1949 Thompson Trophy Race
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1949 Thompson Trophy Race
http://hometown.aol.com/conroeqb/beguineindex.html
Link to Walling Home Page
1949 Thompson Trophy Race
Beguine
Beguine--Page 2
Beguine--Page 3
Little information exists on the history of the Beguine and of the people involved in the creation of this singular beautiful example and of its revolutionary concept in the air racer's desire for more speed. More intrigue surrounds the story of Beguine's conception than of its performance, though it did win the 1949 SOHIO race with a speed of 388 MPH flying a much longer course than its competitors because of pilot technique it is purportedly reported.
In 1949, the presence of Beguine on the tarmac at Cleveland must have been an imposing sight, if nothing else it had to enhance the ego of J.D. Reed as he stood around "learnedly" and proudly answering questions of his contribution to this conceptually radical racer concurrently questioning his own wisdom for selling this airplane to Jacqueline Cochran. After all, it did make for a good conversation piece and Texans did like to talk. Yet indeed he was a vital contributor, for he was the financial enabler in building up his racing stable to three aircraft, any of which could have been a winner in any given race. Exposure to the 1947 Miami and Cleveland air races just whetted his appetite and the addiction to father a winner was an impetus.
In 1947, a five foot two, 125-pounder of boundless energies named Paul Penny Penrose entered the lives of J.D. Reed and Charlie Walling, the pilot who had flown Reed's modified F-5G (P38) racer, NX25Y in Miami and the Thompson. His entrance was a high speed pass in a black P-51 named Wrath at the Miami airport during qualifications for the 1947 Miami All-American Air Races as he let the competitors know he was the one they had to contend with. Ultimately, he did win the race with Charlie Walling placing second. This P-51 (N37492) was the same aircraft flown by George Welch in the 1946 Thompson who dropped out early in the race with mechanical problems.
While at the 1947 Cleveland Air Races, Penrose made a proposition to J.D. Reed that if he bought a P-51, he, Penrose, a former North American Aviation test pilot and now an airline pilot with Western Air Lines, would deliver the airplane to North American Aviation at Inglewood, Mines Field, (now Los Angeles International Airport) for the engineers to redesign and physically modify the airplane for maximum speed -- at no charge. The engineers and mechanics to be working for gratis on their time off. Something totally unheard of then and particularly now.
P-51C Vertical P-51D Vertical
It was to be of a radical design change for the Mustang configuration with incorporation of the glycol coolant and oil radiators installed in pods mounted centerline off each wing tip and the removal of the traditional coolant duct at the bottom of the aircraft. Additionally, it was to incorporate the dorsal fin of the P-51D for greater directional stability. Note the difference between the "C" and "D" model verticals in the above pictures. Of course it was understood Penrose would be the pilot of this then radical aircraft. As a point of interest Lockheed had modified two separate P-80As to test different size ramjet engines (50-cm and 76 cm in diameter) and one set of these pods was used as the housing for the radiators.
The financial arrangement for this .....................
Link to Walling Home Page
1949 Thompson Trophy Race
Beguine
Beguine--Page 2
Beguine--Page 3
Little information exists on the history of the Beguine and of the people involved in the creation of this singular beautiful example and of its revolutionary concept in the air racer's desire for more speed. More intrigue surrounds the story of Beguine's conception than of its performance, though it did win the 1949 SOHIO race with a speed of 388 MPH flying a much longer course than its competitors because of pilot technique it is purportedly reported.
In 1949, the presence of Beguine on the tarmac at Cleveland must have been an imposing sight, if nothing else it had to enhance the ego of J.D. Reed as he stood around "learnedly" and proudly answering questions of his contribution to this conceptually radical racer concurrently questioning his own wisdom for selling this airplane to Jacqueline Cochran. After all, it did make for a good conversation piece and Texans did like to talk. Yet indeed he was a vital contributor, for he was the financial enabler in building up his racing stable to three aircraft, any of which could have been a winner in any given race. Exposure to the 1947 Miami and Cleveland air races just whetted his appetite and the addiction to father a winner was an impetus.
In 1947, a five foot two, 125-pounder of boundless energies named Paul Penny Penrose entered the lives of J.D. Reed and Charlie Walling, the pilot who had flown Reed's modified F-5G (P38) racer, NX25Y in Miami and the Thompson. His entrance was a high speed pass in a black P-51 named Wrath at the Miami airport during qualifications for the 1947 Miami All-American Air Races as he let the competitors know he was the one they had to contend with. Ultimately, he did win the race with Charlie Walling placing second. This P-51 (N37492) was the same aircraft flown by George Welch in the 1946 Thompson who dropped out early in the race with mechanical problems.
While at the 1947 Cleveland Air Races, Penrose made a proposition to J.D. Reed that if he bought a P-51, he, Penrose, a former North American Aviation test pilot and now an airline pilot with Western Air Lines, would deliver the airplane to North American Aviation at Inglewood, Mines Field, (now Los Angeles International Airport) for the engineers to redesign and physically modify the airplane for maximum speed -- at no charge. The engineers and mechanics to be working for gratis on their time off. Something totally unheard of then and particularly now.
P-51C Vertical P-51D Vertical
It was to be of a radical design change for the Mustang configuration with incorporation of the glycol coolant and oil radiators installed in pods mounted centerline off each wing tip and the removal of the traditional coolant duct at the bottom of the aircraft. Additionally, it was to incorporate the dorsal fin of the P-51D for greater directional stability. Note the difference between the "C" and "D" model verticals in the above pictures. Of course it was understood Penrose would be the pilot of this then radical aircraft. As a point of interest Lockheed had modified two separate P-80As to test different size ramjet engines (50-cm and 76 cm in diameter) and one set of these pods was used as the housing for the radiators.
The financial arrangement for this .....................
