BRM, unmistakable

[Mr70]

Awesome pix 427TJ.
You captured & describe the mood well!

[JoeG]

Awesome --moment and photos----

[Belair62]

Great story and pics.You have a way of telling an aviation story TJ !

[427TJ]

Another great place for incredible engine sounds is the Reno Air Races. Here's a picture I took of Lyle Shelton in his Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat "Rare Bear" on his way to winning the 1991 Championship race. This airplane holds the world propeller-driven speed record of 538 miles per hour. At Reno this airplane has seen just over 500 going around the pylons. If you love engine sounds Reno is a place you must go once in your life. Nowhere else will these guys push those old engines so hard and make such incredible sounds.

[JoeG]

That 538mph--Is that along a horizontal line of flight---

[427TJ]

Yep, straight and level flight over a measured mile at low altitude. The airplane isn't allowed to climb above a certain altitude and must accelerate in level flight--the pilot can't dive the airplane to gain airspeed. Lyle Shelton set that record somewhere in northern New Mexico to take advantage of thinner air in the high country. I think it was 1989 or '90.

Here's another shot of Rare Bear at Reno in 1991. The propeller uses blades from a Lockheed P-3 Orion, an engine from a Douglas Skyraider (3,350 cubic inches, 18 cylinders), the engine cowling is from a Douglas DC-7 prop airliner, and a cut-down canopy, shortened wings, etc. No, it's definitely not stock!

[JoeG]

Kinda like dealer installed-- -----

[Canucklehead]

Those are some killer planes. I saw on some car show they had Tom Cruise showing off his collection of vintage planes. I wasent aware he was into that.

[427TJ]

I think Cruise got the flying bug when he went for an F-14 ride during the filming of Top Gun. He has a 2-seat Pitts Special (small aerobatic biplane) and a P-51D Mustang WWII fighter. Numerous other "civil" planes too.