Dago

[Race5]

Re: Dago

While the end result is sad, I completely, whole-heartedly disagree with your opinon on this. What Taylor was doing was actually very cool and would ultimately have been better than the profiling that was removed. The scanning that he had the NASA people do would have resulted in much better profiling than what the Lockwood/Price/Wood modifications were...because it was a digital aiframe scan and not just profiles based on slide rule calculations or eyeing it (not discounting what/how they did it, mind you...just saying that this was really high-tech stuff that Taylor was doing). That airplane was going to go back together, it was going to race, and it was going to go after the 3km that Frank \'lost out on\' in 1984...and then it was going to go into the Smithsonian next to Conquest 1. Frank didn\'t buy it with the intention of making it slower.

What Taylor was doing was NO DIFFERENT than Leeward taking a historically significant racing airplane in Miss Candace/Jeannie and castrating it to make the new version of the Galloping Ghost. Everything Taylor did was to make it faster and a better racer. Would you be roasting Leeward over the fire if he hadn\'t been able to finish GG and bring it to Reno? Remember, it languished in storage for 15 years, and then spent several more years in partial disassembly/modification while they were waiting for the financial resources to finish it.

Now you tell me...how is that ANY different from what Frank did with Dago Red? It wasn\'t HIS fault that the bank repossessed the airplane from the Costo\'s...even though Frank was already paying them in installments.

My thoughts EXACTLY. The blame for this mess does not lie with Frank.

[W J Pearce]

Re: Dago

In my opinion the great tragedy of Dago Red was the involvement of the Costos.

[GR7Racer]

Re: Dago

Thanks Big Jim for your comments. I'm sticking to my opinion however. I think FT's plans were a bit pie-in-the-sky. From what I understand, he also didn't think much of the modifications done to the airframe after it left his hands when he owned it originally, even though the airplane set amazing performance standards and won many more Gold races than when he owned it. He disregarded that work and claimed that it was faster when he had it...I disagree with that and think that shows a lack of respect for those that worked to make that aircraft historically significant...a significance that FT was banking on to get the funding for his plans. In fact, the airplane's status owed much more to its performance in the time period after FT owned it, than during the time he owned it and called the shots.

You are right to point out the Costo's role in this mess too. Plenty of blame for them too.

KMac

[Wingnut]

Re: Dago

The information that I have is that Dago has been sold by the bank. New owner has limited warbird time and no Mustang time. He's a big guy and plans on putting a stock canopy back on it so he can fly it.

A shame.

Disgusting. Another legend is but a memory.

[Race5]

Re: Dago

Frank had it scanned in order to run CFD models on several configurations. If the data proved that the Kerch era mods were better than his, he would have gone with what showed to be the fastest. I would love to get my hands on that scan data and some CFD time. Lots could be learned.

[BillA]

Re: Dago

In my opinion the great tragedy of Dago Red was the involvement of the Costos.

Bingo.

[Smee Again]

Re: Dago

In my opinion the great tragedy of Dago Red was the involvement of the Costos.

Truer words have never been spoken. But what the hell do I know...

SA

[Chris_UK]

Re: Dago

Didn't the Costos have some other Mustangs too, I seem to remember some others on their website, if so does anyone know which ones and what has happened to them.
Huge shame about Dago Red, guess I will never get to see her race now....

[T. Adams]

Re: Dago

They are all gone. I can't remember what happened to the others. I'm sure someone will fill us in.

[Cloudchaser427]

Re: Dago

Bottom line as far a I'm concerned no matter who owns it is that the airplane will fly again instead of sitting in a rubble of parts in some hangar or warehouse. It deserves a much better fate than that.

Cloudchaser

[Mustang1957]

Re: Dago

I guess just flying and doing the airshow circut is better than nothing.

[jarrodeu]

Re: Dago

Bottom line as far a I'm concerned no matter who owns it is that the airplane will fly again instead of sitting in a rubble of parts in some hangar or warehouse. It deserves a much better fate than that.

Cloudchaser

I think I would rather see it as a pile of Dago Red parts than a flying TF-51

Jarrod

[Wingnut]

Re: Dago

Bottom line as far a I'm concerned no matter who owns it is that the airplane will fly again instead of sitting in a rubble of parts in some hangar or warehouse. It deserves a much better fate than that.

Cloudchaser

Agreed. But with so few true racing planes left, losing another in this manner is troubling, particularly considering at least one of the interested parties intended to further Dago's legacy as a racer. Sad that we'll not see it bend the sticks again, sad for the future of the sport.

[Leo]

Re: Dago

In the big picture there are a fair number of Racers we won't see around the pylons again. Some have crashed, some have gone to museums, some have gone back to stock. There have also been a few come back, and a few new entries that spur owners interest and may result in future ventures. It has always been cyclic, Dago's just the latest. Each time one of them leaves the sport, or the competitive list, there is much moaning among us fans of the end of the sport. It changes, but I don't see it ending anytime soon despite the problems facing it.
What creeps me out about this is that Hacker's joke is proving (somewhat) true. Psychic? In the know? Lucky guess?

[MRE]

Re: Dago

Part of what Big Jim said is true. FT did not buy Dago. The whole thing was ill fated from the beginning. Dago was the fastest Mustang period,and you can thank David Price for the tons of money he spent on the airplane and testing different configurations.