Warbird Information Exchange

I just got around to flippin my calenders over to this month and I flipped back to May on my Air Racing calender with the DC-7. I was wondering what ever became of it?
T.I.A.

Wfu by American World Airways in Beirut by 1973. Was about to be broken up in 1985 according to a book on air transport hulks. Probarbly long lone by now. You could always google earth Beirut Airport.

T J

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Make my day, punk!

Thanks for the info TJ. Too bad I woulda figured she might still be in the states.

I finally met Clay Lacy the other day. What a guy!
I urged him to write a book.

When I aslked about his flying hours, he modestly said ..."52-53 THOUSAND".

BTW: He still has the original Snoopy #64.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

N182X in 1968....





...in 1969....




...and in 1971 (reg. changed to N64CL)



Martin

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Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

I used to have a screen grab of the DC-7 from the race (California 1000) making a tight turn, but seemed to have misplaced it and the video clip got yanked from youtube some time ago.

Kevin

Kevin, thanks for the great photo! I guess I can ID Clay and the Ms's but the others? please help with names?
Thanks.

You are welcome Steve.

Guessing one pictured is Allen Paulsen?

Here are some tidbits I dug up and saved awhile back on the California 1000 from various sites:

"One writer observed during the race that the DC-7 flew lower than some of the single-engined aircraft and that it flew faster and made better pylon turns than a competing Douglas A-26 Invader. The DC-7 finished in a commendable sixth place in a field of twenty and still had 1,500 gallons of fuel remaining. (For the record, the race was won by a Sea Fury in 2 hours 52 minutes and 38 seconds at an average speed of 344.08 mph). "


1970 - Nov 13-15, California 1000 Air Race, Mojave CA
Unlimited (partial list):
1. Sherman Cooper, Sea Fury II
2. Cliff Cummins, P-51D
3. Mike Loening, P-51D
4. Bob Metcalf/Lyle Shelton, Sea Fury II
5. Jack Sliker, P-51D
6. Clay Lacy/Allen Paulsen, DC-7B
7. Howard Keefe, P-51D


Clay Lacy when asked about the DC-7B after the race:

"We proved at maximum continous allowable power, that it would fly as fast as a P-51"


Kevin

Do a search for California 1000 on Youtube. There is some really cool footage of Super Snoopy including some in cockpit video filmed during the race.

I snapped a photo of DC-7 N759Z in Gander on 17 May 1973 with American World Airways.
You can see where the 64 used to be.
Name "Santa Maria" below cockpit window.

A great new video on this amazing story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE7JUg7P0Jc

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Popped up for me yesterday - in some ways would that we could go back fifty or sixty years...