pjakew

My Feedback: (4)

Have fun out there Tommy. Tell Mark we missed him at the race and hope to see him and Mr. Culver next time. We do notice when they are not on our end of the pits .

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

How refreshing.

I think last year it dragged out to almost 10AM, but James was having trouble with the matrix software or something.

24 hours boys...

eddyc

My Feedback: (11)

Hey Chris looks like I can make it. I'll try to get there this afternoon and get some practice runs in. Maybe see you there!

still4given

See if you guys can get some video of the event. I'd love to see one of the Unlimited heats.

And, lost of pics please.

Blessings, Terry

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

I'll bring my camera, but I'll be in the heats. Maybe I can find someone to run it.

JPGale

Chris,

Walter may be there with a plane so he might bring his equipment and skills.

James

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

Man, that would be cool to get Walt to film a couple 120 and Unlimited heats. For those that don't know him, Walt is a cameraman for the local NBC station.


Eddy,

I missed you post above. Good Deal. Get down here. I'm going to stop by the field this afternoon and get a couple runs on my motor.

Tommy_Gun

I'm bringing my digital rebel and a handycam.
When I'm not racing, prepping for a race or just BSing, I'll be shooting pics and movies.

Tommy_Gun

Pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/komepu/2010_04_24#
Didn't have time to take a lot of pics, or shoot much video.
The racing was fun, the people were friendly, the competition was stiff.

I was happy with the performance of my FW190 in the 120 class and many were complimentary on it's speed and looks, or possibly it's speed in spite of it's looks.
We were limited on time due to the schedule of my friend Marcelo and could not stay for the trophy race.
So yes I can now be called "hit and run tommygun".
You see, I was able to run in the fourth and final heat race in the 120 class and it turned out to be just two planes. My 190 and Babes PM 007 Strega. I knew going into this last race that I needed to do a little tweaking to lean the mixture based on my run in the 3rd heat.
We launch and the race starts and in spite of my adjustments, the engine still runs fat at the start of the race. So now I'm running in last place in a two plane race knowing that I am not able to catch Babe with my engine blowing unburned fuel out the exhaust.
So I start pulling hard on the turns to keep from running long and to try and stay on the same lap as Babe. Now on about the third or fourth lap on pylon two, just as I'm cursing my bad engine tune and apexing a tight turn.....two things happen in very rapid succession.
1) I pulled a little hard and caused the plane to snap a bit with an accelerated stall AND the engine decides that it's going to ludicrous speed RIGHT NOW! Well' lets just say that wasn't my prettiest pylon turn and I have to compliment all on the flight line for their cool demeanor. Honestly, I don't think I broke the deadline and no one yelled a warning at me so I may be over dramatizing things a bit.
Now with the engine at full song I start working on my course to pull in the PM Strega, and I think I was gaining on him. But no matter, the race ended with him and the lead and me not too far behind.
So now we are up high cooling down and getting setup to enter a landing pattern. I guessing we were at 200 to 300 feet up doing lazy orbits when we cross paths and I hear a sharp CRACK sound. I am watching my 190 and thinking...."is that what I think that was?, did we just midair?" Then I caught a glimpse of his plane looking like it wasn't all there and he appeared to not have full control. My 190 was flying just fine and one of the workers was hollering instructions to me that I was not able to fully understand because I was focused on watching my plane and making sure I hadn't lost any vital parts like the PM Strega. I made a couple more high orbits keeping the plane well in front of us and over the open field, called a landing and lined up to land. All went well and I got it down with what was probably my best landing of the day!.
I only had time for a brief and rushed conversation with Babe once he brought his broken plane back to the pits. Salute Babe you are a class act sir. Then we packed Marcelos SUV in record time and sped back off to the Sacramento area.
I started the repairs of my wing last night and all is looking well with the rest of the airframe.

Thanks to the race organizers. Marcelo, Bianca, Kyle and myself had a great time.

Tommy_Gun

I really like this shot.....
Also big thanks to skids for the chemical cocktail that made my YS so loud and also to snickerson for helping me with the wing design.

pjakew

My Feedback: (4)

Some great shots Tommy, sound like a ton of fun. You know the racing is good when you have to apply a tourniquet to your plane after the race!

Tommy_Gun

Hey James, Chris or Kevin,
What were the days final results?

Iron Dog

Great shot!

It looks beautiful with the mountains in the background. They even give it a little bit more of a Reno vibe than our SAM races, especially with the angle of the plane to the camera. It looks similar to alot of the shots Itake at Reno. (Now if only they'd had some 1/8th scale cows in the background to help the illusion.)

Whotook the shotfor you?

MONGO44

Results will have to come from James. He had all the paperwork.


Glad you all came down. Ithink James said 24 entries which was low. One of the groups from Fresno didnt make it as well as some of the locals. Iguess they were in Salinas at the IMAAGiant Scale Event.

There is still some debate if a 2nd race will happen or not in Madera or Morgan Hill. I guess it will be a last minute ordeal.

Look forward to coming and racing in June if my stuff survives Vegas. I am looking forward to going there and racing a little bit.

JPGale

Hey,

I did not grab the paperwork this time, as I had no points to worry about. There is a chance of a second race I am going to be working some possiblities for a little bit. Here are the results as I remember them (I have asked Steve for confirmation).

46 Modified

4th and 5th Joe Delateur and Shawn Berkheimer
3rd Matthew Smith
2nd Doug Cook
1st Brett Cole

75 Warbird

4th and 5th Mick Crawley and Ed Craddock
3rd Joe Delateur
2nd James Gale
1st Stan Cole

120 Warbird

3rd Don Coulter
2nd Matt Campi
1st James Gale

Unlimited

3rd Tom Richardi (last one to drop out, I will bring your trophy to the June race)
2nd Chris Attebery
1st Mark Sumich

I will post a quick report tonight on how the day went.

James

eddyc

My Feedback: (11)

Hey James, thanks to you and Steve and all the workers for putting on a great event. EC

Tommy_Gun

Interesting,
I thought I did better in the 120 class with the FW190.
I was of the understanding that I had two first and two second place finishes in the 120 heats.
Add to that I didn't get to fly in the fourth Unlimited heat or the trophy round and I still got third??!
Not worried about any plaques or trophies here. Just wondering.

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

Here's my race report.

1st round. Mick won his 75 heat. I won my 120 heat by a good margin. I was a little disappointed to see that Tom and I didn't have any heats together. In Unlimited we fired it up and gave it a mild tune. It ran well but was a little rich. I wound up with second behind Mark.

2nd round. Mick won again. In 120 I jumped the start by a couple seconds. It's hard to call 75 and then immediately race in 120. There's a ~40% increase in the speeds. I wound up chasing Don's Corsair, but wasn't able to unlap myself. Unlimited we got a good tune on the motor and nailed the start. I think this heat I actually had to cut the throttle for about 3 seconds to avoid a jump and nailed it the second we crossed the start line. Mark, Kevin and I were mixing it up for 2-3 laps and then Kevin fell behind. The next 2-3 laps Mark and I were fighting for first and I kept getting myself inside the course and having to rotate 180 adjust and then rotate 180 and turn. I finially shook it off and managed to turn inside Mark for good. Once I got past him I flew and smooth course and I think I was able to pull away from him a bit. I think that was the best heat of my air racing career.

3rd round. I think Mick wound up with 2nd. I don't remember why, maybe a cut? In 120 I was early again. I knew I had speed over the others so I was pushing hard to make up the lap. The plane seemed to be a little quirky, but I put it down to the wind. On about the 3-4th lap I pulled into pylon 2 and the plane just rolled over and headed for the ground. I was only about 30' up and never had a chance to do anything. I shook it off and went on to Unlimited. I had a hard time getting the motor to clean out before I took off, not a good sign. It was rich the entire race and I wound up limping into a second.

4th round. I'm pretty sure Mick had a first. In Unlimited I was rich again even after leaning it down and using a tach to find the peak rpm. Again I was second to Mark.

Trophy Dash. Mick nailed the start but turned on one before I told him to. We had another cut later on that I think was my fault. Crossed first but had two cuts, 4th place. In Unlimited I tried propping down to get the RPM back up. The motor sounded better on the ground, but as soon as I took off I could tell that it was too rich. It never cleaned out. I managed to only get lapped by Mark once, but it wasn't that I was hoping for. I wound up with 2nd for the day.

After the finals we picked up my 120. I told everone not to touch anything until I looked it over. I found the right aileron seperated from the wing. All four hinges were still in the aileron with slivers of balsa attached. I only used 1/8" balsa on the hinge line and I used foam safe CA that did not flow very well. Next time I will use 1/4" and use regular CA. It has been raining here for the last few days and the ground is soft, but the motor looked pretty rough. The valve cover was gone, the head looks like it has damage, my header was flattened and twisted up. I think the motor will be repairable, but I haven't torn it down yet.

Saturday night I kept thinking about the Unlimited. I think I should have propped up. The motor wasn't turning as high on the ground, but it kept going rich in the air. That's the only explaination I can come up with.

Several people had their planes really humming. Babe's Strega with the 110 looked really good and was able to hold off Tom in the last 120 heat. Once Tom's FW190 with the 120SC cleaned out it was hauling too. I wish that I had a chance to race Tom before I lost the Strega. Not to brag but serveral people told me that it looked faster that my Unlimited and it was definately one of the top 2-3 120s. I think if they were both tuned correctly the Unlimited would be faster, but the Strega would out turn it. Mark's Unlimited Strega with the DF motor got faster and faster as the day progressed. He told me he added more nitro after the second heat and again for the final.


Chris

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

Tom,

The scoring is a little different at our races. Your placement in the Trophy Dash is your placement for the day. You qualified for the Trophy Dash, but since you didn't fly it you got got last place in the final. We don't carry over points.


Chris

Tommy_Gun

OK Chris I understand that,
But can you confirm my placing in the four 120 heat races?

Tommy_Gun

That's why I like this shot so much. The similarity to the hills in the background at Reno.
The shot was by none other than El Cable Hombre.....Daaaa Siiiiiiiillllllvaaaaa!

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

I think technically you got 4th place overall and I think you're right about your heat placements, but you'd have to confirm with James. I was too busy with my two planes and calling for Mick to pay attention to anyone else's heats. I barely caught a couple of the 120 heats.

Tommy_Gun

OK trash talkin' time.

Well Chris, it's a good thing for you that I wasn;t able to stay for the trophy race.
Cause ya see, I wuz gonna open up a can of rammjager round nosed whup a55 on yer pointy nosed luvin butt.

ChrisAttebery

My Feedback: (15)

Oh yeah, well I felt so bad for you slow guys that I deliberately crashed my plane so I wouldn't have to lap you.

All kidding aside your 190 was hauling the mail... for a 9lb box car.

Tommy_Gun

Umm, look up the term Rammjager and see what you find.

BTW, sorry for your loss Chris......even if it was one of them gawdawful PM Stregas.
You figure out what happened?
For your memories.