'BUCK SHOTS'

[Big_Jim]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

The Lou IV twins. Nice.

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Paging- Mr. Martin - Mr. Baker!".....

Sun. 9/14/03-Reno NCAR-Stead Field, NV-

Pilot-owner John Marlin sits in the cockpit of his 'ambitious' RR-Griffon powered/contra-prop Martin-Baker MB-5 'replica' knockoff, as it gets a crowd display tow-by along the ramp,-following Skip Holm & Team Dago Red's win of the Reno '03 UNL Gold Championship Race.

Project-builder Marlin's Stead-based endeavour has been in the works for quite a few years, but has yet to see completion to make its' maiden test flight. John Marlin has been graciously-making his hangar open for visitor tours during race week every year- so race fans can see the progress he's been making on the radical aircraft. Marlin originally-announced that Skip Holm was slated to be the project test pilot during the early stages of construction, which is loosely-based on the rare & extinct British test example fighter plane prototype.

Of course, the big question remains- "When (& 'IF') it will fly & who WILL be designated test pilot...?"

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Pooder!".....

RACE: Thur. 9/15/11-Reno NCAR-Formula One HT-2A-

Canadian racer- Tom Watkins of Calgary, Alberta greases the pylon can in Cassutt M-III #20-"Pooder". Tom looked great flying a tight courseline,-even while holding down the tail-end Charlie slot in 8th-place (192.971-av/mph), during this 8-lap heat event.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Star & Bars"...!!!

One of my absolute favorite works of art happens to be the bold & distinctively-beautiful red, white & blue design of our USA national military roundel used to ID all aircraft of the USA's Armed Forces. This version's been the standard since after 1947, when the red horizontal bars were added.

Of course now today's- 'low-visibility' examples are the more-practical modern-type roundels currently-used on combat aircraft-but they don't quite have the same evokative flair f/stirring-up those original 'old glory' emotions of patriotic fervor, like this colorful old-style insignia does.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Thunderbolts!"

Fri. 3/24/95-Phoenix 500 Air Races-Williams Gateway Airport-Mesa, AZ-

A bit of aviation history comes full-circle @ '95 PHX-500 as two combat aircraft namesake cousins fm different eras are staged together for a special ceremony & photo op (L-R): Fairchild Republic's A-10 Thunderbolt II (more-popularly known by it's 'Wart Hog' nickname) ground attack jet bomber & its' famous WW2 ancestor- the legendary Republic P-47D Thunderbolt pursuit fighter/fighter-bomber (a.k.a.-'The Jug').

Both these big powerful a/c types became reknowned for packin' a big punch-while bein' able to take some big hits themselves & still bring their pilots back to home base after completing sortie missions deep into enemy territory.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"TAZ!"..........

The Dwelle Family's magnificent Hawker Super Sea Fury- #10-Critical Mass (N85SF) Unlimited Class Gold racer rests on the Stead Field ramp @ the first-ever grounded Reno NCAR event-Tue. 9/11/01.

For many years an air racing fan-favorite going around the pylons,-Taz's intensive restoration back into a beautiful 2-seater Sea Fury is well on the way towards completion @ Sanders Aeronautics' Eagle's Nest facility in Ione, CA. This historic Sea Fury is bound to be an exquisite beauty again when she returns to the air in the near future!

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Dreadnought @ Dusk"........

Sun. 9/19/04-Reno NCAR- Sanders Air Racing Team's indomitable Unlimited Class behemoth Hawker Super Sea Fury - Race #8- Dreadnought keeps an eye on blue skies as the sun sets behind Stead Field @ the conclusion of Reno '04.

DBD

[Fence Sence]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"TAHOE CLIPPER!"...

Sun. 9/7/97-Lake Tahoe-

A selected Buck Shot fm the archives, -captures Canadian aviator-Trevor Ross' perfectly-restored classic Grumman JRF-5 Goose amphibian C-FNIF (s/n B-129) flying alongside Dennis Buehn's big Grumman SA-16A Albatross,-along the shores of beautiful sunny Lake Tahoe.

Thumbnail history: Built 6/45 f/the USN, after WW2 this Goose saw duty w/the CAA (today's FAA) in Alaska as N101/N121 before civilian operations in the USA as N5096K. Her many years of commercial airline service were all logged in Canada along the B.C. coast as CF-NIF/C-FNIF flying f/Trans-Provincial Airlines & Pacific Coastal Airlines. Ross aquired the a/c following a bad ground-loop runway ldg & had the Goose completely restored by his close pal-John Hill/Aeroflight Industries.

After completion, Trevor flew it fm Vancouver, B.C. to the Reno '97 Air Races f/display during race week-parked there alongside DB's big SA-16A. Following its' Reno appearance, Ross sold the JRF to Tuthill Corp. in Chicago to become N21A. Antilles Seaplanes LLC in NC purchased the plane in Dec. '07 as their first demonstrator Goose-to attract sales interest f/the company's proposed new-build examples, but it was wrecked 1/29/08 in a water-landing accident off Marathon Key, FL. Chuck Greenhill aquired the remains of B-129 f/spare parts to help support his flying Goose & JRF-6B restoration currently in-progress in the Midwest.

This year's RR Heritage Trophy competition at Reno '11 NCAR, featured three of Grumman's famous twin-engined amphibian flying boats: Widgeon, Mallard & Albatross - but it was significantly-noted that no Goose example was on-hand to participate,-to complete the Iron Works' amphib-twin series display at Stead Field.

DBD

(P.S.- Huge THX goes out to owner/pilots-Trevor Ross & Dennis Buehn f/graciously-accomodating w/their beautiful Grummans f/the Lake Tahoe shoot & doing a superb job of flying them that gorgeous day to get these magnificent water birds captured on 'film' f/posterity.)

Not Lake Tahoe. That is Stampede Reservoir. Beautiful shot. I'm guessing this is on the way back from a little Tahoe trip from Stead.

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Hey, thanks there, Fence Sence, for the correct location of the A-2-A Goose pic. It was awhile ago, and now I'll pull out the map to refresh my dusty old memory bank. (Will go back & correct the original post as well w/correction credit noted)

Also, it was great meeting you & your pals on the Stead flight line early during race week this year at Reno 2011 (Thx f/your much-appreciated 'atta-boys' too on this thread.)

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"GUNSLINGER!"

Tue. 9/13/11-Reno NCAR-Qualifying & Practice-

Vic McMann makes another Q-Run in his beautiful North American AT6-A Race #66-Gunslinger,-wearing a strikingly-beautiful new black paint scheme f/this year. Vic was aiming to up his earlier 222.650-mph Mon. Q-time, but missed w/his second attempt's nearly-identical speed of 222.197.

McMann got to a 3rd-place finish in Friday's 5-lap T-6 Silver Heat 2 @ 224.126-av/mph, before Reno '11 competitions were suspended at the end of the day.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Dogfights Over The Desert!"...

RACE: Sat. 9/15/84-Reno NCAR-UNL Heat-3B:

Air racing's 'Heavy-Metal Thoroughbreds' engage in a free-for-all battle f/position during the pace lap, while turning old Outer 6 Pylon to dive down into the W. Chute's 'Valley of Speed'.

Bud Granley in P-51D #11-Miss America is hedge-hopping down-low holding down the lead, w/Lloyd Hamilton's big red corncob Super Sea Fury #15-Furias as his closest pursuer (-seen puttin' out some black smoke while pourin' on the coals).

Closely-chasing Furias is 3-way dogfight f/3rd-place comprised of Art Vance in Hamilton's stock SF #16-Baby Gorilla, Bob Yancey's F4U-4 Corsair #101-Old Blue & Howard Pardue's XF8F-1 Bearcat #14. Trailing behind that bunch flying on the outside- there's a hot Mustang duel going-on between John Dilley's yellow-nosed #19-Lou IV & Gary Levitz flying John Sandberg's grey #28-Tipsy Too. Ace Bob Love trails up high in the camo P-51D #2-Hovey Mustang.

This was the race when Furias' R-4360 engine 'sneezed' on Lap-4 on the V-O-S at the W. Guide Pylon & shedded its' engine cowlings-forcing Hamilton's hairy mayday exit of the race. Finishing order: #11-#28-#14-#101-#19-#16 (DNF)-#2 & #15 (DNF)

The second candid shot captures Furias' pilot/owner-Lloyd Hamilton later that day relating his mayday experience to fellow racer/UNL safety pilot-Bob Love & a group of entranced hangers-on in the pits.

DBD

[Ken from PG]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Great stuff Bucky, thanks!

Wish you and Linda well, Ken

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Just Hummin'-along Together"...

Sat. 9/18/10-Pyramid Lake, NV: Some very 'Happy Horsepower' is displayed during a sunset photo shoot w/Rod Lewis' historic Lockheed P-38 Lightning-"Glacier Girl" flying in company w/his pair of Grumman F7F Tigercats.

Steve Hinton flew GG & the big T-Cats were flown by Stewart Dawson & Rod Lewis-these guys all did a superb job formating w/the AKANG C-130 photo ship that evening.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

Great stuff Bucky, thanks!

Wish you and Linda well, Ken

Thx alot, Ken & same to you fm us up here in The Last Frontier! Hope your doin' swell & Happy Holidays to you & yours.

DBD

[BuckyD]

Re: 'BUCK SHOTS'

"Home By Sundown"...

Sublime SE Alaska winter sunset behind Ketchikan International Airport over on Gravina Island in December, as a lone Cessna 185 Skywagon seaplane returns just before dark. (This pic was shot fm our deck looking SW).

DBD