either of them chime in, Lowell or Speedeemon are walking talking enclyopedias of the sport and should be able to correct me where I've been off and fill in any blanks that I've left open..

Wayne

[kennsmithf2g]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Cook Cleland wanted to race an F2G and he approached the right military (Navy) guys to obtain one or two.. and here's where my memory is going to be somewhat unreliable (at best) I can't remember wheather Cook got two, or three airframes... but regardless, one aircraft of whichever number he got was NOT to be raced, as stipulated by the US Navy, it was to be used for parts only.

Wayne

Cook origionally purchased -3-. One fatally crashed in the 1947 Thompson. The other -2- came in 1st & 2nd. He then purchased -1-, which was only to be used for parts. He "transfered" the regestration of the crashed one to it and it became #57. He also "transfered" ownership to Ben McKillen Jr. for the races, but kept an already signed bill of sale selling it back to him that he dated after the races when he "reclamed" #57 back from McKillen as McKillen didn't really want to relinquish ownership.

Ron Puckett also aquired one from the Navy and raced it.

May all you bent wings be F2G Corsairs.

Kenn

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Champlin Fighter Museum (formerly of Mesa, AZ) had a F2G, it's now in Seattle at the Museum of Flight. Try this link for a brief description, http://www.museumofflight.org/collec...ay.html?ID=124
As for "current" racers, I'm hoping to see Furias, Critical Mass, Jeanie/L.A.R.S. and Strega bend the throttles and pylons again someday.
I wish that Stilleto still existed in it's racing form and that Tsunami would be rebuilt.
I've given up on Mr. Awesome/Frost Bite.
And I'm holding some hope for Wildfire and Renegade, but I think Matt Jackson's American Spirit has the greatest chance of actually appearing at Reno.
Then there's Shockwave...

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Cook origionally purchased -3-. One fatally crashed in the 1947 Thompson. The other -2- came in 1st & 2nd. He then purchased -1-, which was only to be used for parts. He "transfered" the regestration of the crashed one to it and it became #57.

Kenn, thanks for the clarification. A very interesting story, indeed. One can only imagine the amount of moxy it took to go to the Navy and even ask in the first place, then to "buck the system" in that way... well... just a special breed back then I guess. It's all about regs and rules and getting it "right" now days.

I was talking with an ex F-15 jock the other day about a man we both admire greatly, Robin Olds, in my eyes, I admire his "free lance" cavalier style of interpreting orders, or modifying same to get the job done, a true "maverick" if there ever was one.. the more recent military pilot's response was "yea, the problem is, guys like Robin are great for winning wars but they don't do well in the military during peace time".....

"Great for winning wars"... I've never been in the military but I thought that's what it was all about..

Of course, I knew where he (the F-15 guy) was coming from, but it's sort of sad that the line has to be toe'd so closely these days....

Randy: if you read this... is the "maverick" truly dead in today's military? If you can't answer in public, I totally understand..

Wayne

[First time Juke]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

What happened to Strega ? Is it hybernating ?

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Juke,
If you haven't already, take a look at Scotty G.'s new article "Tiger Paws" at http://warbirdaeropress.com/ to answer your question.
Chris

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Juke,
If you haven't already, take a look at Scotty G.'s new article "Tiger Paws" at http://warbirdaeropress.com/ to answer your question.
Chris

Flykid, with all due respect to ScottyG's well written piece, it asks the same question we've all been asking for a few years...

(see "old" article here)

I'm adding the above link because I think it's so damn old that some of you guys have probably never seen it..

One good thing to consider when talking about Tiger is to one, never count him out until we can really count him out for good and two, never speculate TOO much because, "Tiger" reads this stuff and he just might be ornrey enough to change directions just to throw egg at the suthsayers among us

Since I've plugged my own old work here, down at the bottom of the article linked above, there's a link to a pretty darn long phone conversation I had with Tiger about the same time as the article was written that was in answer to my asking him to take us around the pylons with him verbally. I wanted to hear, rather than read his words in describing a lap at Reno.. what came out of it was pretty damn good stuff! His enthusiasm for the sport really showed in his voice (hopefully, it showed in the recording as well) during the conversation.

Anyway, it still remains to be seen what will become of Strega, rumor, fact, or crystal ball... no matter who sat in the cockpit, we'd have a genuine horse race if Tiger brought the witch back to Reno. Ya'll think he's maybe gettin' bored just sitting there in the pits drinking DagoRed??



Wayne

[Eric]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

I remember the battles Rare Bear and Strega had! Those were the most exciting air racing duels I have seen. I would love to see Strega back in the fray!

[Dago Dog]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Dago would love to have some more competition. Two buzzards circling over the Bear are always better than one!!! I heard that Tiger was building a composite cowling just like Voodoo's. Now why would he be doing that if it ain't for more racin' Either way, the sport is a bit more hollow without the witch!!!

[440_Magnum]

Re: Unlimiteds Wanted Back

Too easy:

WHITE LIGHTNIN!

So she'd run in the Bronze... who cares? Big Bossman needs another twin to tango with, and the history of White Lightnin is just too fantastic to wish for anything else.

Of course it would be great to see ALL of them back, but I'm going to force myself to just pick one