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Sim group providing RENO Air Races coverage

fsxar177

Long-Time Enthusiast
Fellas,
I'm excited to announce that I have been commissioned to provide event coverage, updated daily, from the ramp at Reno/Stead. In coordination with the FSX Air Sports Association, we will start event coverage of the Air races on mid-morning of Thursday, the 13th. Qualification is already underway, and some interesting things are in the works!

CLICK HERE for the link!

We intend to provide:
Unique updates
Photos
Video
Pilot and crew interviews

Let's see how it go's! We're new to this!

Joseph
 
This sounds great, Joseph, I'll be looking forward to keeping up with the coverage!

Sadly there has to be the feeling of quite a big void at this year's Reno event, with the passing of Jimmy, then Howard earlier this year, and now Oder just days ago. Also I read that Bob Button has "Voodoo" up for sale, and that it isn't participating this year.

It does look like a good year once more for the Sea Furies (visions of the 2006 races come to mind) - with "Argonout", "Furias", "Sawbones", "September Fury", and recently flown again for the first time in 15 years, the Sanders' Centaurus-powered Sea Fury "Ol' 924", making for a nice total of 5. While Sea Furies have typically been raced with R-3350's and R-4360's, "Argonout" is now being flown with an R-2800, so between the five different Sea Furies, I believe there are four different powerplants this year.

This is supposedly the list of registered Unlimiteds:


  • #71 Sea Fury, "Sawbones" - Curt Brown
  • #77 Bearcat, "Rare Bear" - Stu Dawson
  • #232 Sea Fury, "September Fury" - Robert "Hoot" Gibson
  • #31 P-51, "Speedball Alice" - Rob Gordon
  • #7 P-51, "Stega" - Steven Hinton
  • #11 P-51 "Miss America" - Brent Hisey
  • #15 Sea Fury, "Furias" - Matt Jackson
  • #1 Tigercat, "La Patrona" - Rod Lewis
  • #12 P-51, "The Rebel" - Doug Matthews
  • #24 F-4U Corsair - Doug Matthews
  • #0 Yak 3U, "Rossiya Suka" - Jim McKinstry
  • #17 P-40, "Parrothead" - John-Curtiss Paul
  • #19 P-40, "Boise Bee" - John-Curtiss Paul
  • #38 P-51R, "Precious Metal" - Thom Richard
  • #2 Wildcat, "Air Biscuit" - Brian Sanders
  • #924 Sea Fury - Brian Sanders
  • #8 Sea Fury, "Dreadnought" - Brian Sanders
  • #44 P-51, "Sparky" - Brant Seghetti
  • #81 P-51, "Lady Jo" - Dan Vance
  • #114 Sea Fury, "Argonout" - Korey Wells
  • #33 Yak 3U, "Steadfast" - Will Whiteside
 
John,

PLAN TO JOIN US NEXT YEAR

The two from Nampa did not make it. The "Boise Bee", and "Parrothead". (P-40). And Mr. Lewis brought the other Twin-cat, "Here Kitty Kitty".

I'm anxious to compare the wave-lengths between sounds coming from those four different power plants, in the Furies this year. I'm pretty convinced that the most practical set-up, would have to be that R-2800 in "Argonaut".

The big question, #232, or #15 - Who is faster?

According to Matt Jackson, "Furias" is faster than ever, and even in his own words, considerably faster than either Rare Bear, or Voodoo... Time will tell! If this is true, Stevo may well be forced into a traffic jam for 1st, during the Gold on Sunday. It might be good strategy not to qualify 1st today, and enter into Friday's race behind a few of the roundies, and get some practice in?

I think the Griffon with Thom, is probably capable of laps in the upper 470's. But that's half a course length behind what Strega/Stevo can do...Nevertheless, the classic battle between the Griffon, and the Buick might just be a good one!

Where do you stand? Is the mouse motor going to hold, against these pressing radials?

Joseph
 
I am absolutely curious to find out just how well Argonaut does with the R-2800. Ever since the year (I'm thinking within only the past couple or so - '09 or '10 perhaps) where there was hardly any Sea Furies in attendance at all, and several groups were dealing with problems with their R-3350's (both Reno related and non), there has seemed to be more expressed about the two different engines, and how much more reliable/dependable the R-2800's are. Just as I am also very curious to see the numbers come in from "924" with its Centaurus power - one that would be hard, at least from my mindset, to want to push any limits on, given its level of rarity.

I have been wondering if, when it comes down to it, Strega's going to be all alone at the front of the pack this year in the final race. However, as you mention, there has seemed to be quite a lot of talk about Furias in the mags over the past several months, and that one does seem prone to having a real shot at it. I also am liking the "Precious Metal" team, looking and sounding better than ever - with those nice new props to boot (451+ mph qualification)! And of course Rare Bear always is right there, ready to take it, as long as it maintains a clear bill of health.

*Early qualifying results can be found here: http://reports.airrace.org/
 
Well... some answers already...

#15 Had gear difficulty. Did manage to qualify at a modest speed, but yet, during landing, a main gear did collapse. Matt walked away without injury. We're awaiting details on whether the aircraft can be repaired in time to race, but the immediate guess would be, no.

Thom Richard once again took the course, and exceeded the aircraft's speed in 1988, on two laps! "Precious Metal" got bumped up to just over 463mph!! Wow!

Stay in tune to the site. We're driving through the night tomorrow, and will be on site at dawn Thursday.

Joseph
 
Crap, what a huge bummer for Furias and her team! Though I am very glad that Matt is fine, first and foremost. This was posted at WIX:

"Furias was going up to qualify. I can not confirm myself, but others around me said they heard from the radio calls there was a problem with raising the gear. Apparently that was cleared as Furias proceeded to do the qualification lap(s). What I can tell from the radio calls is that then Furias could not confirm the gear was down and locked. A Mustang (either Sparky or Speedball Alice) gave a visual confirmation the gear was down, but even with shaking they could not confirm it was locked (this from radio calls I heard). Furias then proceeded to make a landing on 32. When the right main started to take the weight it slowly collapsed. The right wing dragged for some distance. It appeared that once the wing reached the side of the runway the ground loop initiated. When the dust cleared Furias was sitting on it's belly, so obviously the left main failed at that time. I could see through my lens, and others around me with binoculars, the pilot walking around."

On the other note, it is great news regarding "Precious Metal"! It's nice to hear it having such success so-far - here's hoping it continues through the week for them!

Based on the latest qualification results, it looks like Rare Bear is breathing down Strega's neck!
 
BTW, Joseph, the write-ups on your site are excellent! I'm really enjoying reading them, and it was interesting regarding the height restriction now in-place, and the DQ's that resulted from it.
 
Crap, what a huge bummer for Furias and her team! Though I am very glad that Matt is fine, first and foremost. This was posted at WIX:

"Furias was going up to qualify. I can not confirm myself, but others around me said they heard from the radio calls there was a problem with raising the gear. Apparently that was cleared as Furias proceeded to do the qualification lap(s). What I can tell from the radio calls is that then Furias could not confirm the gear was down and locked. A Mustang (either Sparky or Speedball Alice) gave a visual confirmation the gear was down, but even with shaking they could not confirm it was locked (this from radio calls I heard). Furias then proceeded to make a landing on 32. When the right main started to take the weight it slowly collapsed. The right wing dragged for some distance. It appeared that once the wing reached the side of the runway the ground loop initiated. When the dust cleared Furias was sitting on it's belly, so obviously the left main failed at that time. I could see through my lens, and others around me with binoculars, the pilot walking around."

On the other note, it is great news regarding "Precious Metal"! It's nice to hear it having such success so-far - here's hoping it continues through the week for them!

Based on the latest qualification results, it looks like Rare Bear is breathing down Strega's neck!


Thanks for the quote, sounds about right. Unfortunate.

Joseph
 
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