Reno Nevada 2006 ...PICTURES!

[Trexx]

Here's a bunch of photographs I took yesterday afternoon. (September 17th 2006)

This is WORLD WAR TWO IN YOUR FACE! You don't know what you're missing!

Come next year! It's always evolving with more and more astounding restorations...


It's a lively and fun event with many, many World War Two planes in pristine condition. It's amazing, its always four days packed with more airshow than most people can handle. They have over seven classes of racers and between the hundreds of 'heats' there's aerobatics. Completely continuous with no breaks.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Curtiss_Jenny.gif
Hey! Who put this underpowered kite in the show?


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-40_KittyHawk_2.gif
Not bad, ehh?
Believe me, it's factory perfect.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-40_KittyHawk.gif
Another angle. It was hard to get
a shot without people swarming it.
Folks were fascinated with this Kitty Hawk.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Lavochkin.gif
Russian Fighter I think it's a Lag-7

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_SeaFury.gif
Nice Sea Fury

[Trexx]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_TBF_Avenger.gif
Big, honken' TBF squeezes nicely into its parking space.
This one is decked out in all World War Two everything.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_scene.gif
If you don't like P-51s,
Then you'll be miserable.
Better stay home!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_straight_on.gif
Remember me? I helped save
the world from tyranny.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_taxi_2.gif
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_taxi.gif]
Without my big, old, heavy radio,
I can fit another dude!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_flying_2.gif
HIGH PERFORMANCE!

[Trexx]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_2.gif
One cherry P-51D

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_taxi_3.gif
Goin' home.



http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Pointy_jet.gif
Oh! It would be awful to
own one of these!
..NOT!

[Trexx]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_cockpit.gif
Whatcha lookin' at?

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_SuperModified.gif
This P-51 is part Avro Shackleton.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_SportPlane_taking_off.gif
This shot got framed just like I wanted.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_T6s_Flying.gif
T-6s joyriding in formation
after the races.
Time to take the
supporters for a spin.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F6F_Hellcat.gif
This F6F is part of a matched
set with the TBF. No kidding.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Beach_StaggerWing_2.gif
Sweet, Staggerwing.

[Trexx]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F7F_TigerCat.gif
How about a F7F Tigercat?
Hot rod airplane,
complete and total hot rod.
HORSEPOWER!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F7F_TigerCat_cockpit.gif
You don't often see
a F7F control panel.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_B-25_Mitchell_taxi.gif
Could be combat operations
in the Pacific Theater.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_B-25_Mitchell_taxi5.gif
Yep. Mitchell bomber.
Now that's what I call
a recreational vehicle!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_B-25_Mitchell_taxi4.gif
A B-25s twilight departure.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_B-25_Mitchell.gif
One second before the
nose wheel lifts off.


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_B-25_Mitchell_Flying.gif
Showing off before
heading home.

[Trexx]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_FairyFirefly.gif
The Fairy Firefly
returns again.


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Beach_StaggerWing.gif
Another shot of the Beachcraft.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-40_KittyHawk_3.gif
More of the P-40

[simon]

Trexx, thanks for your effort taking the pictures, the Shakleton/Mustang gives me a twinge of sadness though, a great warbird turned into a hybrid... at least the airframe and engine still exists but at what cost..?

I would rather see them returned to their true form, but I can respect the decision of the owners even if I do not support it.

[Trexx]

I do understand.


Here's a miscellaneous batch:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_scene_2.gif
Another cool scene with P-51s.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_taxi_4.gif
At dusk, beginning take off.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51B.gif
<s>P-51B</s>! Uhhh.... "P-51A" ...War ready. Thanks, Lightning.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_TBF_Avenger_2.gif
Straight on with a TBF.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F7F_TigerCat_2.gif
Air Race scene with an F7F Tigercat.

[Kutscha]

Great pics Trexx.[^] (this place need a 'thumbs up' smilie)

Simon the hybred 51 is for racing, heavily modded. It uses a contra prop RR Griffon from a Shackleton.

[Trexx]

This concludes data transmission...

Uhhh... pictures!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F7F_TigerCat_straight_on.gif
F7F, face to face.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_B-25_Mitchell_taxiSMOKE.gif
Put, put-put-put-put...bada-drada-put-put-put... bruduum... pra-put,put...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-40_KittyHawk_cockpit.gif
The P-40 does not
come with 'drink-holder'.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_sportplane_flight.gif
Slick, fiberglass airplane.


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F-4_IIs.gif
Later day hoodlums
hanging-out on the tarmac.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_F-15_gobs_.gif
Quite a gaggle of Eagles.

[Ricky]

[:0]

My jaw hit my desk looking at those pictures.

Trexx, thanks a million for sharing. Now I just have to cope with the intense jealousy...;)


Them Mitchells always sound like they're mis-firing, don't they...

[montanamotor]

Trexx,

I am flabbergasped! WOW! Hmmm - let's see: would a SAI 403 Dardo Nova doing 400 knots prevail in the Bronze-Race-Class...? :D

Cool stuff, Trexx! THX for the posting!!!!

Cheers!

Montanamotor

[pmjwright]

Thanks for all the great shots, Trexx!! I especially love that B-25.

Though I, like you, love the authentic restorations, you have to admit that the highly modified aircraft also have a value beyond just racing. Taking a Merlin to well over 3000 hp, for example, or using new materials and designs for improved performance, etc., it's just a continued evolution of piston-powered aircraft, sort of a "what-if" scenario had jets not come along. It is fascinating part of aviation, too.

[GregP]

Wow Trexx,

Thanks for the pics! Wish I had been there.

I am a huge fan of Reno. The rest of the races on the "race circuit" are just airshows run at cruise power or slightly above since there is not enough money in them to pay for the race for most participants.

Reno is the only place left where they really race to win.

The few people who modify the WWII fighters to be in the "Unlimited Gold Class" are just that ... the FEW. The Silver and Bronze classes are pretty stock airplanes with more powerful engines and some very slight "clean-up" such as profiling the wings, removing armament drag, gap seals, spray bars, bigger water tanks, profiled props, and cut-down canopies. Except in the "Gold" class, the cut-down canopies are usually on stock frames.

So, the people who want to exercise control over someone else's property and prevent racing of these WWII aircraft need to relax. The number of WWII fighters modified beyond minimally are very few. Let them alone. There's nothing you can do about it anyway,and the owners won't listen to you in any case.

Meanwhile, there are MANY really nice, stock or nearly-stock WWII fighters at Reno to be seen actually flying AT SPEED in CLOSE PROXIMITY. At the age of these planes, there is no such thing as a "stock" Merlin. ALL of them are "non-stock" to some degree. Hell. it's been more than 6o years since a "stock" Merlin was produced new on a production line.

Go see and ENJOY.

[Paolo Tagliaferri]

Too far for me ... but great photos indeed!!

[Double T]

Trexx:
Great photos--thank-you for sharing!
Ummmm.
Beech Staggerwing. (There used to be one hangered at the local airport.) It's a magnificent old bi-plane.

An Allison-engined P-51B--thats a rare bird isn't it?

Hellcats and Tigercats... ohhh, my!

Too bad Nevada is so far from Indiana.

Tim

[Lightning]

Hi Trexx,

Thanks SO much for sharing those great photos! I'll never get to Reno, but I always like to read about it and see the photos.

A couple of comments about the P-51s:

That three-bladed Mustang is a P-51A with the Allison engine. You can see the carburator air intake on the top of the nose cowling. I only know of two flying examples. One is an actual restoration while the other is a private true-to-the-original replica.

It is interesting to note that one of the Mustangs (it has red stripes and the number "23" on the tail) is a two-place (probably a TF-51D) "D" model with a high tail a la the P/F-51H.

Regards,
Lightning

[Trexx]

:)

You are all very welcome! I knew you guys would like those. In fact, it was all of you that inspired me to retake many photos (see below).

The Races are 'Races' and 'Airshow aerobatics' one then the other then the other then again and again... until the sun sets! You would love this.

Skim off your 401K or take a second on a vehicle... you can make it! I'll be your host. You'll soon be signing up to be a volunteer.

It’s true that it’s all out racing. Full-bore and all the stops pulled WAY-OUT.

You can smell em’. You can feel 'em. Gawd knows, you can HEAR 'em! GEEEZE! [:p]

The speed quest is pure. The records that are set are real. Piston engined, propellor powered history is made every September. To me it’s compelling and worthwhile. At the same time, I revel in the perfect, factory fresh restorations. I like that stuff just a bit more than the racing. But, just a bit.

The gold race had one dude going 490 miles per hour for five consecutive laps. 490 MILES PER HOUR! Good gawd!

Thanks for the comments, guys. This year was special. I went solo. I walked at least 30 miles all around and around and I stayed til everything was put away after dark. Baggage free is superior. I did think of you nut-bars the whole time though. I like to be alongside enthusiastic people that love planes. Sometimes the children are the best to overhear. They ‘get it’. “Ohhh! Did you see the FLAMES coming out the rear-end? Did ya see-it?”

When the F6F was starting his engine I was trying to adjust my digital camera for a slower shutter speed to get a good propellor arc. But I accidently reformatted the data chip and lost all the mid-day pictures. Drat! All the Thunder Bird photos gone! Wing walker... gone. It was getting late. I had hoofed my camera back to the car and went back, ate... stewed a little... then I decided to go ahead and just take as many new shots as I could before it got too late. I had to go all the way back for the camera. It was completetly worth it. The ropes went down in the late afternoon and I had complete access ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE. Plus the late afternoon and early evening sun made for all new lighing. It was a blast.

It may be far, but if you can, try to make it. I live 2 hours away. You can stay free here. No problem. Get here a day early and we’ll go to Poor Reds for Gold Cadillac.

[Trexx]

Here's a miscellaneous group of shots. Notice the pit area and how you can get your head konked or lopped off by a wing or propeller quite easily if you don't watch it. It's GREAT!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_gas_up.gif

Modified Sea Fury getting gas. Very expensive gas.


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Sea_fury.gif
Sea Fury in the pits.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_Lavochkin_R.gif
This pit scene shows that Russian fighter. I think it's a Lag-7.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_StaggerWing_Flight.gif
It's funny, big paddle fin shows in this slightly crappy picture of the Staggerwing.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_in_the_pit.gif
Neat lighting on this shot. Notice the babes.
There is no lack of babes at this event!
C'mon guys! Let's go to RENO!


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_StaggerWing_taxi.gif
I took a lot of shots of this plane.
Here he's heading out into the sun.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_take_off.gif
After the show joy riding...
This is a very typical scene.
When the little "Sport Class" airplanes take
off they do it all at once on the same runway.
I've seen thirteen barrel
across the dirt patch at once.
You'll never see anything like it unless you
can travel back in time to England
during the Summer of 1940.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_P-51_tall_tail_taxis.gif
Here's the Tall tail P-51.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_T6__Flying1.gif
T-6s are VERY LOUD.
That makes 'em a favorite.
They have to be all the same
as far as weight, wing area,
power, propeller, and a bunch
of other stuff. Modifications
are minimal and very restricted.
It's all about pilot skill here.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_T6__Taxing1.gif
Neat, neat, NEAT!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-11/897605/R_T-33_konk.gif
Watch out! T-33 coming through! Konk! Ow!
The wing-tip tank smacked me upside the head!

HA! [:o)]

If anybody wants high resolution copies of any photos in this thread, let me know. :)

[Double T]

Lightning:
Thanks for correcting me. I meant P-51A, but typed P-51B for some reason... I should know because I have an Allison-engined P-51A in my model collection. (The OUTSTANDING Accurate Miniatures kit in 1/48 scale.)
In some respects, I actually prefer the lines of the "A" over later Merlin-engined versions. It is one sleek, handsome aircraft.

Trexx:
Like you, I find that I can truly revel in the sights and sounds, when shared with one that is similarly crazy about these old warbirds. And thanks for the addtional photos of that ol' Beech Staggerwing. Beautiful!

Tim

[Lightning]

Hi Trexx,

I'm thoroughly impressed and delighted with your postings! The photos are just great, and your writing style breathes life into them. I could feel the enthusiasm. If you're not a professional writer, you should be!

Regards,
Lightning

[Trexx]

You are kind. Thanks.

You guys, with all your knowledge and expertise is an inspiration.

This FUN STUFF is for you, a great group of folks!

:)

[deebong]

i was there too ,trex ..i liked seeing that hellcat ,thats the first one i ever saw in person..i do miss the old days when you could sneak in under the first leg to pylon one and have them roar overhead at 50 feet doin 400mph..they have it all surrounded by 8 foot cyclone and razor wire...too bad

[GregP]

Hi Trexx,

I'm in Irvine, CA. Next year, we have to go together! I'm in and will promise to make it. Just started work this year and didn't have any vacation ... which makes it tough to take off work.

Not so next year. :D

[Trexx]

quote:Originally posted by GregP

Hi Trexx,

I'm in Irvine, CA. Next year, we have to go together! I'm in and will promise to make it. Just started work this year and didn't have any vacation ... which makes it tough to take off work.

Not so next year. :D


I've made a note of it!