FORMULA FORUM THE IF1 JOURNAL

FORMULA FORUM THE IF1 JOURNAL MARCH / APRIL 2011

FORMULA FORUM IF1 INC. Formula Forum 2011 International Formula One Pylon Air Racing, Inc. All rights reserved. Formula Forum is the official publication of International Formula One Pylon Air Racing, Inc., a Texas non-profit corporation. Member of the Air Racing Council of the United States. Published bi-monthly. DISCLAIMER FORUM CONTRIBUTIONS MEMBERSHIP RULES WEBSITE Articles appearing herein may be edited and are the opinion of the authors and not necessarily the opinion of IF1 Inc. Send contributions to: Editor, Lista Duren 3233 Via Alicante #48 La Jolla, CA 92037 Phone: 858-452-7112 Cell: 858-442-1811 E-mail: lduren@pacbell.net All contributions remain property of Formula Forum. Membership in IF1 is open to pilots, owners, crews and technical people active in Formula One Air Racing for $60/yr. Anyone may join as a non-voting Associate Member, $35/yr. Applications available from the Secretary or on-line. For IF1 Technical and Procedure rules, check on-line at: www.if1airracing.com Jim Cunningham, Webmaster jjam_n262@netzero.net COVER PHOTO Emil Strasser captured the planes and people of the 1948 Goodyear races: Herman Fish Salmon was 1st in #4 Minnow (top); Steve Wittman was 2nd in #1 Bonzo (bottom left); Art Chester was 3rd in Swee Pea II Photos: Emil Strasser. Prints: Gerald Liang. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DOUG BODINE President 6299 East Highway #44 Rapid City SD 57703 605-393-7112 president@if1airracing.org BRIAN REBERRY Vice President 4632 W. Garden Court Boise, ID 83705-3985 208-724-6841 brian@reberryairracing.com DAN PETERS Secretary/Treasurer 1438 Morningside Dr, Longmont, CO 80504 720-308-1596 dan@route66raceteam.org DIRECTORS JAY JONES Promotions Committee Chairperson P.O. Box 761 Buena Vista, CO 81211 719-661-4484 Quadnickelracer@gmail.com Volume XXII Number 2 CONTENTS TOM DEHART Technical Director 5220 Walton Dr. Klamath Falls, OR 97603 541-882-1589 flyfastflylow@fireserve.net BOB BEMENT Operations Director 7320 Old Stage Trail Kelsey, CA 95667 530-622-1434 rbement@wildblue.net KIRK MURPHY Pilot Committee Chairperson 6140 Christa Lynn Pl. Prescott, AZ 86310 928-710-3105 murphyk79@aol.com JOHN HOUSLEY Technical Rules Committee Chairperson 1020 Chesterfield Forest Dr. Chesterfield, MO 63005 314-518-8542 f1race43@gmail.com TOM WATKINS Procedure Rules Committee Chairperson 10120 Brookpark Blvd. #313 Calgary, Alberta T2W1E1 Canada 403-607-8457 ezetom@gmail.com 3 President s Page Doug Bodine 4 Calendar 4 Air Race History Symposium Info 5 Pilot s Notes Kirk Murphy 6 VP Report Brian Reberry 6 New Web Site Content 7 1948 Goodyear Racers Emil Strasser, photos Gerald Liang, prints Don Berliner, text 18 IF1 Marketplace 2 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

Hello Racers, Crew, Experts, Volunteers, Fans and all others who make IF1 such a great group of people. Lots going on under the surface. Lets start with our organization s magazine, The Formula Forum. What a superb job Lista and friends have done with this venue! It is an incredible amount of work, and a substantial expense, but WOW, the results are worth it. I look forward to every issue and and can t put it down until I ve read it through (except for the Pres column I skip it). Thanks for all the effort put into it. The IF1 Website needs mentioning too it gets better every month. Thanks to Jim and Phil for their commitment to this critical part of IF1 s operation. If you haven t visited recently, log on and surf. If you have material or suggestions to improve it, take a moment and send them to me, the webmaster, or any board member, and we will get right to it. Speaking of the IF1 Board of Directors, they have been very active. In the last month we have spent hours on issues across the spectrum for IF1, including membership, LLC operating procedures, finances, 2011 race teams, tech rules, corporate relations, promotions and support, and PRS to name a few. Your directors are not only talented but committed to IF1 s future, and they are backing that commitment with sweat equity. Remember to keep in contact with your board members and forward ideas, concerns and offers of help we can use them all. IF1 was represented at the Reno Air Racing Association annual Class Presidents meeting in February. The meetings were fairly intense and we used every bit of time available to advance our agenda. The meetings covered finances, operations, personnel, race teams, purse, 2010 recap, safety, FAA rules, and class specific topics. While it was a tough year for RARA and air racing due to economic trends, there is good news in that things are about as good as can be expected for IF1, and better for us than for most other classes. We fielded several topics: Support for race teams was emphasized. It is an air race, that s what fans come to see, and the racers need support, not hurdles to jump through. Confrontational security and credential policing were mentioned as an example. RARA has a uniquely difficult task it is very high vis, and they have only 6 full time paid people to manage an organization of 2500 people and try to remain profitable with only 10 revenue days/ year. But they understand and support us, and it shows in their approach. Expect PRS and the races for 2011 to be the best we ve seen in recent years. We resolved the fire bottle vs. fire truck issue at the dead line. Timing and qual procedures were improved, but we pushed for and retained the non-comm dependent philosophy. Dog Thompson is gone as deputy air boss due to other commitments. This is unfortunate he was excellent in that role. He is an old combat aviator who understands racing and safety from a practical perspective. His replacement is no rookie, though an air traffic controller who has worked the air races for years and is known to be knowledgeable of race procedures. Continued on page 4. President s Page Doug Bodine they have only 6 full time paid people to manage an organization of 2500 people and try to remain profi table with only 10 revenue days/year. FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 3 Photo by Bill Rogers

Short of having another race event, PRS is the next best thing for practicing your race fl ying Waiver operations and hours were a big topic. The take-away for us is to remember that normal FAA rules and NTSB incident reporting apply if you fly outside waivered hours, so read the waiver and note, among other things, the hours. Be sure to document mods and fly offs (if needed) for each aircraft you bring to race before crating up. It could save a headache. Our ops guys, Garland and Gunn, will be backup scorers for RARA. Unlikely to ever happen, but now there is a plan if needed. Wind limits and opposite direction (counterflow) procedures received a healthy bit of attention also, but no substantive changes to worry about, which is a win for us. Hangaring and trailer parking will be the same. One exciting bit is the opportunity for later heats in 2011. This will give us some much needed exposure to the fans who don t get up at 5 a.m. to see our 8 a.m. race. We will have the ability to flex back to an a.m. heat if the wx fcst threatens wind issues. I will have more to report when the numbers are finalized just prior to PRS in June. Speaking of PRS, Kirk is engaged and actively managing things to again make PRS the top notch event we ve come to expect. Short of having another race event, PRS is the next best thing for practicing your race flying and testing your plane, not to mention it s required if you are a rookie or non-current pilot. We need your names and aircraft info ASAP for planning. Applications are due in May so put a reminder on your calendar well in advance. This year is very important for us. If you have not renewed your membership or updated your address/ email, please do so today. If you are a dormant racer, or know one, push to get the plane out and race this year. Jay Jones is working hard in promotions and could use ideas and assistance. If you need help, call your favorite IF1 board member, and they can take it from there. Let s get the ball rolling! Jethro Now 2011 Calendar PRS information available on the RARA web site at http://www.airrace.org/pylon- RacingSeminar.php Apr 29-30 27th Annual Air Racing History Symposium, Cleveland, Ohio May 20 Jun 15-18 Sep 14-18 Deadline for PRS registration Pylon Racing School at Reno Stead Field Reno Air Races The 27th Annual Air Racing History Symposium is April 29-30 at the Holiday Inn, Brookpark, in Cleveland, Ohio. Featured speakers will be Unlimited pilots who raced in the finals at Reno in 1964: Mira Slovak, Chuck Lyford, Ben Hall, Walt Ohlrich and Clay Lacy. This is the first time the Society of Air Racing Historians (SARH) has honored this group of racers. Info: www.airrace.com. To register, call Herman Schaub at (440) 234-2301 or Don Berliner at (703) 548-0405 4 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

Hello Racers! Believe it or not we are only 6 months away from the 2011 National Championship Air Races and less than 3 months away from the 14th annual Pylon Racing Seminar also known as Rookie School. I am very excited for this year s PRS. It is already looking positive for another successful year. To date I believe we will have at least four rookies attending in June to fly and receive their International Formula One Racing License required by RARA to race in September. I also expect a bunch of returning racers are coming to get some fast laps in, polish their skills, and further refine their racing machines for September. The entry packets are available on the RARA website under the tab For Pilots, or directly via this link: http:// airrace.org/pdf/prs_entry_package. pdf. Entry Fees for PRS will be $800.00 for Rookies and $600.00 for Returning Racers. The deadline for entry is Friday, May 20th. I encourage all who plan on attending to submit their paperwork as soon as possible. The earlier everyone signs up, the better we are able to plan out the week to make the event as rewarding as possible. RARA has secured a block of hotel rooms for us at the Eldorado. The rate is $49.00 per night Tuesday-Thursday and $89.00 for Friday and Saturday. This rate will be held until May 20th, so get your rooms reserved by the time you submit your entry packets. I will once again be coming in June to teach and evaluate the new racers out on the course. I will bring my Glasair again as an instructional aid to give pilots a look at the course at race speeds similar to those seen in the Silver and Gold Races. The flights are about eight laps long. I will demonstrate proper procedures in safe race course flying, demonstrate passing, and try to give the student an idea of what a Good Race Line looks like at 230 mph. There will be a fee of $100 per flight in the Glasair out on the Race Course. The fee is just to help cover the fuel costs of bringing the airplane up from Arizona and is not intended to make the class any money I bring it only as a tool to aid the students. We have been very fortunate to have one of our class sponsors, Air Capital Insurance of Wichita, KS, provide the costly insurance policy for the week of PRS, and this has enabled us to keep the flight costs low as all other costs are increasing greatly. Air Capital also sponsors our Rookie of the Year award that we give every year in September. I look forward to seeing everyone in June! Now is the time to start flying; winter is almost over and we need to get out and make friends with our airplanes again. Go fly some formation, practice some rolls, get comfortable landing with gusty crosswinds, but most importantly, BE SAFE! Before you know it, August will be here and you ll be boxing it up for the trek to Reno. Please feel free to contact me at any time with ANY questions. Kirk Murphy (928) 710-3105 murphyk79@aol.com Pilot s Notes Kirk Murphy The earlier everyone signs up, the better we are able to plan out the week to make the event as rewarding as possible. FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 5 Photo by Lista Duren

Vice President Report Brian Reberry our crew has some wonderfully creative people who come up with some fantastic ideas. Photo by Bill Rogers What s in a Name? Hi All. This column is just a short note about a topic that I find both fun and perplexing at the same time: Naming your airplane! How to come up with a name that fits has been a recent hot button in our crew as we work on our new airplane. One that has personality, fits the crew, works with the airplane, and that the wife likes! I will assure you that this is no small task (in our case) as our crew has some wonderfully creative people who come up with some fantastic ideas. In fact we have had several staff meetings where beverages are involved and ideas evolve. In truth, it is in these staff meetings that our airplane design evolved! (Everyone knows that the more beverages we consume, the faster the airplane will be right?) What s in a Name? With all of the wonderful personalities in IF1, there are some great airplane names: Endeavor Invictus Zipper Outrageous Mariah Wasabi Miss Min Route 66 Spud Runner Only to name just a few. The list could go on and on with the creativity and for the reasons that each crew used to make that decision! Each has meaning to their respective crew! As I close, we have yet to come up with the perfect name, but I guarantee you it is not from not trying time for another staff meeting I guess. Think about it for a minute. What s in a name? Fly safe, Brian New Content on the IF1 Web Site Go to www.if1airracing.com to find updated technical rules. Additional photos from the 1948 races will soon be posted. 1948 Goodyear Races: Rules Summary The heat arrangement for the Goodyear Trophy Races was not only different from anything ever used at Reno, it had no precedent in previous National Air Races. It was set up to handle an unusually large field of 32 qualified airplanes in four Elimination Heats, two Semi-Final Heats, a Consolation Heat and a Final Race. The pilots placing 1st and 2nd in Elimination Heats went directly to the Finals, while those placing 3rd, 4th and 5th went to the Semi-Finals, assuming they were ready to compete. Those finishing in the last positions in the Semi-Finals went to the Consolation Heat. The total purse of $25,000 was a lot in 1947, but a team had to perform in order to earn any of it, since there was no appearance money paid by the sponsor, nor were any top competitors given special consideration in order to assure their presence. The race course was a rectangle of 2 miles circumference and was entirely within the boundaries of the airport. This not only enabled the paying customer to see the entire race, but put pressure on the tens of thousands parked off the airport in farmers fields, a reason to pony-up the price of a ticket. This was the first time a course had been in full view, a feature that reached its ultimate many years later at Reno. 6 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

Logo provided by Society of Air Race Historians In 1948, the 190 cu. in. class had been around for a year, giving pilots a chance to build new airplanes from scratch and finish up airplanes that weren t quite ready in 1947. Wheel pants were becoming more common, and most of the planes had fully cowled engines. Out of 33 entries, 16 were new, including Steve Whitman s Bonzo and Bill Falck s ugly duckling Rivets. Once more, Emil Strasser and Don Berliner were in the crowd watching and recording. In this article, Gerald Liang presents some of Strasser s 1948 photos and Don Berliner provides first-hand memories of the event. The following pages show the planes in order they finished. There is more about the 1948 Cleveland Air Races at the Society of Air Race Historians (SARH) website: www.airrace.com, and in the March/April issue of the SARH newsletter, Golden Pylons. 1948 Goodyear Racers Photos by Emil Strasser Emil Strasser photographed the air races from 1931 to 1996. His aviation interest was sparked by Lindbergh s flight. He worked for Goodyear until 1945, then traveled west and worked for Northrop for 30 years. When Strasser died in 1997, he left more than 1,300 rolls of undeveloped film. The photos in this article were taken with a Kodak Monitor bellows camera using 616 film (6x9cm) Prints by Gerald Liang Gerald Liang has been photographing the air races ever since he attended his first race at Reno in 1968. His work has been published in Air Classic, Air Progress, Formula Forum and other aviation publications. When he inherited the Strasser collection in 1997, he started developing and printing Strasser s air race photos. Mr. Liang continues to photograph the air races using both color slide film and digital cameras. Text by Don Berliner Don Berliner is an aviation and science writer who has been following Formula One air racing since the beginning in 1947. He is the author of 27 books, including the recently published Airplane Racing, A History 1909-2008. He is also the editor of Golden Pylons, the newsletter for the Society of Air Racing Historians. Photo by Lista Duren Photo by Al Hansen The 1947 Goodyear attracted a wide variety of airplanes, since few people had any clear idea of what it would take to win. The old pros like the Big Three Steve Wittman, Art Chester and Tony LeVier had raced with considerable success in the 1930 s, and it showed in their first midgets, though the Cosmic Winds were tail-heavy and Swee Pea was far from stable. Many of the others knew they had little chance of winning, so they were at Cleveland to learn and to be able to brag to their friends back home that they had raced at Cleveland! The unprecedented number of entries was the result of Goodyear offering the only opportunity for an individual or small group to design, build, and fly a small sport plane, since homebuilts as we know them today could not legally be flown in the U.S.A. until the mid-1950 s. When the announcement was made in early 1947 that Goodyear was sponsoring a series of three annual races for the midgets, hundreds of people requested copies of the specifications from Art Chester, then president of the Professional Race Pilots Association (PRPA). How many were serious projects will never be known, but the total was certainly over 50 and probably closer to 75. FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 7

1948 Goodyear: Planes in the Finals #4 Cosmic Wind Minnow N21C (bronze with cream trim) with Tony LeVier Minnow, built by Tony LeVier (shown here), fi rst raced in 1947, when pilot Herman Fish Salmon placed 3rd. A Lockheed test pilot, Salmon won in 1948 at a record 169.608 mph. For 1949, the wings got a new fuselage and tail, but the hoped-for speed increase did not materialize and the original parts were replaced. It was then sold several times, with the last owner using parts to build an unsuccessful military prototype. Many parts and new materials are in England, being restored into Minnow s 1949 confi guration. #1 Wittman Bonzo N1292 (yellow with blue trim) with Bill Brennand at the tail #2 Chester Swee Pea II N4000K (cream with green trim) Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang 8 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 As a result of protege Bill Brennand s 1947 victory in Buster, Steve Wittman designed and built an improved version, Bonzo, in which he placed 2nd in 1948 at 168.82 mph. This was his third original-design racer in a career that dated back to the late 1920 s. Steve went on to win the Continental Trophy Race at Miami, place 3rd in the 1949 Goodyear, and 2nd in all three 1949 regional races in California. The racer is now in the EAA Museum. Art Chester built his fifth racer as a development of two previous ones: the original #5 Swee Pea in which Paul Penrose placed 2nd in the fi rst Goodyear, and #8 Wimpy N8001H, which was destroyed before it could be raced. Art s racing career dates back to the early 1930 s, when he raced his original Jeep and then Goon. He placed 3rd in 1948 and then 5th at Miami in 1949. At San Diego in 1949, he became the second pilot in the short history of the 190 Cu. In. Class to die in a racing crash.

The plane was built in 1931 as Chief Oshkosh by Steve Wittman (seen at tail), who raced it through 1938. During the war it was modifi ed into a sport plane, and then in 1947 into Buster. Bill Brennand (in cockpit) won the 1947 Goodyear Trophy Race, placed 4th in 1948 and 1st in 1949. From 1951 through 1954 it was raced by Bob Porter. The National Air & Space Museum received it as a donation in 1954 and has displayed it for over 50 years. Tony LeVier raced Little Toni to 4th place in the inaugural 1947 Goodyear, and then turned it over to Billie Robinson, (shown) who placed 5th in 1948. It was the fi rst of the original three all-metal Cosmic Winds to fl y in July, 1947, though the design dates back at least to 1944. In the 1949 Goodyear, Robinson set a qualifying record of 183.326 mph. The airplane eventually was exported to England, where it was raced with great success in the fi rst years of midget racing there. It is stored in Seattle. #20 Wittman Buster NX14855 (dark red with yellow trim) #3 Cosmic Wind Little Toni N20C (red with white trim) built by LeVier & Assoc. Pellet was designed and built in 1948 by Curtiss Pitts who went on to fame for his aerobatic biplanes. It was fi rst raced at Miami in 1948 by Phil Quigley. In the 1948 Goodyear, Quigley placed 6th. Then at Miami in 1949, Bob Heisel fi nished 3rd. In the 1949 regional race at San Diego, Heisel crashed fatally in the fi rst semi-fi nal heat, thus becoming the fi rst competition fatality in the 190 Cu. In. Class. #21 Pitts Pellet NX52120 (red with black numbers) Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 9

#5 Cosmic Wind Ballerina N22C (metallic green with cream trim) #10 Falcon Special II Li l Rebel NX1E The third of the trio fi rst appeared at Cleveland in 1948, owned by Glen Fulkerson. Bob Downey raced it to 7th place. It was sold to the Tiger Club in England in 1961 as G-ARUL, and raced until destroyed in a handicap race crash in 1966. Much of the wreckage was used as patterns by Paul Bannister to build Ballerina Mk.II, which was raced with great success through 1987, then retired to air shows. Parts of the original plus spare parts, materials, etc., are being restored as the original racer in England. Li l Rebel was built in 1948 by Falcon Racers, Inc. It was fi rst raced at Miami that year, then at Cleveland by W.L. Lefevers, who placed 8th. Prewar ace Earl Ortman fl ew it in four 1949 races. After that, it is presumed to have been retired. #67 Long P-Shooter NX5111H (natural aluminum with maroon trim) Dave Long, (pictured), chief engineer for Piper, designed and built the prototype Long Midget in 1948 and hoped to have it produced by Schweizer Aircraft. He raced it in the 1948 Goodyear, but failed to fi nish the Championship Race. He then sold it to Luther Johnson, who placed 4th at Miami in 1949, and 8th in the 1949 Goodyear. By the time Long died in the crash of a second prototype, plans were available and the design was on the way to homebuilt popularity. The prototype is in the EAA Museum. Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang 10 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

1948 Goodyear: Consolation Race Chester Loose designed and built the original in 1935, and would have raced it at Cleveland in 1937 except that his limited-displacement class was cancelled. It was rebuilt into a midget racer for the 1947 Goodyear, in which Warren Siem placed 5th at 151.270 mph. In 1948 Earl Ortman raced it at Miami, and K.R. Townsend fl ew it in the Goodyear. It has been reported to be under restoration in Wyoming. After he got a taste of racing in his #89, Bill Falck designed Rivets by studying NACA reports in the New York City Public Library. A few weeks before the 1948 Goodyear Race, the NAA Technical Committee outlawed prone pilot positions. This forced Falck into quick modifi cations, hence the odd canopy shape. He was 2nd in the Consolation Race in 1948, winning it in 1949. With steady improvements, he moved to the top of the 190 Cu. In. Class before crashing fatally at Cleveland in 1977 during an air-start. #44 Loose Special NX64573 (white and maroon) #92 Falck Rivets N60089 (red and yellow, natural aluminum wings) #47 Pack Model A Miss Nashville N66311 (red with white trim, numbers) The fi rst of fi ve midgets designed and built by Garland Pack (pictured) & Associates, Miss Nashville was fl own by Al Bennyworth to 3rd in the 1948 Goodyear Consolation Race. It was then dismantled so parts could be used in the Pack Model C Lil Rebel. Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 11

#54 Reaver Special NX1W (cream with green numbers and trim) #51 Johnson Betty Jo N2E (red and white) It was built in 1930 and raced in that year s Chicago National Air Races as the Flagg Phantom I or the Nicholas Beazley Pobjoy Special (for its small British radial engine). Danny Fowlie placed 3rd in the 275 cu. in. class race. It was resurrected for the 1947 Goodyear, but was rejected due to too-little wing area and empty weight, and to its too-large engine. In the 1948 Goodyear, John Reaver placed 4th in the Consolation at 139 mph. A reproduction of the pre-war version is in the EAA Museum. Betty Jo was designed and built in 1948 by Carolina Aviation and raced by L.C. Sheldon, who fi nished 5th in the Consolation Race. In the 1949 Goodyear, it was raced by Charles Barton, who fi nished 5th in the First Semi-Final Heat. The owner was Luther Johnson, of Greenwood, SC. #63 Anderson & Tietz Ace of Diamonds N5541N (red and yellow) Ace of Diamonds was designed and built by Alvin Anderson and Carl Tietz. It was raced in the 1948 Goodyear by Bruce Raymond (co-owner and alternate pilot of the #77 P-51D Galloping Ghost ). He fi nished 6th in the Consolation Race. In the 1949 Goodyear, Obie Smith fi nished 4th in the Consolation Race. In the National Air Races at Detroit in 1950, rookie pilot James Vosyka crashed fatally. Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang 12 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

Designed by Lockheed s Bill Statler, Ginny was fi rst raced in the 1948 Goodyear by Bill Foss, who fi nished 7th in the Consolation Race. In the 1949 Goodyear, he was credited with 10th in the Finals after having dropped out. It was raced sporadically through 1970 and was then restored by Mike Dewey, one of its pilots. #94 Foss Ginny N68732 (mainly natural aluminum) Tom Dixon and C.H. Jordan designed and built the Dixon Special for the 1948 Goodyear Trophy Race. Charlie Bing fl ew it to 8th place in the Consolation Race at 114.970 mph. In 1953 it was destroyed in a non-fatal crash while on a delivery fl ight. #41 Dixon Special NX1N (blue and white) Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang The variety of airplanes in the early years of the midgets topped anything seen subsequently. Wings were in the low, mid- and shoulder positions. Cockpits were open or closed. Few were equipped with effective wheel pants. While most airplanes were built of steel tube, plywood, sheet aluminum and fabric, the Cosmic Winds were all-metal. Cowling designs varied, too. The simplest were flat-wrapped sheet metal with large air intakes and small outlets that showed their designer s lack of attention to internal aerodynamics. Art Chester was the true innovator, with his V-tails (that never proved satisfactory) and, for the cooling air intake, a hole in the spinner, backed by a fan. Wittman, on the other hand, had very small (but sufficient) control surfaces, mimimum wingspan, his patented spring-steel landing gear struts and tight cowl cheeks blending into the wing roots. This became the norm for midgets, while his general lay-out was at least a partial inspiration for Tom Cassutt, whose designs have dominated the class in both the U.S.A. and Europe for decades. FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 13

1948 Goodyear: Planes Eliminated in Heats #42 Leighnor Mirage NX3154K (maroon with silver numbers) Mirage was designed by Kenneth Razak, of the University of Wichita, and built by William Leighnor. In the 1948 Goodyear, H.E. Bangerter raced it to 1st place in the Second Semi-Final Race. In the 1949 Goodyear, it placed 3rd in the Consolation, raced by Harry Ragland. It continued racing to 1960, piloted by Denny Sherman, among others. Currently owned by Mark Turner, of Grand Rapids, MI. #81 Francis-Angell Whistler NX84Y (white with red trim) Whistler was built in 1934 as the Hansen Special, which was a modifi ed Heath mid-wing. It was modifi ed into a 190 Cu. In. Class racer by Gerald Francis and Harold Angell. William Taylor raced it in the 1947 Goodyear fi nishing the Consolation Race in 4th place. At Miami, Bob Chonoski placed 2nd in the Consolation. And in the 1948 Goodyear he was 2nd in an Elimination Race. It has been restored and is on display in Lansing, MI. Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang By 1948, everyone had learned a lot. The Big Three had new airplanes. Several teams who had raced previously brought improved older planes. The racers from 1947 that returned included the top 5 racers, the consolation race winner and two that had been rejected for technical reasons. In the Final Race, the first five pilots flew airplanes from the LeVier, Wittman and Chester stables, thanks to their combination of experience and natural talent. The only outsider to place in the Finals was the #21 Pellet of little-known designer/builder Curtiss Pitts, who at this stage of his career had built just a couple of little aerobatic biplanes. Almost every airplane got to fly at least twice, though there were exceptions. 14 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

This racer was designed and built by Cal Dawson (pictured), Clayton Henley and Glenn Johnson. Dawson raced it in the 1948 Goodyear, placing 3rd in an Elimination Heat. It was then dismantled, parts being used in the construction of the #33 Pistol Ball II N4H, which crashed on its sixth test fl ight in 1949, killing Dawson. #33 Dawson Pistol Ball N58915 (green) Designed, built and raced by Ben O. Howard as his DGA-3 Pete in 1930-1933, then fl own in air shows. After the war, it was converted into a midget racer by Ray Baker who raced it in 1948 to 6th in an Elimination Heat. It was then converted into a sport plane Little Audrey by EAA founder Paul Poberezny. Many years later it was restored to original confi guration by Bill Turner. Now it is in the Crawford Auto & Aviation Museum, Cleveland, in fl yable status. Art Chester s fi rst midget Swee Pea was sold to his mechanic, Lynn Kauffold, after the 1947 Goodyear. He modifi ed the tail cone in an attempt to cure the poor low-speed control. Paul Penrose placed 2nd in a heat race in 1948. It was briefl y tried unsuccessfully with a conventional tail. Raced in the three 1949 California regional races by Bill Brodbeck, it was then stored until acquired by Planes of Fame in the late 2000 s and stored with plans for its restoration. #36 Baker Special NX400B (yellow and red) #7 Chester Sky Baby N8400H Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 15

1948 Goodyear: The Planes That Didn t Race #89 Falck Jeep NX12930 #60 Johnson Idle Ours N5E (blue and white) Art Chester built Jeep in 1932 and raced it through 1937. Bill Falck bought it in 1938 to use the engine, prop and cowl in a limited-displacement class racer. Construction stopped when the class was cancelled. He then rebuilt it as a midget, scrapping all but the tail feathers. He raced it in the 1947 Goodyear, winning the Consolation Race. It was then sold to Kenneth Tyler (pictured), who qualifi ed it for the 1948 Goodyear but never raced. The EAA Museum eventually restored it to the pre-war Jeep confi guration. Designed and built by (Luther) Johnson Flying Service. Raced in the 1948 Goodyear by Harry Austell, who qualifi ed 22nd out of 23 at 106 mph, which was too slow. It was last reported around 1955 in Mississippi. #59 Christiansen Zipper N5713N (yellow and blue) Designed and built in 1948 by Harvey Christiansen (pictured), but turned down due to weak wing structure. He raced it in the 1949 Goodyear, but dropped out of the 2nd Semi-Final Race. It is reportedly being restored by his son. Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang 16 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

Designed and built in 1948 by Chester Ibbs. Arrived at Cleveland for the 1948 Goodyear Trophy Race to be fl own by Dutch Van Tuil, but failed to compete. Long owned by Mike Sablar, it is now in storage, awaiting restoration. #22 Ibbs Flying Dutchman or Jezebel N7E (bronze) Designed and built in 1947 by BG Aviation Associates, which included Robert Granville, son of one of the original Granville Brothers. Entered in the 1947 Goodyear, but rejected for technical reasons. During qualifying fl ight tests for the 1948 Goodyear on September 3, it crashed, killing pilot Paul DuBlois, thus adding to the unfortunate reputation of GeeBee-related racers. #55 BeeGee Baby N1303V (yellow and blue) Photos by E. A. Strasser, printed by Gerald Liang The only heats that had a full complement of starters were the Consolation and Finals. All others were short of airplanes, as they had been set up for a full field, which did not materialize. A few had mechanical problems, but the great majority started their assigned heats and completed their laps. There was only one mishap, the fatal crash from structural failure of the #55 BeeGee Baby, after numerous persons had warned the pilot of impending trouble. FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 17

IF1 Marketplace AIRCRAFT FOR SALE Prior to purchase of any aircraft, please contact the Technical Director for any IF1 rules or compliance items that apply. Miss Demeanor, N96SR, Race 96 Race ready FLYING Formula One: Battery, Alternator, Starter, GPS, GRT EIS, MicroAir Radio and encoding transponder, NEW CYLINDERS AND PISTONS IN 2005, ENGINE OVERHAUL by LyCon in 2006 W/ NEW CASE, CRANKSHAFT, VALVES, ETC. Twisted Composites race prop. Sturba cruise prop. Uninstalled tapered horizontal stabilizer and elevators, produced by Craig Catto, designed to fly with Miss Demeanor s tapered wing. Sport fly during the year, race at Reno in September. Win the Silver, fly in the Gold! All for $35,500. Contact: Steve Senegal (650) 346-6967 ssenegal@sanbrunocable.com PROJECT PARTS & PRODUCTS CASSUTT PROJECT Stock wing, aluminum gear, Cleveland brakes. Contact: George Budde (405) 733-1449 patbudde@earthlink.net Formula 1 Race Engine. EXP 0-200-12. LyCon O/H in 2002. Fast on Scarlet Screamer but hasn t raced since a piston was holed at the Nellis demo race in 2005. Cylinders redone and engine recently inspected and reassembled with new stock pistons (picked to weigh within 1 gram). Engine Log with LyCon O/H entry. Includes intake from spider to cylinders and oil tank. Install your own electronic ignition (or mags), race carb, exhaust and go race. $10,000 OBO. Contact: Gary Davis at texasflyer@hotmail.com 940-458-5515 (home); 940-206-3079 (cell) Formula 1 racing treasures accumulated over almost a decade of air racing. Too much to list... Your choice: Various Twisted Composite Carbon props; DeMuth and other wood props; Cato props; Carbon Spinners; Carbon and Aluminum Spinner Bulkheads; 4 to 8 5/8 Prop Extensions and misc. Spacers; 4 into 1 Exhausts; M40J and other Spark Plugs; Misc. Parts, Hardware and Instruments. Call or email for parts list and details. Contact: Gary Davis at texasflyer@hotmail.com 940-458-5515 (home); 940-206-3079 (cell) F1 Race 98 & 99, accepting best offer on both aircraft including almost new Lycon engines, 3 Twisted Composites props and wood sport prop. Contact: John Hall 210-241-7378 or via email jhall@jetav.com CASSUTT WANTED Looking for an entry level, basic Formula One airplane to race at Reno. Must comply with IF1 technical rules. Contact Ira Saligman: (610) 324-5500 (Philadelphia) isaligman@saligman.com Cassutt Racer Aircraft Kit/Project Plans. One piece wood spar. Welded fuselage frame (factory welded). Rudder complete Horizontal Stab to be completed. All wing ribs complete. Aircraft plywood for wing covering. Fiberglass canopy frame. Steel landing gear with Goodyear brakes, tires & tubes. Sufficient aircraft tubing, wood and plywood to complete the project. $3900 Contact: Laslo Zamolyi, Jr. Home: 610-746-2618 Cell: 610-746-2618 zamalama@aol.com EAA Chap. 70, EAA Technical Counselor 18 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011

If you have aircraft or other items for sale, or updates to your listing, please email Brian Reberry: brian@reberryairracing.com Ads are free as a service to members Continental 0-200 stuff for sale: Slick 4381 mag with induction gear $500 SAF-Air quick drain oil tank valve in package $20 Two flowed cylinders complete with valves and covers, grooved and need honing $150 each Tach housing with cover plate $35 Oil screen housing with screen $25 Push rods $5 each All items are in Vancouver, BC, Canada; shipping choices/costs are yours Adrian Coop Cooper 604-328-1431 cooperairracing@gmail.com NAC Aircraft Display Mat (20ftx20ft) Plastic vinyl windscreen material with steel grommet boarder. Available colors: yellow, red, orange, green, blue, white, and black. Storage Bag Included Price: $300.00 plus ground shipping Contact: Tim Neubert 727.538.8744 TNeubert@airportnac.com NEW COMPOSITE PARTS Light Weight 9 Spinners, $90 Wheel Pants, $350. CASSUTT PARTS: Assorted Tail Feathers, call for Quote. LED Flashlights: Super Bright, Compact Size. Up to 155 hrs. of run time on 2 AA Batteries, $32. 10% Discount to IF1 members Contact: Ray Sherwood (530) 626-6106 rayyjayy@aol.com Cassutt Projects and Inventory Cassutt 111M, 90% complete. Needs cowl and wing finished. Includes REBUILT engine. Cassutt 111M fully welded with tail assembly. Cassutt 111M wing needs skin. Cassutt 111M wing complete. Misc inventory: engine parts (3 O-200 engines), airframe parts and instruments, one sport prop. $15K for all. Contact: Gary and Linda Elliott for pics and inventory list: 972-264-3857 lfelliott@att.com Grob Glider Also Volkswagen Beetle, Mill, Lathe, Camper, Engine for the Corba Kit Car project he started. Contact: marylemmond@yahoo.com. CASSUTT PARTS National Aeronautics has Cassutt parts including Aluminum and Steel landing gear legs. cassutt.lornet.com Contact: Ib or Sue Hansen (303) 940-8442 cassutts@aol.com Graphite Race Props Run One or Follow One Twisted Composites, LLC www.twistedcomposites.com Contact: Steve Hill (505) 832-1148 or (505)321-6467 carbonprop@mac.com AIR RACING BOOKS by Robert Hirsch Aircraft of Air Racing s Golden Age 1928-1939, 2 Volumes, 1071 pages, 158 scale drawings: $75 + $10 S&H Wedell-Williams Air Service $20 + $3 S&H Schneider Trophy Racers Goodyear and Formula One Racing (thru 1995): $45 + $5 S&H for both, or $25 + $3 S&H for one Free S&H to IF1 Members Make Checks to Maria Hirsch 8439 Dale St., Buena Park, CA 90620 Contact: Maria Hirsch (714) 828-7369 FORMULA FORUM, MARCH / APRIL 2011 19

At the starting line for the 1st Semi-Final Heat of the 1948 Goodyear Trophy Race. (from left) #7 Art Chester s Sky Baby flown by Lynn Kauffold; #10 Falcon Special flown by W.L. Lefevers, and #44 Loose Special flown by K.R. Townsend. Other starters: Charley Bing in #41 Dixon Special, John Reaver in #54 Reaver Special, and #92 Falck Rivets flown by Bill Falck. Photo by E.A. Strassr, printed by Gerry Liang FORMULA FORUM 3233 Via Alicante #48 La Jolla, CA 92037