F8F Bearcat rate of climb

grampi · Aug 7, 2014

GregP said:
I think the Falconer engine could be set up for a world climb recorf attempt, but these Thunder Mustangs are all privately owned units and anyone who spends the hours required to build one wants to keep flying it. So, I think the trick would mbe to offer up two Falconer record attempt engines and assure the owner that he would have a fuinctioning engine when the fun was over, not to mention a functioning propeller.

Some owners might well want to take the change if they were using someone else's engine and prop for the attempt and if the costs were covered.

The trick would be to come up with the ~$750,000 USD for the record attempt plus the money for the race engines and prop, plus costs for the record attempt for the crew and owner.

If there is anyone out there who wants to attempy it and has a spare $2M USD, let us know and we can find a Thunder Mustang ownewre willing to give it a try.

I guess I don't understand why the cost of making a record breaking attempt is so high...and I'm not talking about the cost of the aircraft, or the things that are done to the aircraft (that stuff has always been expensive), I'm talking about the cost of the organization or agency responsible for timing, recording, and verifying the attempt...what's the expense? I realize it's not just a couple of guys with a stop watch and pair of binoculars, but $750K? That's just nuts!

GregP · Aug 8, 2014

The FIA guys don;t work for nothing. You pay their costs for transportation, lodging, meals, incidentals, rent-a-cars, etc, plus their fees. You have to rent a suitable course (NOT cheap) and it has tro be equipped with specified equipment accurate enough to measure the records being sought. You pay for the site, the equipment, and the people to run the equipments, plus the witnesses. You pay for your own team's time, lodging, meals, vars, gas, laundry, etc.

By the time you are done, it is well over $800k - $1.5M US dollars. Ay least taht's what it was going to cost for the Strega attempt at a world speed record, so they scrapped the plans and never made the attempt despite that fact that Strega can hit 540 mph any day of the week in a straight line.

The reason more records aren't attempted is the cost. It USED to be much easier and MUCH cheaper, and then technology came around and now the powers that be want their precious records verified by the best instruments money can buy or rent. Makes record attmpts many fewer and farther between.

grampi · Aug 8, 2014

GregP said:
The FIA guys don;t work for nothing. You pay their costs for transportation, lodging, meals, incidentals, rent-a-cars, etc, plus their fees. You have to rent a suitable course (NOT cheap) and it has tro be equipped with specified equipment accurate enough to measure the records being sought. You pay for the site, the equipment, and the people to run the equipments, plus the witnesses. You pay for your own team's time, lodging, meals, vars, gas, laundry, etc.

By the time you are done, it is well over $800k - $1.5M US dollars. Ay least taht's what it was going to cost for the Strega attempt at a world speed record, so they scrapped the plans and never made the attempt despite that fact that Strega can hit 540 mph any day of the week in a straight line.

The reason more records aren't attempted is the cost. It USED to be much easier and MUCH cheaper, and then technology came around and now the powers that be want their precious records verified by the best instruments money can buy or rent. Makes record attmpts many fewer and farther between.

It's too bad the cost is so high as there would probably be more attempts, and more new records being set all the time. I think Rear Bear's speed record would've been bested years ago as there have been faster planes (like Strega and Dago Red) since that record was set. Breaking Bear's climb record wouldn't be so easy, and if another plane did break that record, I'm sure Bear would be able to set a new record...but with costs being so high, many of the records will stand even though there are planes that can beat those records...

GregP · Aug 8, 2014

Yeah. Seems like the people who sanction world records want to make a huge profit from ANY new record these days instead of merely track the progress.

Perhaps somone should strat a NEW organization with the aim oif restoring low-cost attempts at world records recognized by that body. Once a few of the present-day world records have been beaten and recognized, the new group would have instant repectability by virtue of having verified faster records at much lower prices. The cost of the course won't change much unless the new orgainzation owns some land in various places that are receptive to world records for a particular sport, but the number of people reuired to set a new record could be cut in half, and the fees could be made more reasonable by a small organization. The costs could easily be half or less of what iot costs now.

tomo pauk · Sep 1, 2014

Sorry for such a late reply

tomo pauk said:
Looks to me that WER in second S/C gear was not running on full RPM.

Shortround6 said:
Supercharger doesn't have a choice does it? if it is in high gear it is turning 9.45 times as fast the crankshaft. You can close the throttle plate to restrict the boost/power.

The thing is that S/C will supply less of the compressed air in case it's rotating speed is lower, and it will be turning on slower rate when the crankshaft is also rotating slower. Less compressed air - less power at altitude. We can remember that BMW 801C did also featured restricted RPM in higher gear, for the highest power setting. So did initially the 2-stage R-1830, for military power?

F8F Bearcat rate of climb

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