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- #101
Another Mustang Thread?
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- #102
Seeing Boise Bee in the company of a bunch of silver TF-51Ds makes me think of a Northern Pike in the middle of a bunch of Rainbow Trout...
This is a really nice airplane. All those years of fussing with it really paid off.
This is a really nice airplane. All those years of fussing with it really paid off.
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Peter Gunn
Master Sergeant
I'd give you quadruple bacon for that post if I could.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
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- Mar 26, 2007
Peter Gunn
Master Sergeant
I knew I could count on you.
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- #107
The Lefty Gardner Racing Team at my very first Reno, in 1976. Lefty took the Gold in that race, when all the big players fell by the wayside and Lefty was the one left standing. He was always a bit embarrassed by winning Reno at 375mph, but in racing a win is a win!
To find this Mustang on the web all you have to enter is "Lefty P-51D" and all kinds of stuff pops up -- that's how famous he and his airplanes were.
I actually first met Lefty at that first (for me) Reno. I was doing an early morning wander through the pits and found a guy all by himself pulling cowling panels off a pretty Mustang. I asked a question and got a very nice conversation. I didn't find out til a couple of years later who I'd been talking to. Lefty was a good guy, and he really liked my photographs of him a lot -- which I suppose considerably helped my opinions of the man...
To find this Mustang on the web all you have to enter is "Lefty P-51D" and all kinds of stuff pops up -- that's how famous he and his airplanes were.
I actually first met Lefty at that first (for me) Reno. I was doing an early morning wander through the pits and found a guy all by himself pulling cowling panels off a pretty Mustang. I asked a question and got a very nice conversation. I didn't find out til a couple of years later who I'd been talking to. Lefty was a good guy, and he really liked my photographs of him a lot -- which I suppose considerably helped my opinions of the man...
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- #109
Lefty loved Racing. He'd go anywhere for an airplane race. Here he is at the (ex-)Hamilton Air Force Base in Marin County, California in 1988. I loved this event because it was a 15 minute drive from my house. It's the only race I've ever been to where I could sleep in my own bed at night.
It was chilly and damp that morning -- this is taxiing out for the Silver Race. Note that the airplane has been repainted with a "star and bar " and has the name "Thunderbird" on the cowl..
Nicely mixed group of airplanes, too.
It was chilly and damp that morning -- this is taxiing out for the Silver Race. Note that the airplane has been repainted with a "star and bar " and has the name "Thunderbird" on the cowl..
Nicely mixed group of airplanes, too.
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It was great to see Boise Bee at the races, adding a wee bit of difference to the Mustang line up.
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- #112
A shame, though, that neither flying P-51A turned up. That could have made for some interesting photographs.
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- #113
Here's Lefty working out against Max Hoffman in "Boomer" at the 1979 Homestead Florida Race.
Lefty was a problem for competitors -- he always seemed to be low and inside, making passing him a challenge. It would probably take a 10-15mph speed advantage for Max to make this pass stick. The outside airplane has to fly considerably farther to get around the course...
Lefty was a problem for competitors -- he always seemed to be low and inside, making passing him a challenge. It would probably take a 10-15mph speed advantage for Max to make this pass stick. The outside airplane has to fly considerably farther to get around the course...
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Good shots!
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- #115
Yes, I know this is not a Mustang. Looking at pics of Lefty's P-51 got me thinking about why I so enjoyed his flying over the 20 years I watched him doing his thing.
Lefty LOVED flying low, and he was really good at it (I guess 20,000 plus hours spraying at 50 feet, along with hundreds of low level aerobatic performances in the P-38 especially, does do something for one's low flying skills).
This was the old pylon 6 on the Reno course -- I have a CD somewhere with an interview with Lefty where he talks about messing with us Reno photographers. I don't remember the exact quote, but he basically said "Well, I just roll in a bit of nose down trim, and aim at the base of the pylon where the photographers are. When I see them start to run I just relax the wheel and the airplane drifts out around the pylon, and then I go around and do it again."
I liked Lefty Gardner's attitude. Above all he was about having fun with airplanes...
Lefty LOVED flying low, and he was really good at it (I guess 20,000 plus hours spraying at 50 feet, along with hundreds of low level aerobatic performances in the P-38 especially, does do something for one's low flying skills).
This was the old pylon 6 on the Reno course -- I have a CD somewhere with an interview with Lefty where he talks about messing with us Reno photographers. I don't remember the exact quote, but he basically said "Well, I just roll in a bit of nose down trim, and aim at the base of the pylon where the photographers are. When I see them start to run I just relax the wheel and the airplane drifts out around the pylon, and then I go around and do it again."
I liked Lefty Gardner's attitude. Above all he was about having fun with airplanes...
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- #116
A couple of shots of Lefty Gardner on the race course in 1987. The first is from the pit area, looking toward Pylon 1. He is characteristically low, and running rich for cooling. This is probably during qualifying early in the week, when he would have clean air, no traffic, and could fly however he thought fastest.
The second shot is from a pylon, looking toward the airport about a mile and a half away. This was a Friday heat race, and the slowest speed he ran all week. I think he had a problem, and was running slow to just finish-- that would explain him being all by himself in this shot. He ran 35mph faster the next day. He will gradually turn toward the camera position and sweep by with a Merlin roar, as in the third shot taken in the same race.
It is interesting to see the stands so full for a Friday heat race. I suspect that the Sunday Gold Races in the 2020s were drawing far less than half as many spectators as we saw 30 years ago on a Friday. Air Racing used to be a very big deal -- these last few years less so.
The second shot is from a pylon, looking toward the airport about a mile and a half away. This was a Friday heat race, and the slowest speed he ran all week. I think he had a problem, and was running slow to just finish-- that would explain him being all by himself in this shot. He ran 35mph faster the next day. He will gradually turn toward the camera position and sweep by with a Merlin roar, as in the third shot taken in the same race.
It is interesting to see the stands so full for a Friday heat race. I suspect that the Sunday Gold Races in the 2020s were drawing far less than half as many spectators as we saw 30 years ago on a Friday. Air Racing used to be a very big deal -- these last few years less so.
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- #118
Nice shots
