reno 2016

[oz rb fan]

well reno is done and dusted for another year...some highs and some lows.

highs ...Voodoo wins at a canter....czechmate second

new champs in both F1 and biplanes.
more sport class planes..i really think this is the future of the sport.


lows
last years jet winner lost in an emegancy...scratch one two seat vampire.....pilot ok

a biplane accident...two damages bipe's....pilots ok

F1 accident(this one had me worried as i talk to the pilot of one of these online)...two damaged maybe written off....pilots all ok

and last but least
sport racer Blue 11 (thundermustang) mayday'd after finishing second..landed short of runway....pilot ok...dont know about the plane.

just 51 weeks till they do it all again...may there be more of the heavy hitting unlimited's next year and may it bw a safe year.

[BradG]

Strega wasn't there this year?

[oz rb fan]

nope Brad...they had split a radiator...and it's a custom one they didnt have time to get a new one built.

[Adam the Akrodude]

Whilst USA is not without its issues, this country has given us Blues and Rock n Roll, muscle cars and Reno!

Sounds more a subdued Reno this year - is that fair to say Paul? Glad all OK who were involved in incidents - the main thing. Got to get there one day!!!!!

[oz rb fan]

your not to far from the truth Adam....though other than unlimited the racing was great from what i here.......and the T6 gold was said to be one of the best ever.
i personally think unlimited is a dying breed(especially the super stang's modified bearcats and seafuries) even the stocker numbers were down and with the prices of stock warbirds climbing i think it's just a matter of time but sport class where there is a lot on innovation going on maybe ready to step up....they are now lapping at speeds in the high 300 to low 400 mph region,that pretty big number when you think that they are mainly modified kit planes and less than 1000 cubic inch capacity.

the if1's were well into the mid 200mph region the top qualifier was over 250mph and the top 6 were over 235 mph...on 100 horse power

jet class had some very fast planes running..the loss of the quick vampire on friday was a blow but the gold final was won at 497 mph...and there was an Aussie running in this class.

T6 class the gold final was covered by less than 1 MPH at the finish.........DAMN that would have been a great race to watch.


bring on next uear and a lotto win for me to be there

[Adam the Akrodude]

Hey Paul

I reckon the 500+ mph mark is probably around the limit in any case. Much faster means more G to get around the corner, which bleeds off energy and harder on the pilots. So, with the jets around this speed, there will always be something fast racing around those pylons. I would personally like to see modern prop and jet designs pushing the limits. It's all possible - just a matter of money and time.

[BradG]

The availability of high octane avgas will be a problem in future, for all warbirds.

[oz rb fan]

very true Brad...and the hot rods even worse as they run special 145/150 octain....some of the low powered engines can run mogas(gypsies and a few others come to mind) but the big bangers will struggle.

[Adam the Akrodude]

The 100LL issue is more of a concern to the 100's of thousands of GA aircraft around the world. As long as TEL is still being made, special fuel blends will be available - higher boost pressures need higher octane fuels. If governments decide that TEL will kill us all, then we're in trouble.

Link to what Shell have to say about 100LL. Oh, and you can thank Jimmy Doolittle for this fuel too, as he pushed its development prior to WW2 when he worked for Shell. What a guy - first to do a outside loop, record breaker, air racer, pushed development of 100 Octane, bombed Tokyo, USAAF General in Europe - bit of a achiver huh!

http://www.shell.com/business-customers/aviation/aeroshell/knowledge-centre/technical-talk/techart12-30071515.html

The good stuff the top air racers burn at a prodigious rate!

http://www.vpracingfuels.com/page469668.html

Other aero engines are being developed - to use Mogas, diesel, ethanol and electric power. It could mean the end of the Unlimited air racers one day, but I think they'll be around for some time. I would like to see the development of new air racers. It would breath new life into this sport I think.

[BradG]

Ummm guys, I'm stopped here....someone wasn't paying attention or there was poor communication here.

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/09/2 ... s-air-show