Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/90184
Reno's Racers Kevin Eldridge, who has gone more than 400 mph in his NXT, Relentless, noted how detail work can win the day, as exemplified by Lavelle's Glasair. "It's hard to believe there's all this specialized [race] equipment [pointing to his NXT and Lee Behel's Sweet Dreams, nodding toward John Parker's Thunder Mustang], and he goes so fast in a [exasperated pause] Glasair!" Ease Your Mind and Go Faster Veteran racer and former Formula One champion Thom Richard was flying the super-polished, contra- rotating prop, Griffon-powered P-51 known as Precious Metal. "This is the fastest this plane has ever gone," he said. "We're faster than ever. Of course, so are Strega and Rare Bear." The big changes this year were a bet- ter propeller on the airplane and a full-time safety chief on the team. "He oversees everything. He's ac- countability." Richard explained that, as owner and pilot, "I'm going in so many directions, it's just too much. This is the first year I've managed to del- egate everything. Without this team, it wouldn't be possible." Success, Head First Swiss flyer Vito Wyprächtiger has been campaigning Scarlet Screamer for three years, the fastest near- Cassutt in the field. Part of his success is in his precise flying, part is in his trick wing surfaces (a patented sur- face that emulates sharkskin), and part is just that he's smart and mature. On Wednesday, he noticed a vibra- tion that the crew traced to a loose nose bearing on his crankshaft. Since these machines run long prop exten- sions (up to a foot long), anything wrong up front gets Parker (top) and Farnsworth, at 370 mph. Farnsworth: "He was coming down on me pretty fast." Parker: "He was coming up on me. He was going for it, and so was I." T e T under Mustang fi nished second, fi ve seconds ahead of the Lancair. David Casey also raced his RV-3. Jeff Lavelle's Glasair is the world's fastest Glasair—and fastest Sport racer at Reno the past two years. 28 NO. 3/NOVEMBER 2012