British win at Reno

I think these are two separate Vampires, the 2015 race winner was N4861K, race number 24, which was then sadly written off during the 2016 races after the canopy broke up in flight and the engine ingested the debris.

N172LA is race number 44 and currently wears a gloss black Swiss scheme.

For those of you unable to obtain the December issue of Flypast, the Vampire has now been purchased by Ultimate Aviation of Ogden, Utah. Not sure about the quoted registration of N172LA which differs from that mentioned above.

The serial comes from it original owner

WD = William Dilley
186 is its serial

Alan

The Vampire is confirmed as N4861K and is an ex-Irish Air Corps T.55 (serial 186). It left Ireland for the USA in the mid-1970s. As well as now wearing a pseudo-RAF colour scheme it wears a fake British serial, WD186 (which was never used).

Thanks FP, I totally missed that!

Mike – I saw an Iskra or two in this year’s field, likewise a JP in the past and another (blue, different?) DH115. It’s always fun to see what pops up at Reno!

Iskry regularly take part, as does the occasional Magister and JP. I’ve also seen T-33s race there, but I believe they’re now banned due to controllability issues. But you’re correct in that the field is made up mainly of L-29s and L-39s. There are less L-29s than there were due to concerns over the safety of some of the ‘big-engine’ conversions that were being done a few years back.

I don’t know if a Venom could take part – from memory there are guidelines prohibiting any wing sweep over X-degrees? Hence the field full of L-29s and -39s, and the occasional Vampire.

Look at my posting (#8) above.

I don’t know if a Venom could take part – from memory there are guidelines prohibiting any wing sweep over X-degrees? Hence the field full of L-29s and -39s, and the occasional Vampire.

R2D2 did not help the L-39 (or L-29??) win this race!

L-39 – third place – 10 m/h slower!

…really cool
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5665/21533930410_87795d7c2b_c.jpg

R2D2 did not help the L-39 (or L-29??) win this race!

…really cool
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5665/21533930410_87795d7c2b_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/647/21721759215_cac0bfa6c9_c.jpg

Is the aircraft modified at all or is it stock?

Some info here
http://racingjets.com/content/jets
section IV of rules
http://racingjets.com/sites/all/docs/2014_RJI_Rules.pdf

Seems mostly stock.

and details here
http://reports.airrace.org/2015/2015.Jet.Race.24.Report.html

Are there any Venoms over in US flying. With the Ghost jet engine she had a claimed top speed of 640mph. Definitely a step up from the Goblin in the Vampire with a top speed of just 548mph. We have both flying in NZ.

Nice to see a vintage jet in the limelight for the right reasons .

Is the aircraft modified at all or is it stock?

Just brilliant, quote “The aircraft was the oldest in the field.”
I presume amazing pilot skills, helped :eagerness:

It was a very good race. The whole crowd where cheering as the Vampire crossed the line.

Dave

http://www.nvracingnews.com/2015/09/21/air-races-golden-day-sept-20/

Yes, we missed it! The pilot is Peter Zaccagnino flying WD186 which may be N4861K. Photo above.