Goodyear F2G-1 - 1990s Unlimited Class Reno Racer “Super Corsair”.

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therealSamtheCat@reddit

I was checking Wikipedia, and it says that the f2g, an interceptor with 3000hp, had a top speed of 694kmh. How is it possible, if the f4u reached 717kmh with almost 700 less hp?

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As installed in this racer, with water/methanol injection, and water spray bars on the oil coolers, we got just under 5000 horsepower out of it, while still maintaining lower rpm and lower relative manifold pressure than the racing Mustangs.

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KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit

I’ve read it’s due to the supercharger. The F4U’s supercharger (likely due to generating a higher pressure) better preserves the engine’s performance at altitude compared to the F2G. So while at sea level, there’s a major difference in power, at high altitude the difference is lesser.

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Lily_the_Ice_Slime@reddit

I feel like a gull wing design would purely be a disadvantage in racing.

Edit: apparently the only disadvantage is added weight.

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harris5@reddit

It's a design tradeoff to get that gigantic propeller for the gigantic engine. You need to keep the nose high off the ground.

Other planes have found other solutions. The P-47 used longer, telescoping landing gear. The Corsair was built for carrier decks, and Vought went for gull wings and shorter landing gear. Different design teams took different approaches. Then jets got rid of the problem and created some new ones.

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EfficientEquipment26@reddit

To fully retract the landing gear, the Corsair gear also telescopes and is "shrunk" back into the wheel well. Extended, the F6F and F4U have the same length landing gear. The Hellcat's just retracts into the flap and stays partially exposed.

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Professor_Smartax@reddit

Why not just use a smaller propellor with more blades?

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nigelxw@reddit

See the Sea Fury

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BandofRubbers@reddit

Another real beauty

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Xivios@reddit

Less efficient. Typically efficiency is maximized by using the largest prop swinging the fewest blades as possible.

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styxracer97@reddit

The Corsair also used shorter landing gear so it could double as a dive brake.

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psunavy03@reddit

Yeah the design tradeoff was more to be able to pair the ginormous prop with the ginormous engine while having carrier-capable gear using 1940s materials science.

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Affectionate_Cronut@reddit

IIRC, because the gull wing intersected the fuselage at more cleanly that a conventional wing, not requiring a large fillet, the parasitic drag at the wing root was much less than a conventional wing configuration.

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Begle1@reddit

But the advantage is style.

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1969Malibu@reddit

Video of its crash https://youtu.be/VINgXlF2R0Y?si=K8CeEgbMx6vhCivd

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VerStannen@reddit

This may be a stupid question; did the super corsair have an ejection seat, or did the pilot just bail with a chute?

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Sha77eredSpiri7@reddit

Just bailed out with a chute. He jumped out and parachuted, sustained some injuries but was still relatively ok. Before jumping out, he controlled the plane as best as he could to point it away from the crowd below. The aircraft nosedived and hit the ground, completely disintegrating in a fireball.

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West-Organization450@reddit

I thought I remembered Kevin breaking his neck hitting the horizontal stabilizer…extremely lucky to live I think. I remember him being in a pretty substantial ‘halo’ for a while. Been many years ago so memory is a little fuzzy. I will never forget seeing the Super Corsair at Reno though…such a cool racer!

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EfficientEquipment26@reddit

Yep, broke C2 in his neck, shattered leg and broken arm, he hit the horizontal when he went out. And broke his leg getting out.

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VerStannen@reddit

Ah ok. Good for him for keeping cool enough to do all that and still get out.

Pretty intense situation to say the least.

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Sha77eredSpiri7@reddit

Certainly. It's a shame the aircraft was completely destroyed, being both a cool ass plane and a historical object in itself, as it was an original F2G albeit with a plethora of modifications. But, better the pilot survives than dies with their aircraft

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mexchiwa@reddit

It was not an original F2G, if that makes you feel better

Just putting a corncob in a Corsair does not make an F2G

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GlockAF@reddit

I’ve got some old-fashioned film camera pics of the chute and crash somewhere, but it was quite a distance from the airport (Williams field back then)

He got picked up by a helicopter pilot who was flying an act at the airshow, not an EMS aircraft

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-pilot37-@reddit

That’s crazy, didn’t know the pilot was Kevin Eldridge. He flies out of my local airport and I chat with him frequently - just talked with him yesterday about the structural instability of the Cobalt Valkyrie. Knows his stuff.

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PM_PLANES_NOW@reddit

Believe it or not its actually not that kevin Eldridge. They are different people, the Kevin Eldridge of the super corsair is older and is based out of socal.

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-pilot37-@reddit

Well how bout that, two Kevin Eldridges in the air racing business. Wonder if they’ve ever met.

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EfficientEquipment26@reddit

Yes they have

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mz_groups@reddit

Is he the same guy who was racing one of Jon Sharp's Nemesis Sportplanes?

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EfficientEquipment26@reddit

No, different Kevin Eldridge. Kevin who flew our, Planes of Fame Super Corsair is a noted warbird pilot, former USAF Heritage Flight pilot. There is a Sport Plane pilot that you are referring to and the two get confused all the time.

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-pilot37-@reddit

Yup, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Relentless take off and land many times. Unfortunately he sold it.

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aliensporebomb@reddit

Absolutely unreal! He made it out and sad that the bird was destroyed but even though injured he is fine today apparently.

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njsullyalex@reddit

Pilot is a hero for ensuring the plane crashed in an empty area where nobody could be hurt. Glad he bailed out and survived.

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harris5@reddit

Oh man, that sucks.

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MicahBurke@reddit

I saw a crash at Reno in 1999. Gary Levitz, pilot of the P-51 Miss Ashley II was killed when, as he was coming around pylon 1, parts of the tail separated from the plane. It augured in off the airport into some houses. My wife asked me if he "ejected". I had to explain that these planes didn't have ejection seats... it was a sad day.

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FlyNSubaruWRX@reddit

Bro, you were married in 1999?……….

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MicahBurke@reddit

Sorry you got the downvotes. Was married in 2001, we were dating in '99, so she was my GF I guess. I'm old. :D

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FlyNSubaruWRX@reddit

lol it’s fake internet points. We had a formula 1 so I grew up there in the early 90s man I kiss the innovation with the wild engineering back then.

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dlogan3344@reddit

Yeah kid some of us are older and was grown then

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EfficientEquipment26@reddit

In flight, is a photo by Jerry Wilkins, Planes of Fame.

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GlockAF@reddit

I believe this one crashed at the Phoenix Air racist

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magnuman307@reddit

"The swastika is historical!"

"Sir, that is modified mustang"

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FletcherCommaIrwin@reddit

That’s crazy.

When did they rename them to “races”?

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GlockAF@reddit

Ha! Thanks? Autocorrect

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Viharabiliben@reddit

After some folks complained that all the pilots were the same race.

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Azidoazid@reddit

Was a XF2G-1? in the pictures the plane doesn't look like it has the larger vertical stabilizer that the production models had, either that or they replaced it with a normal F4U vertical stab.

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PM_PLANES_NOW@reddit

It was actually an F4U that was modified with an R-4360. It was a wreck that was turned into this beast by the Planes of Fame air muesem crew in the 80s. I believe the engine was from a B-50.

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West-Organization450@reddit

This is the story I remember hearing as well. Been a while so it’s a little fuzzy! I have pics/video from Reno in the early 90’s with the super Corsair. Awesome airplane!

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typecastwookiee@reddit

I was just a kid but I’ll never forget the sound of this thing, 50 feet off the deck, along the back course in Reno. Well, not the full back course, but the short straight before the final left turn. You could get to it still in the 80’s and 90’s. You’d barely hear it, but you felt this deep bass as it went by. Same with Rare Bear and to a certain extent big Sea Furies like Dreadnought. Still, I do remember that this plane was almost entirely sub bass.

It was rad.

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