Warbird Information Exchange

Why not? it would have to be more interesting than racing jets, would stop the wholesale destruction of increasingly rare WW2 engines, would spur some serious prop development!imagine a single engined race plane developed around a tu,95 powerplant! imagine if the pondracer had had turbines instead of those grenades withe pins missing it had we would still have the plane and the pilot! just a question why not?

Wholesale destruction of WWII engines?
Chris...

WOW 1 comment does every one hate turbo props that much? i see hercs and super hercs every day they sound amazing way better than jets some times you just have to move forwards look at NASCAR it sucks V8,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,s with pushrods stagnant competition BOOOOORING the only time it,s interesting is when the idiots have to go to a road course! all i,m saying is DO SOMETHING to make the sport survive and grow it,s the best and fastest sport in the world the risk is high the site and sound is exhilarating how could it fail if presented and supported properly?

Probably because your remarks are very inflammatory and most people would prefer not to get dragged into a flame war.

sorry didn,t mean to be inflammatory just looking for an answer on why know one has considered allowing turbo prop powered planes in the unlimited class? high HP to weight ratio small package, readily available and cheep fuel,huge choice of different powerplants,manufacturers still making and developing them(advertising) how does this not make sense?

I think a lot of the allure that draws the public to Unlimited air racing is the sound of the "muscle planes" with their big throaty radials and screaming V-12s. I'm not saying there isn't room for a turboprop class, but I can't see it replacing the recips in Unlimited racing. Ultimately, it's all about the race promoters and vendors making money by selling tickets to the public. Variety is good, but I think in this case, they need to "dance with the one that brung 'em". I personally would love to see more experimentation and development take place, but not at the expense of The Fun Stuff. It's true that there's a finite supply of vintage recip engines available, and racing does take its toll on them. But how long will it be before some innovator like Jack Roush comes out with complete repro Merlins? He's already making heads and other parts. Can new engine blocks and cylinder banks be very far behind? As for airframes, that's an area that's wide open for experimentation, even in the existing recip-powered Unlimited class. And it's already happening to an extent. 20 years ago, who'd have thunk that someone would take a lowly little "red-headed stepchild" Yak trainer and turn it into a screaming Unlimited racer? The Pond racer was a bold step. It wasn't truly successful on any level, but at least someone tried.

You mentioned NASCAR and their pushrod V-8s (which, by the way, crank out 700+ HP literally all day with very high reliability). Yes, a lot of people, like my wife, think it's boring. Millions and millions of fans will disagree. What other auto racing event in the world, with the exception of the Indy 500, draws 250,000 fans a week to the track and has millions more watching on TV at home? NASCAR is popular because of what it is, and what it isn't. What would happen if NASCAR changed the rules and switched from those big, mean V-8s and forced everyone to use little four-bangers? There is certainly plenty of technology available to make a 'banger crank out some serious power, no argument there. But would their buzzy exhaust note and whistling turbocharger draw the crowds like the big ol' rumbling V-8s do? I seriously doubt it. And have you ever driven a Sprint Cup stock car on a NASCAR superspeedway? I have, and it would definitely not be the same without that roaring V-8 up front!

As with any controversial topic... YMMV.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

If we're talking VMges, NASCAR's pretty local and small beer...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_1#Media_coverage

We lived near Silverstone in the UK for a couple of years of the race, and could hear the Australian GP in Albert Part when we lived miles away - foul noise. I have no interest in any cars going in small circles, unless they do it for 24 hours (and not much even then) or as fast as possible in a straight line...

The land speed record is another area where you can see that classes both succeed because of their viability and/or by their popularity - the former and latter not necessarily being logically connected, except the absolute LSR, which is now jet & un-powered wheels held.

Just a couple of thoughts...

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

I think a better comparison might be any of the vintage racing series, although NASCAR does echo the regulated technology stagnation of GA<G>

Personally I'd love to see someone bring back the Schneider Trophy rules. Float planes on a long cross country course. Pick any good chunk of coastline and set up the cameras

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot. ... rcrew.html

Don't miss the link to the double Fiat engine sound recording...

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

So, do they run that Australian GP often at Silverstone? Most motorsports interest me, except V-8 Supercars. Nothing there.
Chris...

any one here ever heard a turbo prop with contra rotating props sounds pretty damned good to me! i live near trenton ontario and you can here an old herc coming for miles the new ones are scary quite they fly down our valley all the time on training missions and you don,t hear them until they are right there!

No! We used to live in Oxfordshire in the UK and were blessed with the overflow from the (UK) F1 GP there at Silverstone. We've also been in the northern side of Melbourne and heard the whine from the (Aus) F1 GP from the other side of the city...

Each to their own, in terms of motor racing, but given how much Melbourne and Victoria pays that nasty little man to host the F1 here, I'd rather someone else had it - and the revenue hole.

Regards,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Actualy, Strega's engine dosn't use any parts from a WW2 merlin. It is mostly Korea era or later parts with some new bits we add in. I will do a detailed report after I retire from air racing.
Mike Nixon

I think the OP is on to something, just in the wrong class. I think turbo-props will see use in the Sport class in years to come. Trying to retrofit a turbo prop in a WW2 plane is kind of defeating the purpose of trying to save the planes from modification.

I think there would be a large showing of Sport class racers if the turbo-prop was allowed

i was not suggesting retrofitting ww2 era aircraft that would be silly i was suggesting new build aircraft using existing turboprop engines such as an airframe built behind say a Hercules power plant or imagine an airframe built behind the power plant of a tu 95 bear engine!