'BUCK SHOTS'

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

*** POLAR BEAR ***

Gerry Gabe's beautiful OD/NG razorback P-51A #25- 'Polar Bear' is captured at Reno '09 NCAR.

Veteran test/race pilot- Dave Morss has been her racing jockey since PB's Reno '05 Unlimited Class debut, w/a 2nd-place finish in that year's UNL Bronze @ 334.400-av/mph. The following year Team Polar Bear came back & won the Reno '06 Bronze final (@344.211). Race fans were stoked to see 'em racing again last Sept. at Reno, & Dave drove P-Bear up into Sunday's UNL Silver final f/a 7th-pl. finish @ 336.219-av/mph.

S/N 43-6006 earned her 'Polar Bear' moniker via her WW2 assignment to Ladd Field's USAAF Cold Weather Test Detachment located near Fairbanks, Alaska. She crashed 2/16/44 on a mountain by Summit, AK. & was recovered in 1977 by Waldon 'Moon' Spillers f/an 8-year restoration project. First post-restoration flight was made in 1985 & Gerry Gabe aquired the Allison-powered Mustang ten years later, and bases her today at Hollister, CA.

DBD

(Being an Alaskan, I'm particularly fond of P-Bear f/obvious reasons + one of her WW2 Cold WX Test unit pilots was my late friend- Randy Acord of Fairbanks,-pictured here w/his lovely wife- Marion, in front of their FB home in Oct. '87.)

[Leo]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Probably a lot more "D" there than "A" but a very nice looking aircraft.
Before the mega-restorations of the rarer variants that we see nowadays it was almost the only game in town.
The pictures of the crash scene show little left for Spillers to start with!

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"A Different Shape in the Sky"- Miller Pusher F-1 Racers

The totally radical-looking Jim Miller pusher designs that competed in the Formula One/IFM Racing Class during years past, always drew alot of attention w/their striking futuristic-yet-retro Buck Rogers lines that really made them stand out against the competition. They were certainly amongst my personal favorite raceplanes to watch & photograph in action.

Here's a photo tribute gallery to these mighty 'little Miller gems'....

Photos (L-R/Top to bottom):

1 & 2. Race #73-"Texas Gem" (N74M) was Jim Miller's first pusher racer design, which he debuted in 1973 & raced up thru the Reno '86 F-1 Gold. First B&W pic captures #73 rounding a pylon chasing Dusty Dowd's #5-"Illusion",-during Reno '80's Formula One Consolation Race on Sunday-9/14/80. The second shot's a color profile of Texas Gem on rollout during the race horse start of Reno '84's F-1 Heat #6 on 9/15/84.

Miller sold #73 to Errol Roberson, who raced it as #73- "Puffin" at Reno '87, '88 & '89 (-when Roberson & #73 were tragically lost during HT-2A after colliding w/a dust devil crossing the racecourse).

3. 'The Man Himself'- Jim Miller is seen up onstage during the Reno '91 NCAR Awards Banquet, collecting his F-1 Gold 2nd-Place Trophy from Miss Reno '91 Amanda Allman & Jennifer Eckert-Miss Reno '90. Miller's racing career started in 1949 at Cleveland in the Goodyear Midget Class. Later on, in 1959-60, Jim won consecutive 190 c.i. championships flying #14 "Li'l Gem" & re-entered competition in 1973 w/his Texas Gem pusher. Jim Miller finally won his First-Place Formula One Gold Championship Trophy @ Reno '90 flying his famous #14-"Pushy Cat" (-featured in the next group of photos). Jim Miller passed-away 2/11/03.

4-5-6. Jim Miller's Race #14-"Pushy Cat" (N414M), pictured here @ Reno '98,-was a sleeker & smaller-scaled pusher design version of his Texas Gem, which Jim successfully-raced from '87 thru '99. Incorporating a fully-retractable steerable nose gear for his tiny-nosed pigmy pushers was an incredible engineering feat f/Miller as a designer.

7. The final variant, was the Miller-Bohannan JM-2 Special- Race #89-"Pushy Galore" (N189BB), shown on the Stead Field ramp at sunset @ Reno '97. Built in 1988 for owner/pilot-Bruce Bohannan, it began racing the following year w/some degree of success for almost a decade, until Bruce retired the plane after Reno '98. Pushy Galore set numerous class speed dash & time-to-climb records during its' remarkable sportplane career. Bohannan donated N189BB to the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, WI.

8-9-10-11. Four photos showing #89-"Pushy Galore" in action @ Reno '98 NCAR. The 9/20/98 Formula One Gold start shot includes both Bohannan in #89 & Jim Miller in #14,-competing w/their Miller pushers in their last race. The last pic in this bunch shows Bohannan & #89 ahead of Holbrook Maslen flying his Shoestring- #44-"Judy's Turn" - a great comparison shot of Miller's radical concept vs. the more standard conventional F-1 raceplane design.

12-13-14. "Golden Age vs. Modern Era!" -A trio of 9/16/98 pics capture Bruce Bohannan in #89-"Pushy Galore" engaging Delmar Benjamin's #7 Gee Bee R-2 replica racer in a closed-course pylon racing demo duel @ Reno f/a dramatic 'then & now' comparison of radically-different aircraft design formulas: light-weight low-profile/low drag vs. vintage brute horsepower aerodynamics!

15. Sun. 9/20/98-Reno NCAR F-1 Gold Championship- Bruce Bohannan & #89 pass by the pylon on their final lap of air racing,-ending the racing history of the Miller F-1 Pushers. (Note: there's been some rumors that the current owner of #14 Pushy Cat might return the racer back into competition in the future. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed for that potential happening!)

DBD

[Jeff E]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Very cool Bucky... That would be amazing to watch.. Wish I had been able to ..

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

What I remember about the Gee Bee vs. Pushy Galore "demonstration" race was the Delmar's cockpit never got above pylon hieght. Wow!

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

More- 'R-Rs' & 'H-Hs'...("Fly Low-Fly Fast!")

RACE: Sun. 9/17/06-UNL GOLD- Robert 'Hoot' Gibson in #99-"Riff Raff" & Stewart Dawson in #105-"Spirit of Texas" are engaged in a tight battle f/4th-place goin' downhill heading towards Outer 5 Pylon. Anytime these two guys & their R-3350 modified Sea Furies get paired together in a race, there's bound to be a dogfight!

Definately- "Hard-Chargin' Hedge-Hoppin' Ridge-Runners"!

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Thai 'Cat!"

Rod Lewis' Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat NX747NF (he owns 4 of the type!) done up in Royal Thai Air Force markings is a real beauty- sporting a fresh new look for flying Bearcat restorations on the circuit today.

Here's a trio of pics of this silver bird taken at Chino POF Airshow & Reno NCAR in 2009. (Man-o-man- I'd sure like to see this sweet machine joining the Unlimited Class racing ranks @ Reno in the future - she'd look totally-awesome turning the pylons!)

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Heavy Rain Predicted...!"

For many years, the weather trends @ the Reno Air Races were- 'Even-numbered year- Hot & Clear' / 'Odd-numbered year- Cold & Wet' (w/occasional snow!), coined after noting averaged-occurances over time. Many of us old veteran race fans who've endured Reno's weather extremes can attest to those coincidental cyclic trends, w/some exceptions as this rainy Reno '85 photo illustrates.

Now today w/El Nino, Global Warming, & various other strange wx phenonmenons, it seems 'anything goes' weather-wise.

Hey,-'Whatever'.... Nonetheless, anytime I see a boat & trailer parked in some racer's pit stall as part of a race team's equipment list during a torrential downpour, it gets me lookin' up & wonderin' a little bit...

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Super Sea Furies!"

Race #10-"Critical Mass" & Race #15-"Furias"

Though these two classic heavy-duty Hawker racing thoroughbreds never won an Unlimited Class Gold Trophy, they both made an indelible mark in the annals of modern day air racing history & truly-define what an awesome big roundy racer should look like.

DBD

[FlyKidChris]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Thai 'Cat!"

Rod Lewis' Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat NX747NF (he owns 4 of the type!) done up in Royal Thai Air Force markings is a real beauty- sporting a fresh new look for flying Bearcat restorations on the circuit today.

Here's a trio of pics of this silver bird taken at Chino POF Airshow & Reno NCAR in 2009. (Man-o-man- I'd sure like to see this sweet machine joining the Unlimited Class racing ranks @ Reno in the future - she'd look totally-awesome turning the pylons!)

DBD

We (air race fans and warbird fans) are so lucky to have a man like
Rod Lewis involved in both pursuits. If I ever meet the man, I'll shake
his hand and say a heartfelt "Thank you, sir."

[Race 29]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Man! Can you imagine being Rod Lewis? If I had that kind of wealth, I'd be doing the same thing. How many warbirds does he own? What a guy! If there's anyone on the face of the planet to live vicariously through, it's him! I use Microsoft's Flight Simulator alot, and that's the only world where I can get close to being the guy! Thank you Rod Lewis for using your fortune to keep history alive!

Race 29

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Chris & Race 29-

I echo your thoughts on Rod Lewis & we're all happy beneficiaries of his passion f/aviation- warbirds & air racing in particular. Quite frankly, as fans & devotees, I believe we owe our thanks not only to Mr. Lewis f/his major contributions towards these pursuits, but to ALL those people who share Rod's passion for keeping vintage big iron airplanes flying & racing. It would be a good thing to voice our appreciation more often to each & every one of them- owners/pilots/crew, for their valuable participation in this elite genre of sport aviation, especially during these tough economic times.

Here's a pic of Rod Lewis taxiing one of this two Grumman F7F-3 Tigercats ('H-K-K') @ Reno '09... Thanks, Rod & Best of Luck to you as a rookie race pilot this year!!!

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Makin' the Coffee nervous!"

Race: Fri. 9/18/09-UNL HT-2A- Steven Hinton in #7 Strega narrowly-holds his lead during his first UNL Gold Heat competition flying Tiger Bill's red hot P51, w/Dan Martin & #20 Ridge Runner ridin' the Witch's tail hard, headin' f/Outer 4 Pylon. Hinton prevailed f/the win, finishing @ 450.743-av/mph & Martin came in 2nd @ 448.386. That's- "GREAT RACING!!!

Can't wait to watch both these pilots & their Mustangs racing again @ Reno 2010!

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Able Dog!"

Tues. 9/10/85-Reno NCAR-UNL Practice & Qualifying-

Jimmy McMillan brings his big, bad & beautiful- Douglas AD-4N Skyraider Race #404 down onto the Stead Field racecourse off the W. Chute Guide Pylon along the "Valley of Speed" during time trials.

Jimmy's Breckenridge, TX-based AD was the first of its' type to race at Reno & he qualified his R-3350-powered big bird @ 323.547-mph in the 29th Unlimited Class Q-slot. Race #404 finished 7th in Sunday's Bronze w/an average speed of 314.223-mph f/the six-lap event. 1985 was the only year this Skyraider competed.

The following year at Reno '86- McMillan's pal-Jay Cullum entered & raced his similarly-painted AD-4N- #409-"Able Dog" & returned for Reno '88 w/the plane renamed- "Jingo Charlie", but qualified too slow to make the field of racers.

When these big ground attack warbirds rounded the pylons, it was quite a sight & sound to experience & maybe one day in the future we'll get to see another Skyraider racing again. Let's keep our fingers-crossed, w/that thought!

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

More- 'Ridge-Runners' & 'Hedge-Hoppers'...("Fly Low-Fly Fast!")

"Measuring Sticks".......

A trio of Unlimited 'V-O-S' pics capture racers polishing guide pylons down along the Stead Field racecourse's fast W. Chute (L-R):

1. Skip Holm races Joe Kasperoff's P-51D #39-"The Healer" in Sunday's Bronze final @ Reno '88.

2. Dale Clarke & his Hawker Sea Fury #40-"Nuthin' Special" is running quick during Reno '85 Qualifying & Practice.

3. Jimmy Leeward & his Mustang #9-"Cloud Dancer" right down on the deck @ Reno '00 Q & P.

DBD