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- Sep 15, 2008
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Steve Hinton hit 499 mph in a modified P-51 at Tonopah Nevada, a record for piston engine aircraft at that time. It was so heavily modified that it no longer resembled a stock P-51 Mustang and was from then on referred to as The Red Baron or "RB-51".
[youtube]58wb-fAW8nQ[/youtube]
The stock P-51 wings were clipped and a taller vertical stabilizer with more area was fabricated and installed. The stock engine was removed and a Rolls Royce Gryphon engine from a British Avro Shackleton patrol plane was grafted on with the stock propellers clipped about a foot for racing. If you want to see lots of pics documenting the original build go here:
Red Baron 1
I saw the RB-51 win at the Mohave Air Races in 1979. I was only 15 but I can clearly remember it running away from the competition in the final with a race speed of "only" 388 mph! Here it is at that very race:
Unfortunately, at the very next race at Reno Nevada while running in the Championship Final the engine seized and the beautiful, one of a kind racing plane was totally destroyed on an off runway crash landing. Steve Hinton was seriously injured but recovered and still flies to this day. His son Steven is also a race pilot and won the Reno Air Race Unlimited category just last year!
The RB-51 is one of my all time favorite racing planes and I currently have plans to re-create it in 1/48 scale:
[youtube]58wb-fAW8nQ[/youtube]
The stock P-51 wings were clipped and a taller vertical stabilizer with more area was fabricated and installed. The stock engine was removed and a Rolls Royce Gryphon engine from a British Avro Shackleton patrol plane was grafted on with the stock propellers clipped about a foot for racing. If you want to see lots of pics documenting the original build go here:
Red Baron 1
I saw the RB-51 win at the Mohave Air Races in 1979. I was only 15 but I can clearly remember it running away from the competition in the final with a race speed of "only" 388 mph! Here it is at that very race:
Unfortunately, at the very next race at Reno Nevada while running in the Championship Final the engine seized and the beautiful, one of a kind racing plane was totally destroyed on an off runway crash landing. Steve Hinton was seriously injured but recovered and still flies to this day. His son Steven is also a race pilot and won the Reno Air Race Unlimited category just last year!
The RB-51 is one of my all time favorite racing planes and I currently have plans to re-create it in 1/48 scale: