Hi Bob, Hope the ribs are healing well, I would love to have you come and race with us this year and then possibly go to the nats or a big gold cup race... FYI Our own testing has confirmed what Henry Nelson and Dave Shadel and Fred Burgdorf have stated, unload on the quickee version nelson is about 21,500 max unloaded rpm in the air.... Average engine about 21k... A stump puller and a higher timing will get in around 21,500rpm, but I have heard of no more than that and of the 5 planes and engines I tested, the best was right at 21,500.... Dave says there is a dead spot in the pipe around 22k, If you are approaching that number, you are wasting energy and are propped too light....

PS... Another insight into speed was the max dive speed on a qm with Fred and Travis testing I think Fred said 224mph stragiht down and it reached maximum velocity... No matter how long you hold the dive, the speed never goes up any higher than 224mph with a qm 40. The prop is being overun by the airplane... In 428 I heard around 208mph with a Jett motor straight down in a long dive....
Food for thought....

Randy Bridge's FAI racer ran 204mph in a shallow dive in Phoenix at Winterfest.... I heard Mike Helsel was clocked at over 200mph with a qm Polecat and Dubb Jett engine....

JZW