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Bob Axsom

Well Known Member
These are the raw speed results from the AirVenture Cup Race Sunday. If you want the full results by class pilot's name etc. they should be available through the www.eaa.org web site.

Bob Axsom

Speed # Race # Race Class Aircraft Type Time Speed
1 5 Sport Lancair Legacy 1:40:03 282.06
2 10 Sport SX-300 1:41:28 278.12
3 44 Unlimited Lancair Legacy 1:41:50 277.12
4 79 Sport SX-300 1:43:11 273.49
5 31 Formula RG Polen Special II 1:48:01 261.25
6 75 Sport Glasair III 1:48:17 260.61
7 28 Sport Glasair III 1:52:42 250.4
8 91 Formula FX Glasair I TD 1:56:35 242.06
9 77 Formula RG Lancair 360 1:58:06 238.95
10 36 Formula RG Lancair 360 2:00:24 234.38
11 96 Formula RG Lancair 360 2:00:52 233.48
12 94 Formula RG Lancair 320 2:03:08 229.18
13 13 Formula RG Berkut 2:04:05 227.43
14 33 Sport RV-8 2:07:14 221.8
15 40 Sport Velocity XL RG 2:09:20 218.19
16 37 Formula FX Tailwind 2:11:27 214.68
17 52 Formula FX Glasair IIS FT 2:14:27 209.89
18 66 Sprint Vari-EZ 2:15:46 207.86
19 93 Formula FX Long-EZ 2:16:26 206.84
20 25 Unlimited Glasair IIS RG 2:16:36 206.59
21 27 Formula RV RV-8 2:18:50 203.26
22 18 Formula RV RV-8 2:20:26 200.95
23 22 Sprint Q-200 2:20:53 200.31
24 62 Formula FX Glasair IIS FT 2:22:10 198.5
25 65 Formula FX Cozy Mk III 2:23:12 197.07
26 56 Formula RV RV-8 2:23:47 196.27
27 81 Formula RV RV-8 2:26:26 192.71
28 24 Sport Velocity XL RG 2:27:58 190.72
29 48 Formula RV RV-6 2:29:00 189.39
30 63 Formula RV RV-3 2:29:14 189.1
31 74 Formula RV RV-4 2:29:22 188.93
32 53 Formula RV RV-6A 2:30:23 187.65
33 49 Formula RV RV-4 2:30:24 187.63
34 15 Formula FX Cozy Mk III 2:30:48 187.13
35 34 Formula RV RV-4 2:31:04 186.8
36 69 Formula RV RV-7A 2:31:04 186.8
37 98 Formula RV RV-8 2:31:32 186.23
38 71 Formula RV RV-6A 2:33:20 184.04
39 72 Formula RV RV-4 2:38:39 177.87
40 80 Sport Seawind 2:43:14 172.88
41 20 Sprint Vari-EZ 2:44:54 171.13
42 99 Formula FX Long-EZ 2:48:47 167.2
43 61 Formula RV RV-6 2:50:56 165.09
44 58 Formula FX Tailwind 3:10:59 147.76
45 67 Sprint RV-6 3:18:13 142.37
 
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ah geez bob. don't tell me you took last place AGAIN? again? Man, I'm gonna have to loan you my Nordic trak. I sure don't use it. :mad:

Well, kick some butt in Sept will you? Try not to get called up to the podium first. :)

congratulations on a safe race and finishing the race. awesome. :cool:

mark
 
The Plane Flew Great

The race was great - some haze and a strong headwind on the long leg, especially up high. The plane flew true and fast but I gambled for an unavailable advantage up high and lost it. I was shown a photograph of our plane's plan view on the deck in the turn at Rockford - I've got to have it. The light was perfect, the color scheme was displayed at its very best angle and the colors were radiant. After finishing last in my class (because of my flawed strategy) at 184+ MPH I decided to enter it in the beauty contest. They award the trophies for that tonight at the Theater in the Woods but I am already home with a sick wife so I will not know how that came out for a few days. We did make the 543 nautical mile trip home non-stop in 3 hours and 15 minutes. We refueled at Fond Du Lac after the race and did not refuel at Oshkosh so I have to love those tip tanks giving me 17 extra gallons.

All in all it was a life like experience of joy and pain, thrills and disgust. I have already said several times that I will not do it again but inside my brain the little independent think matter is scheming to make it work for next year. I will also be flying in the three race program put on by U. S. Air Race Inc. in September (www.us-airrace.org) so maybe I can redeem myself before then. The situation in that setup doesn't require carrying bags for miles and trying to get a rental car on the other side of the airport the day before the Red Tram starts running, etc. etc. - it is much more humain while retaining the requirement for all out throttle to the stop racing.

Bob Axsom
 
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Hats off

Hats off to Bob and all racers, you don't have to win to have an incredible experience, but what happened to all the RV's? I mean the speeds where way down and there where no Rockets or usual suspects (Tracy Saylor, Dave Anders, Tracy Crook). I know there was a head wind but of all the fixed gear class speeds the RV class was the slowest? :confused:

The fastest in the 360 cu-in RV (blue class) was 203 MPH,
The fastest in the 320 cu-in RV (red class) was 189 MPH,

OK now the other fixed gear class

The fastest in the 360 cu-in general fixed gear (blue) class
Glasair ITD 242 MPH
Glasair IIFT 210 MPH

The fastest in the 320 cu-in general fixed gear (red) class
Tailwind 215 MPH
Long EZ 207 MPH

The fastest 240 cu-in or less
Vari EZ 208 MPH

All fixed gear class winners are faster than the RV class :eek:

Of course Dick Martin held some RV honor in his RV-8 at 222 MPH in the Sport class. I am sure he could have competed and won in the 360 cu-in RV class but he chose to race in the Sport class. The Sport class limits engine size to 1000 cu-in engine with no gear type specified, either retractable or fixed. He came in 6th in this class against a Lancair Legacy, two Glasair III's and two Swearingen SX-300's (large engines and retract gear). He came in just in front of two Velocity and one Seawind. To put it in perspective, he was the fastest RV, 14th fastest overall (out of 45) and second fastest of all the fixed gear aircraft, behind that very fast fixed gear Glasair I TD, in the 360 cu-in blue class. The Glasair I TD going 242 MPH on 360 cu-in is very fast, especially over a long x-c race, coming in 8th overall behind aircraft with six cylinders and retract gear. That is a very high mark to shoot for in a 360 cu-in RV.

I question the "tech inspections" of these racers are non-existent. I wonder if anyone was running NO2. Also turbo charged or super charged planes may have a huge advantage, which is not specified in the class limits. Of course flying down on the deck can be the best place to run when there are head winds aloft, like they apparently had, especially if you are normally aspirated. Actually if the winds aloft are not going to give significant tail winds down-low and fast is often the best place to stay. If you gamble on getting tail winds by going high, only to get little or no tail winds or worse increasing head winds, you can ruin your race. (I know from previous experience.) My guess is the faster times where from the planes that stayed on the deck? Don't know for sure, since I was not there, but in my limited race experience, every time racers go high for tail-wind they lost speed and time.

Cheers George, can't wait to race.
 
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Some info

Dick Martin had a 390 CU. IN. engine and had to race in the sport class. There were no tech inspections. Everyone that won flew very low. There were strong headwinds at all levels on the first leg which was 280 nautical miles and they got stronger with altitude. I depended on some FSS information and gambled on going high only to run into head winds on the order of 40 kts. Some of the racers are extremely focused and obviously have put a lot into their engines. I sat at a table with some of them at the pre-race dinner and they take the competition to a very high level. I overheard conversations of specially prepared engines by a Tulsa company. If racing is in your blood and you have the money - why not? They were impressive.

Bob Axsom
 
Thanks For the info

Almost 190 MPH block with strong head winds is very good for a stock engine and RV; Let's call it a daily flyer. There are not many factory single engine or even light twins than can even come close.

The fee to race is a disappointment; I noticed they charged $200 for the entry fee. With added cost of gas and hotel, you have to spend a lot to race. I guess that may be one reason for the lower turn out.

I have heard what pilots do to prepare there engines and airplanes, more power to them ( pun intended :D ) . I guess to be fair they should go with actual HP and not cu-in engine displacement. Some of those little O-200 Conts or O-235 Lycs are putting out way more than the stock HP with high compression pistons and turning high RPM's. I am not sure there is any way to level the field except add more classes for modified and stock engines. Of course they will still rely on the pilots to disclose accurately. Like one NASCAR crew chief said, "It is my job to push the rules (cheat) and it is their job to catch me".

Racing is fun but the average guy can not compete with the all out guys. The Glasair I TD (#91) might be making more HP than a 360 cu-in Lyc normally makes. Hammer's #91 posted 238MPH in 2001 Airventure race, so he is consistently fast. I noticed the new Glasair post the top speed for a Glasair II FT (fixed trike) with a 180HP at 238 MPH. So I guess #91 is not going much faster than what the stock spec?s call for!

Dick Martin's # 33 posted 221 MPH in the 2001 Airventure race, so he is also consistent. A RV- 8 list a speed with 200HP of 222 MPH. So if #33 has a IO-390, 210HP? I would guess he should be doing 225 MPH. Of course this is max airspeed and not x-c average block speed.

Comparing the Spec?s for a RV-8A with 180HP @ 212MPH to the Glasair II FT @ 238 MPH, that is a 26 MPH difference. Did not realize how fast those Glasair?s where.


Cheers George
 
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Actually the turnout was pretty good

There is more than the entry fee to deal with in racing of course and 45+ actual racers is a pretty good turnout. When we arrived at Wright Brothers Airport in Dayton the collection of racers was very impressive in numbers as well as quality. The EAA gave each pilot and flight crew member a free week AirVenture wrist band, a free dinner at the Engineers Club in down town Dayton, a banquet at Oshkosh, plus sodas and food during the arrival date in Dayton, and donuts & coffee Sunday morning before the race so the racers came off very well for their $200 entry fee. You are obviously interested and would make a good addition to next years race if there is one. This year's race was cancelled then reinstated so recurrence is not a sure thing. They are difficult to host and all of management everywhere in the world wants to avoid risk (sad state of afairs in my opinion). The volunteer team that organized this year's race deserve every bit of credit they can get. The U.S Air Race Inc. set of three races at the end of september has an entry fee that is three or more times as high as the AirVenture Cup race but they do pay out cash in addition to the trophies. I don't know what the prize money is going to be this year but in the past they paid $5,000 for first down to $100 for 15th. All planes are handicapped to level the playing field somewhat and all race legs have mandatory refueling stops at approximately 300 miles. They are having a tough time getting entries - the last time I checked there were only 11. I am currently the only experimental plane in the race. Jon Blum (spelling?) was going to race his Long EZ but he was killed in a mid-air collision on July 10 (the same day as Bobby Youmkin and Jimmy Franklin). All racers in the AirVenture Cup Race this year carried a decal "78" on their planes in his memory. I never met him but his photograph in the Race Program showed the image of a man with a hearty smile, who loved life and lived it to the fullest. He will be missed. Checkout http://www.us-airrace.org and see if you might be interested. I'm sure you would enjoy it.

Bob Axsom
 
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Thanks Bob

Yea I did the Copper State dash and a few other races when I had my RV-4. I loved it and it was a lot of fun. My RV-7 is a little too low on lift at this time, meaning the wings are not on yet. Next year I hope, but I am not as fast a builder as I am flying. :D
 
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