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Another reason to love rockets!

Tom Martin

Well Known Member
Last weekend Wayne Hadath in his sport wing F1, Gary Wilcox in his RV7 and I, in my EVO F1 made the long trip from southern Ontario to Taylor Texas to participate in the Rocket 100. We had a great time but due to weather had to leave early to get there and also get home later then originally planned.
Our return flight from Taylor was delayed Sunday morning until 10am local time due to fog. This meant that with RV speeds there was no way we were going to get home that night. We cross Lake Erie north of Sandusky Ohio, as there are quite a few islands along that route. I do not mind crossing the lake during day light, but it is below my level of comfort to do so at night. Thus we decided to spend Sunday night on the road and finish the trip the next morning.
Wayne and his passenger wanted to get home that night so we wished them well and off they went. His first leg, from Taylor T74 was to Richmond In KRID was an amazing 826.5nm which took 4.3 hours, for an average ground speed of 192 nmph. They started with a bit of a tail wind and ended with a headwind. We normally flight plan 190 knots, (in the rockets) so this number is quite real. They landed with the legal fuel reserves and spent 45 minutes on the ground fuelling up and making customs arrangements. The next leg to CYKF, Kitchener/Waterlloo Ontario, is not direct, due to the lake crossing, and is estimated to be 300nm which took 1.5 hours. They were concerned about day light on this leg and increased power to 24 squared and saw 200 to 205 knots.
They arrived at a local time of 5:15. If you take the time zone difference into account the total time for the trip including the stop was 6:15 hours. Everyone loves rockets for their look and performance but few people realize just how good they are on long cross country flights. Wayne’s total flight hours was 5.8 hours, going fifty miles farther then where I live. At RV speeds it took us 6.8 hours, just one hour more, plus an overnight stay. I did however save some money on fuel as I was burning over 1 gallon less per hour then the RV7 at 155 to 160 knot airspeeds.
 
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I misread the star of you story at first

When I started reading I had just finished Gary Wilcox's excellent post on a new race pilot's view and I mentally substituted him for Wayne in your post. Seeing that 190 kt flight plan speed for his RV-7 was really depressing until I got that straightened out. Good write ups by all three of you in the Forum. Thanks, I enjoyed them.

Bob Axsom
 
They aren't making this up...

This is not a fairy tale... I did Mason City Iowa to Deland Fl last week to see the shuttle launch and to give some B-25 Dual and came home later in the week.

Basically 200 kts average both ways..... I had a crosswind both ways.... Incredible.... If I took the airlines, i would have left home, driven 2 hours to MSP to arrive 1.5 to 2hrs early then a 3 hour flight in the middle seat of row 22.... Then an hour drive from where I landed to where I wanted to be........ in short. a pleasant 5.5 hour trip instead of a 7 to 8 hour ordeal.... and if the airplane that I was training in broke, I can climb in my airplane and fly home... Otherwise I would have had to twiddle my thumbs until my scheduled return.

I love 3000 fpm initial climbs and jet like rat racing as much as anybody but where the Rocket really shines is eastbound at 17,000 feet riding a 40 knot tailwind doing 240 kts GS. and then turning around and coming home against a 20 knot headwind at 8,000 feet doing 185 to 190 GS... On those days it will beat a stock -90 King Air A to B back to A....

An amazing airplane....

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N84MF

Tailwinds,
Doug Rozendaal
 
Yeah, and I saw him do it!

...when Doug left KDQH last Saturday. The zoomy climb is always awesome to see.

Best,
 
OK a slight topic excursion - B-25

This is not a fairy tale... I did Mason City Iowa to Deland Fl last week to see the shuttle launch and to give some B-25 Dual and came home later in the week.

...
Tailwinds,
Doug Rozendaal

In 1955 I got a hop out of Moffett Field to Maxwell AFB, Al via several intermediate bases. Rode in the bomb bay area, Class A uniform no headset. Could not hear for three days afterward.

Bob Axsom
 
This may be in another thread, so if so, forgive me, but how does insurance compare between an -8 and a Rocket?

Who cares???

I pay about $3K for mine, yes it is expensive, but so is flying turbines, Everything in aviaiton that is good and fast is expensive....

Tailwinds,
Doug Rozendaal
 
Oh come on....

Bob and Smokey,

Most bang for the buck??? God's fighter??? I think even God prefers two engines! Long live McDonnel Douglas (Boeing???) products! Especially when there is REAL fighting to be done, or on a pond crossing!

F-4's, F-15's and F-18's RULE! Not to mention the F-22.

However, F-16's do have their place...at airshows doing loops to music, and, of course, carrying BDU's to ranges close by, then refueling to get home!!!! On a side note, kinda sad when an F-16 four ship gets sent home unused because a (1) Predator shows up on station...

And, just to keep this sorta on topic....yes, Rockets ROCK!!!! Still miss the one I sold!

Fights on?
 
Boneyard...

JJ,

I know the last time you flew a fighter, Clinton was the Prez, but in the current, real world, the Viper is flown by 18 countries and performing over 60 percent of the patrol work done by allied fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the most produced and flown modern jet fighter in history(the F-4 was #2) and has already employed more ordinance in combat by us and Israel than all the other types combined, ever.(burning half the fuel) It also has tied the total number of air to air combat kills with the F-15, and is the only fighter with enemy kills using the AMRAAM. Questions?

Yes, sadly like the F-4, the F-16 will go away to become a target at Tyndall and replaced by predators and other un-manned drones. Not that any of this matters in the RV world, I'm just thankful to be able to live in a country where I can own a personal airplane as cool as the HR2.

For now, in the airspace over Iraq and Afghanistan the F-16 rules, Predators are tools and all the others drool:)

Smokey
HR2

PS: God doesn't need engines, or airplanes!

"Give me one good engine, two is twice the trouble"
Charles Lindbergh.
 
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Well played Smokey!

Nice rebut Smokey!

However, George W was in his second term when I stopped flying F-somethings three years ago, even if it was an -117! We'll argue about your stats over a tasty beverage later. BTW, been to the Boneyard lately? Looks like an F-16 used car lot! Most of my Phantom Phriends are droned and have been shot out of the sky...sad indeed.

"2" on the comment about our country, we do fly mostly free!

Would love to been able to own that HR-3. Beautiful plane!
 
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Products yes

Most bang for the buck??? God's fighter??? I think even God prefers two engines! Long live McDonnel Douglas (Boeing???) products!
Fights on?

Thanks for the memories. McDonnell Aircraft, founded by J. S. McDonnell with one additional employee on July 6, 1939 had a great run and I was proud to walk in the plant every day as an employee. Few things have impressed me as much as walking into Building 1 at Lambert field and seeing the perfectly aligned planes in the final assembly lines in that erie quiet time before the first shift started work. The only single engine planes I can think of that were built there were the XF-85 Goblin and the F3H Demon - not the most popular success stories. Even the XP-67 was twin engined. Sadly, when J.S. died the magic died as well and you could sense the change immediately.

Bob Axsom
 
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nice video clip of some Rockets at TVAR

This link is to some pro video taken by Betty Myers at alabamaaviator.com of the TVAR race in June including some nice rocket video.

http://www.alabamaaviator.com/AirRace.html


The F-4 is to David Pearson and Richard Petty as the F-16 is to Jeff Gordon and Kyle Bush.

I have heard more than one story of QF-4 getting the self destruct treatment after failing to go down after a missle shot. You guys built them right Bob.

Chris M 347th TFW 82-86 MAFB
 
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