Reno 2015 - Jet Race - The winner is - a DH115!

[India Four Two]

I had planned to drive from Santa Monica to Reno, but an unexpected business trip intervened. So while I'm here in Saigon, I thought I would check to see what happened.

I'm glad I did. The jet race was won by my favourite jet - a DH Vampire T11, at an average speed of 502.3 mph. :ok: Not bad for a 75 year old design.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/A1632BB0-D181-4778-AAAE-0B434F9B5D15_zps9k8bqznl.jpg
2015 Jet Races Conclude | Racing Jets Incorporated (http://racingjets.com/content/2015-jet-races-conclude)

It is difficult to find photos but I did find this video compilation. The Vampire features very prominently in the first two minutes and again in the race at 1:42:10

sqSxQ-2Uapo

The video graphically illustrates the difficulty of tracking a desert-camouflaged aircraft flying over desert!

[DaveReidUK]

The video graphically illustrates the difficulty of tracking a desert-camouflaged aircraft flying over desert!

A T.11 in camouflage? Hmmm ...

Great video, though!

[GQ2]

.........and not a single fluorescent-waistcoat in sight. Hmmmm..... Good for them..! :D

[rogerg]

Absolutly amazing. The CAA would have a heart attack!!

[Herod]

My father was stationed at RAAF Pearce from late '57 to late '63. I grew up to the sound of Vampires, and I'm sure they were a factor in my deciding to take up this crazy aviation business. Lovely to see one still in its natural element.

[Planemike]

[QUOTE].........and not a single fluorescent-waistcoat in sight. Hmmmm..... Good for them..! :D [QUOTE]


No, but the red shirts stand out..........!!!

[Liffy 1M]

The Vampire in question is N4861K and is an ex-Irish Air Corps T.55 (serial 186). It left Ireland for the USA in the mid-1970s and I'm not sure how active it has been since then - until recently, of course. As well as now sporting a pseudo-RAF colour scheme it wears a fake British serial, WD186 (which was never used).

[India Four Two]

This is a still from a video I took of NZ5712 starting up at Tauranga three years ago. You'll just have to imagine the noise for now. I'll post the video when I get my laptop back from being repaired.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Screenshot2012-01-30at235850.png

Incidentally, this T11 is also wearing a fake serial number. This is an ex-Swiss aircraft, and so when painting it, Brett Emeny, the owner, decided to add one more Vampire to the Kiwi fleet - the last RNZAF T11 was NZ5711. :ok:

[zetec2]

No ejector seats - just the rails ???.

[DaveReidUK]

The Vampire in question is N4861K and is an ex-Irish Air Corps T.55 (serial 186). It left Ireland for the USA in the mid-1970s and I'm not sure how active it has been since then - until recently, of course. As well as now sporting a pseudo-RAF colour scheme it wears a fake British serial, WD186 (which was never used).

http://www.worldairpics.com/images/wap_images/1000914.jpg

[Lordflasheart]

a fake British serial, WD186 (which was never used).


According to UK Serials, WD186 was pre-assigned to a Valetta C1. One of a large contiguous batch of about 60 Valettas (WD172 to WD275) about 1951 vintage, that were all "cancelled and not built."

[India Four Two]

No ejector seats - just the rails ???.

I wondered about that too. What is the pilot sitting on? Did they remove the MB seats to save weight

[4Greens]

When I did my training on Vampires in the late fifties there were no ejector seats.

[ian16th]

.........and not a single fluorescent-waistcoat in sight.

I worked on Vampires, and we didn't dress any different to when we worked on any other a/c!

Waistcoats, of any colour, were never part of my RAF uniform. But I did have a natty brown leather one, that I wore under my working blue in winter.

[LynxDriver]

Camouflage finish seemed quite effective though. The guy filming lost it against the backdrop!

[Newgen Jock]

Yep we all cheered loudly when it won the Gold Race against much more modern machinery. Apparently it doesn't have a Goblin engine though, perhaps a Ghost.............
Still impressive at over 500mph!:D:D:D

NGJ

[India Four Two]

Apparently it doesn't have a Goblin engine though, perhaps a Ghost.............

NGJ,
Are you sure? The rules state that the jets have to be stock.

[DaveReidUK]

If they've managed to shoehorn a Ghost into a Vampire fuselage, which sounds fairly challenging, then they have kept quiet about it ...

[Daysleeper]

Are you sure? The rules state that the jets have to be stock.

They do say that, which had me wonder about the L139 with the Garrett TFE731 engine.

[India Four Two]

Daysleeper,

Perhaps it is stock as in "stock car" racing! :)

[Daysleeper]

No ejector seats - just the rails ???

Just looking at the rules...

All Ejection Seats must be de-armed for practice, qualifying, and racing. If charges are installed, the seats must be pinned (cold) for all of practice, qualifying, and racing. Parachutes are required for each occupant allowing for a manual bailout option.

[fdcg27]

I have always been in awe of the many types designed and built by this small British company.
The Vulcan has long been among the types I'd love to own were I financially able.
They were actually pretty affordable some years back, although running costs would of course be astronomical.
From all accounts, this is a fine handling and safe jet for someone without a great deal of experience.
Glad to see this old girl getting a real bit of exercise.
I didn't know that the Vulcan was capable of that kind of speed.

[India Four Two]

fdcg27,

I presume "Vulcan" was a typo and you meant "Vampire".

I was lucky to have a flight in one at Her Majesty's expense many years ago and then fly one again three years ago in NZ, when I had enough spare cash to afford the eye-watering costs:

It's called a Goblin, because it gobbles fuel!I remember commenting to a friend after my NZ flights that the cockpit seemed a lot more cramped than I remembered from my flight at age 21. He charitably suggested that perhaps I was flying a 7/8 scale Vampire! ;)

It was a joy to fly. The owner/instructor said "Just treat it like a 250kt motorglider". With a bit of coaching, I was able to do a run-in and break, followed by several touch-and-goes on a short, by jet standards, runway.

The aiming point was in the grass undershoot and with a slight flare, we touched down between the threshold and the numbers. This was particularly important for the final landing, because of the dodgy, fade-prone, pneumatic drum brakes.

From all accounts, this is a fine handling and safe jet for someone without a great deal of experience.I have no doubt that with appropriate systems knowledge and more training (and lots of cash), that I could fly it solo. :ok:

PS The fuel control is very primitive, so large power adjustments have to be slow.

[fdcg27]

Thanks, don't know why I typed "Vulcan" when I really meant "Vampire".