If you could transform one aircraft into a racing machine what would it be ? (This is my drawing of Race 57)

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

It’s a Goodyear F2G Super Corsair “Race 57”

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mogrim@reddit

Would need categories, but a swarm of Lysanders and Storchs would be fantastic.

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HorizonSniper@reddit

A 747. Something about an aircraft of THAT size going for, say, a round the world time attack or a canyon run just tickles my brain

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Absolarix@reddit

I would say the P38 Lightning, but some of them actually ended up in air racing after WWII.

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DruidDog@reddit

♥️p-38♥️

it’s a shame there are so few left. absolutely gorgeous bird! i love visiting the one on display at Udvar-Hazy

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NedTaggart@reddit

You know, it makes me wonder why no one is making them now using modern tech. People would buy them. Imagine Carbon Lightnings.

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DruidDog@reddit

i think they would be tremendously expensive to own and operate. and it’s not like you would have room for passengers 😆

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andy-in-ny@reddit

There were mods to the 38 with a turret that also subbed in a chair and some where the guns were. 2 passenger 38's range? Good times

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Absolarix@reddit

Are you sure you're not thinking of the P61 Black Widow? I could be wrong, but I don't think I've ever seen a picture or anything about a P38 with a turret.

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P-38E with dual control Tandem Cockpit was made, this bombadier version above was made, There was an F-5 Recon version with a Recon Observer position, the Chain Lighting (XP-59) had a tail gunner, and Hindustan Aviation apparently was the one with the guns removed and a relatively luxurious passenger cabin installed instead.

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Absolarix@reddit

I knew about all of those except for the Chain Lightning. I know quite a bit about the P-38's, but not that one. Today I learned, neat, and thank you!

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EmirFassad@reddit

Put the passengers on hammocks slung between the twin booms.

👽🤡

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NedTaggart@reddit

Yep, they would, but there is a company making full sized carbon P-51's. There would be a market for them even if it meant only making 2-4 per year.

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FrontBrilliant189@reddit

National Museum of WW2 aviation in Colorado Springs has an airworthy one. I've seen it fly at airshows multiple times and it's definitely unique.

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DruidDog@reddit

wow, i am jealous! that is super cool. i am gonna do some research and see if it ever tours. thanks for the info

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cro-cute-a@reddit

Chiming in to inform that unfortunately (for me, because this was my local P-38 lol), White 33 was sold and no longer resides at the museum in Colorado Springs. I think it may have gone to the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, though, which means it it might now be touring.

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FrontBrilliant189@reddit

If you're ever in Colorado Springs I definitely recommend the museum. Or even better if you're here in the late summer most of the planes they have are airworthy and fly at the local airshow almost every year. The f7f tigercat is actually my favorite fly-by, twin R2800s at full throttle will give you goosebumps.

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Absolarix@reddit

Yeah, only 7 airworthy currently, compared to some other WWII warbirds which have many, many flying examples left. The Lightning got a hell of a short stick. Nowhere near as bad as the Zero and other Japanese aircraft, though...

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ThaddeusJP@reddit

P38 Lightning, but some of them actually ended up in air racing after WWII.

#66/Green Hornet by Ivis Hill,1947 - https://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38registry/p38_lightning_44-27147.html

#3/Fox of the Skyways - https://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38registry/p38-4453078.html

Both of these ended up crashing

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63crabby@reddit

Racing Piper Cubs on an oval course with their 65 hp four cylinder engines would be interesting. Slow, but interesting.

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

That would be funny to watch ! For me I was thinking Airbus vs Boeing Air races like A320 vs 737… you remove all the cabin interior for less weight 😳

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domesystem@reddit

First Gen jet airliners. DC8s, 707s, 880s, hell even Comets down on the decks racing pylons would be an insane spectacle

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Natural_Stop_3939@reddit

There was a DC-7 that was raced in Unlimited class back in 1970.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRMGgnFusEg

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floridacyclist@reddit

He actually did quite well too, he didn't have to stop for fuel like the others did.

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sarcamansard@reddit

Comets are a bad idea. They would tear apart form the corners of the window frames in the second high-G turn.

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dontlookoverthere@reddit

747 with 4 modern engines and no interior would be a sight to see

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domesystem@reddit

I wanna see an 880 with four LEAPs 🤤

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Clovis69@reddit

Theres a 747-100 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle that doesn't have an interior, it's so spacious

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SuperDuperTango@reddit

But on a scaled up version of a red bull air race course. 😂

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paper-astronaut@reddit

picturing a couple of commercial pilots sitting in the cockpits thinking "I have always wanted to do this..."

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JSTootell@reddit

The most exciting car racing on the planet is Miata racing.

So, this could be a thing.

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p8ntslinger@reddit

yard kart racing is awesome too

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NedTaggart@reddit

Slow doesn't mean a lot though, there is a saying in sailing that anytime 2 sailboats are headed in the same direction, they are racing. Its true. Ive been in some very exciting events going not more than 6 knots in a janky Catalina 22.

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ManifestDestinysChld@reddit

The first motor vehicle race took place approximately 30 seconds after the 2nd motor vehicle was constructed.

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CaptHindsite@reddit

Race starts. Crowd goes for lunch, comes back in time for lap 1 flyby…

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SixLegNag@reddit

None. I like big chunky slow planes. Let's race unmodified* C-130s for a change.

* Cool paintjobs still allowed, they do not actually make the plane go faster.

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Fuze_KapkanMain@reddit

F2G-1

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The_Tipsy_Turner@reddit

Is it cheating to say P-51 Mustang? It's one of my favorite prop planes, I love the tech went into it, and I have a soft spot for that scoop.

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andy-in-ny@reddit

The racing Mustang developers realized that the Supercharger (for high alt performance) and therefore the large cooler needed for it were actually more drag than worthwhile. They put radiator intakes where the guns were and bleed air fed over the top of the wing, probably helping with a bit of lift, and the ram air cooled the engine. Rebuilt for a totally slick bottom

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TouristRoutine602@reddit

Last night, I kept watching YouTube videos of P-51s making their high pitched whistling sounds during low passes…..it’s got my vote, lol

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Gudge2007@reddit

Always love hearing the P-5 whistle at airshows, never gets old lol

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abstractmodulemusic@reddit

I love how they sound almost exactly like R2-D2 screaming.

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Badfly48@reddit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_Metal_(aircraft)

Enjoy!

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

Voodoo is the perfect exemple : the fastest piston aircraft!

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Apprehensive-Cow5822@reddit

F-15A or STOL/MTD

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vini_damiani@reddit

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wrongwayup@reddit

Why would you ever transform one when the Bugatti Model 100 already exists, purpose-built for racing and one of the most beautiful airplanes ever to exist.

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Natural_Stop_3939@reddit

Beautiful, and so tragic that the reproduction crashed.

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StevieDoesntKnow@reddit

A Lancaster.

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Specialist-Reason-23@reddit

Fuck it

Goodyear blimp

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Clovis69@reddit

MiG-21 would look good as a racer

So would the English Electric Lightning - but it'd be in a different class - 2 engines after all

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sarcamansard@reddit

The best ones are already there: the P-51. As 'Big is Beautiful', a 1970s jet liner class would be nice: to see the thre- and fore engineering giants toss and turn around eachother would be a sight to behold. The most daring might be the Sopwith Camel class with an overdose of power. I'd come to see that whirl.

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schurem@reddit

F-16A

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windas_98@reddit

An F-105 in racing getup would be sweet, but I just hope there aren't any turns.

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domesystem@reddit

Air-bikes

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eventhorizon79@reddit

I want to see a race between a 172 and a dirt bike.

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Shockwave2309@reddit

P-51 Mustang

The Galopping Ghost was one sexy machine holy moly

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Mental_Look3760@reddit

Omg…

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kkeennmm@reddit

C-17

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

TSR2 mentioned 💯

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

https://www.deviantart.com/claveworks/gallery/26849511/fantasy-racing-teams

The creator has more options btw

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SignalBackground1230@reddit

The Williams Hawk is perfection

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

Yeah!! I love that one too!

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bozoconnors@reddit

Wow. There goes my day. Neat.

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

Time well spent!

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ManifestDestinysChld@reddit

That Colonial Viper MkI in Gulf-Porsche colors is going to allow me to die happy

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

That's a nice model kit challenge!

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

Yeah, it would be cool to have that era of cancelled project. TSR2, Avrow Arrow etc race.

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New_Line4049@reddit

"READY, SET, GO! And TSR2 is across the line! My that was a short race"

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Terrible_Log3966@reddit

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Gramerdim@reddit

some sort of airforce single turboprop trainer (t6,tucano,pc7/9/21,etc.)

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Raguleader@reddit

The B-26 Marauder had a reputation as something of a hotrod.

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

Oh yeah a Marauder race would be insane !! But we need to find airframes

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Raguleader@reddit

I've got access to a 3D printer.

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

Lmao 😂

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abstractmodulemusic@reddit

Aerolite 103 😁

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StormBlessed145@reddit

SR-71 Blackbird, MiG-25 Foxbat, or MiG-31 Foxhound

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tdgarui@reddit

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Babna_123@reddit

Yes avro arrow

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Vizslaraptor@reddit

Dual pusher prop A-10 Thunderbolt II - Warthog

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TheNecromancer@reddit

JPS liveried Vulcan

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Mr__Monotone@reddit

F5 Tiger II. One of my top 3 favorite aircrafts of all time. (Id transform all 3, but you made me choose 1 T-T)

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CrusaderF8@reddit

Go for broke, F-20 racer

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Mr__Monotone@reddit

Screw it I cant hold back.

2) SR-71 Blackbird. 3) Boeing 727-100.

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SiteRelEnby@reddit

SR-71. Both because it's beautiful both visually and technologically, and because, if it races, that implies there are other similarly fast aircraft, which would be amazing.

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bozoconnors@reddit

Would look sick in some John Player Special livery!

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SiteRelEnby@reddit

I like how you think.

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agha0013@reddit

Twins category featuring Mosquitoes and Lightnings

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Lime1028@reddit

Mossy is a must. It is the successor to the De Havilland DH.88 Comet

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agha0013@reddit

kept all that racing pedigree and looked even better

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ProperPlay4926@reddit

F-104C

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ThunderboltDM@reddit

The Pond Racer

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Lime1028@reddit

Mosquito, to fit with its heritage.

Spotfire, to fit with its heritage.

F-5, because it's cool.

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JMoc1@reddit

Makes me sad of who the current owners of the 57 are.

I still remember when it was still up here in Fargo.

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Afilador2112@reddit

Just imagined the Concorde banked over going around the cones at Reno.

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OmnariNZ@reddit

May I take this time to direct your attention to NGEN Racing for the PS1.

Featuring racing versions of the F-14, harrier, F-15, and the starting lights held up on the stub wings of an AH-1.

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bozoconnors@reddit

I'm pretty surprised I completely missed this somehow. Kudos for the enlightenment!

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ctjfd@reddit

I want to see a gliding race between John J Montgomery and The Wright Brothers. But from the top of something big like Mount Whitney or half dome. Using modern materials, but keep the engineering the same.

Throw in some turns, and then straight away to the finish line. A test of maneurability but also range.

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Maniachanical@reddit

We take some F-22 Raptors, remove all the weapons & stealthy bits, dap them up in pretty colors & run them through a Red Bull style circuit somewhere in The Keys.

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New_Line4049@reddit

Something like a Mk9 Spitfire. The Spit started life inspired by a racer, would love to see what that racer could become after all the advancements the Spit had. I say a Mk9 though (rather than much later marks) as its all about that Merlin engine for me, the Griffin's cool, and more capable, but the Merlins cooler, and sounds better (fight me)

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magnumfan89@reddit

DC-6. An entire race of them

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Enough-Astronomer-65@reddit

the boeing 767 or the Cessna 172

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Dry_Signature2649@reddit

Hawker Tempest just push the Throttle Forward and let those 24 Cylinders do their Thing

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floridacyclist@reddit

F7F tiger cat

Now wondering if any of them ever didn't make it into the races?

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Dry_Signature2649@reddit

Probably because of the Low Production Numbers

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floridacyclist@reddit

Actually several raced. https://share.google/aimode/doSWCYQFhv4UQfKy4

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MarvinManyracks@reddit

cf-100 o7

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fireandlifeincarnate@reddit

fuck it, X-15

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Acrobatic_Poem_7290@reddit

Pray there are no turns on your course

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ManifestDestinysChld@reddit

Orbits count as turns!

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Hassangetskarma@reddit

It’s gonna need to be an intercontinental circuit

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eventhorizon79@reddit

Would be a drag race.

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63crabby@reddit

Would be hard to see anything for very long, kind of boring in my book

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

Criminally underrated

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Starchaser_WoF@reddit

DC-3

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TheVoicesSpeakToMe@reddit

I would pay good money to see a few U-2 spy planes run the lap at 100mph. Slow as hell, but those wings are entertaining.

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towelpills@reddit

Different answer but I would transform races to be fewer circuits and go back to the days of cross-country and transcontinental races. The long-distance stuff that make good adventure books.

And I want to do one in an AeroVolga LA-8

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Atholthedestroyer@reddit

Serious racer: Mosquito Halftime Show: VZ-9 Avrocar(s)

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GITS75@reddit

Bell X-3

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ThaddeusJP@reddit

F-14D Super Tomcat

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_Volatile_@reddit

I made one out of an F-35, once

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StormTheDragon20@reddit

honestly? the Saab 21 has potential, both the (built) A variant and the (never built) B variant.

...also, would i be considered insane if i also brought up that the Dornier Do-335 would also have potential?

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chrontab@reddit

Hear me out...

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shadeyyyy_@reddit

My great uncle built one himself (only he, no other help). The registration is N5099C

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Gov-@reddit

Several Long-ez s have raced in Sport Class.

https://www.sportclass.com

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Jessie_C_2646@reddit

Better yet, add rockets!

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Jetdoctr@reddit

Rocket racing league was going to use those.

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RenegadeBricoleur@reddit

This has got me thinking, do we have like a GA version of the cannonball run? Like go from a particular east coast airport to one on the west coast in the least amount of time. Gotta pick the right weather, try and plan stops appropriately, pick altitude and maybe go off the most direct course to get maximum tailwinds. Idk, could be interesting.

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

That's an interesting idea !

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rcbif@reddit

Goodyear Airships.

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Mr_Byzantine@reddit

Republic XF-12 Rainbow.

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

faster than some fighter props

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Armamore@reddit

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Turkstache@reddit

Open class C172 - Any engine you want and additional aero/structural enhancement on an otherwise fully intact 172.

Experimental class C172 - you can design it as a clean sheet aircraft as long as it's easily mistakeable as a 172 (fuselage must be pretty much the same, as does the wing planform and placement).

Unlimited class C172 - The only rule is a legit and unmistakable factory 172 fuselage from spinner to tail is readily identifiable and is where the pilot sits. Everything else is fair game. If you wanted to stretch the gear of an F-15 and hang the 172 fuselage from a hard point and control the whole vehicle from there, be our guest.

Car72 - C172 for the track. Gotta use the whole vehicle including wings to make your car (can deconstruct as needed)

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Gato_Felix@reddit

saw a pair of racing autogyros at a modelling show a week or so ago - thought those looked like a fun time on a summer's day.

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DAGB_69@reddit

Why not a SR-71?

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DexKaelorr@reddit

Does aerial refueling count as a pit stop?

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SiteRelEnby@reddit

Of course.

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ChainsawSnuggling@reddit

Air races aren't in straight lines.

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SiteRelEnby@reddit

They could be.

Endurance race: First around the Earth 5 times.

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63crabby@reddit

Not much to see, too fast.

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DAGB_69@reddit

Slow mo will reveal any adverts on it.

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63crabby@reddit

Good idea

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The3levated1@reddit

The Do 335

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DesmondPerado@reddit

Mosquito

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Jetdoctr@reddit

Cessna 150, cheap slow and entertaining

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Nimhface@reddit

I would watch the hell out of a C-150 race.

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ImJustStealingMemes@reddit

Fuck it. F-22 without stealth. If the kid can't have an intercept, at least give him some racing trophies.

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DruidDog@reddit

beautiful drawing - i wish i had stuck with it after adolescence - i could never do that!

i love warbirds, and while many of them have been converted for air races, one which obviously never made it was the Ho-229 (since it never made it to production). it has such a unique retro-futuristic look to it

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Schrodingers_Box_Cat@reddit

Spitfire anyone? Btw, your art is superb!

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KingAardvark1st@reddit

MiG-3. Don't care if it's not actually fast, it looks like it should be approaching the sound barrier

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DruidDog@reddit

yes!!! mig-3 is such a stunner. it had surprisingly good high altitude performance for 1940

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

I mean just put the VK-107 of the late Yaks in it, I’m pretty sure it will go fast

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Jessie_C_2646@reddit

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DismalIngenuity4604@reddit

OK, since you asked.

You know those "beyond light" heilos, made from 17 yards of rebar and the engine from pa's old ride on mower?

A race to build, then some medium distance point to point to test mostly the relibility and survivability.

There's repair material and tools at each stop, so you can weld things back on that have fallen off.

Obv not safe, but it'd be cool to watch!

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

Thank you very much it means a lot!! I mean if you feel confortable trying colors then go for it ! The result is worth it 👌🏼

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Murica4ever1998@reddit (OP)

Imagine a beefed up G2 with a 3000hp engine, would be insane

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nyc_2004@reddit

PC-12 lol