Copied below is an excerpt from a message from Mike Thompson about the race today (9-10-11) in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
It is a super well designed one of a kind highly modified Glasair powered by a Subaru engine. It is the point leader by a wide margin not only of the sprint class but all classes experimental and factory. The liquid cooling system involves a large radiator in the aft fuselage and a belly scoop positioned like the one on a P-51.
Race Data ( the last two numbers are the speeds in Knots and MPH respectively:
2011 West Tesas 100 6/18/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 218.76 251.74
Indy Air Race 8/13/11 Sprint Glasair IRG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 215.37 247.84
Memorial 130, Terrell, TX 5/28/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 214.18 246.47
Big Muddy, Carbondale, IL 6/4/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 212.71 244.78
Lone Star Air Rally 5/14/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 211.69 243.60
Rocket 100, 2010 11/20/10 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 210.72 242.49
Texoma 100, 2011 4/16/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 208.48 239.82
Taylor 150, 2011 4/2/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 206.01 237.07
BCAF 2011 4/30/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 199.01 229.02
Sulphur Springs 130 7/18/10 Sprint GlasairĀ I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 198.49 228.42
Grace Flight 2010 10/2/10 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 197.74 227.54
Taylor 150 4/11/10 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 189.05 217.55
So what does this have to do with RVs ... well it is a tricycle geared home built that is steared by the brakes on the ground just like our "A" model RVs. I have had the same failure in our RV-6A at a remote airport (Prescott, AZ) and only required a tow to the ramp where I used a rental car to get my necessary resources and repaired the broken line (at the flare) and reterminate at the cylinder. Here is the significant point - if you fly an RV with this kind of system you have to be prepared for this kind of failure. When it happens you will be applying a brake for a turn and the high pressure will break the weak point in the system. At this point you will feel the pedal give and you can no longer turn in the direction of the failed brake by using that brake. You still have the a limited ability to turn in the opposition with the opposite brake but if the nose wheel is turned more than the remaining momentum and rudder authority can overcome, the turn cannot be corrected. Anyway, when you have a brake failure on an "A" model it becomes a delicate situation and you have to be mentally prepared to use the limited resources left to bring the event to a satisfactory conclusion.
First of all, as has been said many times in the forum, use the rudder for turns and avoid dependence on the brakes for directional control as much as possible.
Second, think about this failure mode and how you will deal with it when it occurs so you don't have to formulate a plan real time.
Bob Axsom
Some of you may have heard of the miserable luck of Race 84 (Sherwoods) in the form of a failed brake -> runway departure on landing -> wiped out main gear -> prop strike.
So they're a scratch. And they were doing so well this year, too (First place points, Experimental category, by a good margin)! !
Here's hoping they can get that little Subaru-powered streak of lightning back on the circuit soon...
So they're a scratch. And they were doing so well this year, too (First place points, Experimental category, by a good margin)! !
Here's hoping they can get that little Subaru-powered streak of lightning back on the circuit soon...
It is a super well designed one of a kind highly modified Glasair powered by a Subaru engine. It is the point leader by a wide margin not only of the sprint class but all classes experimental and factory. The liquid cooling system involves a large radiator in the aft fuselage and a belly scoop positioned like the one on a P-51.
Race Data ( the last two numbers are the speeds in Knots and MPH respectively:
2011 West Tesas 100 6/18/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 218.76 251.74
Indy Air Race 8/13/11 Sprint Glasair IRG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 215.37 247.84
Memorial 130, Terrell, TX 5/28/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 214.18 246.47
Big Muddy, Carbondale, IL 6/4/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 212.71 244.78
Lone Star Air Rally 5/14/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 211.69 243.60
Rocket 100, 2010 11/20/10 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 210.72 242.49
Texoma 100, 2011 4/16/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 208.48 239.82
Taylor 150, 2011 4/2/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 206.01 237.07
BCAF 2011 4/30/11 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 199.01 229.02
Sulphur Springs 130 7/18/10 Sprint GlasairĀ I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 198.49 228.42
Grace Flight 2010 10/2/10 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 197.74 227.54
Taylor 150 4/11/10 Sprint Glasair I RG Sherwood, Russell & Rhea 189.05 217.55
So what does this have to do with RVs ... well it is a tricycle geared home built that is steared by the brakes on the ground just like our "A" model RVs. I have had the same failure in our RV-6A at a remote airport (Prescott, AZ) and only required a tow to the ramp where I used a rental car to get my necessary resources and repaired the broken line (at the flare) and reterminate at the cylinder. Here is the significant point - if you fly an RV with this kind of system you have to be prepared for this kind of failure. When it happens you will be applying a brake for a turn and the high pressure will break the weak point in the system. At this point you will feel the pedal give and you can no longer turn in the direction of the failed brake by using that brake. You still have the a limited ability to turn in the opposition with the opposite brake but if the nose wheel is turned more than the remaining momentum and rudder authority can overcome, the turn cannot be corrected. Anyway, when you have a brake failure on an "A" model it becomes a delicate situation and you have to be mentally prepared to use the limited resources left to bring the event to a satisfactory conclusion.
First of all, as has been said many times in the forum, use the rudder for turns and avoid dependence on the brakes for directional control as much as possible.
Second, think about this failure mode and how you will deal with it when it occurs so you don't have to formulate a plan real time.
Bob Axsom
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