Warbird Racers

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 08/11/2016 at 18:10 • Filed to: planelopnik, planelopnik history

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Surplus aircraft, that could be bought for a song following WWII, were regulars at the National Air Races in the late 1940s. Let’s see here, we’ve got a Corsair, a couple of P-51Bs, a P-38, a P-39, an A-26, and another P-38 behind it. Across the tarmac is a P-51D, maybe a P-63 Kingcobra. That’s all I can make out.

Unlike the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which was awarded for flight around pylons on a closed course, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was awarded for the fastest flight from point-to-point. The A-26 in the photo, named The Caribbean Queen , was a stock aircraft except for the removal of military equipment and an extra fuel tank added to the bomb bay. It came in 6th in this leg of the race in 1946, with a time of 5 hours 36 minutes from Van Nuys to Cleveland. They covered the distance of about 2,000 miles at an average speed of 368 mph. The race was won by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! flying a P-51, who made the flight in 4 hours 43 minutes at an average speed of 435 mph. Mantz would go on to a career as a stunt pilot in Hollywood, but lost his life in a crash during filming of The Flight of the Phoenix in 1965. The last Bendix Trophy was awarded in 1962, when the crew of a Convair B-58 Hustler flew from Los Angeles to New York in just over two hours at an average speed of 1,214 mph.

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For Sweden > ttyymmnn 08/11/2016 at 18:13

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I would also try to leave Van Nuys as quickly as possible.

ttyymmnn > For Sweden 08/11/2016 at 18:14

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This is actually a pretty interesting site if you are into aviation history, at least as it pertains to Los Angeles. There are some great photos here.

Viggen > ttyymmnn 08/11/2016 at 18:17

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I know it’s the reason a number of warbirds still exist today, but something about warbird racers really bothers me, especially when they’re still raced today. I don’t know, guess I like my warbirds as warbirds.

RallyWrench > ttyymmnn 08/11/2016 at 18:29

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Well that’s the coolest thing ever. Shame such an event isn’t still held for piston aircraft.

ttyymmnn > Viggen 08/11/2016 at 18:30

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I don’t have a problem with warbird racers, but the historian in me wishes they left them stock, like these. The ultra-modifed racers, like Rare Bear (former F8F Bearcat), and that super modified P-51 that crashed into the crowd at Reno, I’m not crazy about. I’d rather see them restored.

ttyymmnn > RallyWrench 08/11/2016 at 18:31

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Closest thing is the Reno Air Races, and those Red Bull Air Races, which I find boring.

RallyWrench > ttyymmnn 08/11/2016 at 18:38

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I’m sure they’re amazing in person, especially Reno, but the Red Bull planes just don’t do anything for me. Nothing sounds like a few Merlins, Allisons, or huge radials thundering overhead. A point to point race sure would be cool.

Viggen > ttyymmnn 08/11/2016 at 18:38

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That’s probably what bugs me the most is that they aren’t stock, especially airframes that are already rare, like the Bearcat.

ttyymmnn > RallyWrench 08/11/2016 at 18:44

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The FAA would never allow it. I go to air shows as much as I can, and jets are cool and all, but there’s nothing like the sound of those big radials beating up the air.

RallyWrench > ttyymmnn 08/11/2016 at 18:50

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And that’s a shame, because their song needs to be played loud.