Bucket List

Dusty Stevens said:
The merlin is a rolls royce eh?
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Packard made the Merlin also.

The British Mosquito had TWO Merlins. Imagine the sound that thing makes going over your head. Be still my beating heart...

The most beautiful lady of them all, the Spitfire, also had the Merlin engine for a spell.

A photo I took the other day at a private get together I am fortunate enough to get invited to. I've held this picture up with one hand a few times...


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There is a dollar or two sitting on this tarmac.

Justin
 
Joe Maisto said:
A few years ago, I'm sitting on the rocks fishing on lake Michigan, and I hear this sound coming. I had not yet seen the aircraft but knew it could not be mistaken for anything else, and suddenly, about several hundred feet off the waters surface comes a '51-!. He must have had clearance to be that low. It was a sound and sight to be remembered.
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Personally, I like the sound of the big R-2800 Radials found in the P-47, Hellcat, Corsair, Bearcat, etc.

But hey, the sound of that big Prop biting the air sounds great regardless of what is spinning it.

As for my Bucket List, I have already done a LOT of things throughout my life, but beconing back to my boat racing days, I would love to take a fast lap in an Unlimited Hydroplane. And live to talk about it.
 
FBecigneul said:
Okay.
Could I have a Supertest unlimited with the Rolls Royce in it?
What do you think, Bill? EH???????
Oh what a race on the Bay Of Quinte at Picton, ON
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You will crap when you find out who cut and installed the tail fin for Miss Supertest, EH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH WELL modesty always precedes me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Bob Haywood, who was killed in 1961 I believe, lived about 35 miles from me, and had he been wearing a Helms device, I think that is how they spell it, he might be alive today. The boat was on the back stretch when it flipped on it's top and then flipped right side up and coasted to a stop. The water hit his neck and the rest is history. I use to drive right by the Supertest building twice a day for years. Did I ever meet Jim Thompson? yes, but would not know him if he stood in front of me. The tail section that I built was a mahogany hollow door cut and then glued down the cut, I was a apprenticeship wood working machinist at the time and looking back now me thinks it was a job to get me out of their hair. But to get back to the oringinal thread, driving that boat would be #1 on my bucket list. #2 would have been to continue drag racing in 1973 in the rear engine 220" chassis that I designed, but just flat out ran out of money. #3 learning how to fly. By the way, Wells Foundry did a bit of work on that boat and George Wells, the son of the Brian Wells I think, was a benchrest shooter before he passed away. See the connection? And Lee, you will never get rid of the bug.
 
Bill Gammon said:
Bob Haywood, who was killed in 1961 I believe, lived about 35 miles from me, and had he been wearing a Helms device, I think that is how they spell it, he might be alive today. The boat was on the back stretch when it flipped on it's top and then flipped right side up and coasted to a stop. The water hit his neck and the rest is history. I use to drive right by the Supertest building twice a day for years. Did I ever meet Jim Thompson? yes, but would not know him if he stood in front of me. The tail section that I built was a mahogany hollow door cut and then glued down the cut, I was a apprenticeship wood working machinist at the time and looking back now me thinks it was a job to get me out of their hair. But to get back to the oringinal thread, driving that boat would be #1 on my bucket list. #2 would have been to continue drag racing in 1973 in the rear engine 220" chassis that I designed, but just flat out ran out of money. #3 learning how to fly. By the way, Wells Foundry did a bit of work on that boat and George Wells, the son of the Brian Wells I think, was a benchrest shooter before he passed away. See the connection? And Lee, you will never get rid of the bug.
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Boy.these history lessons are the best I`ve read in a long time........ keep it up..... THANK YOU.......
bill larson
 
FBecigneul said:
It was 1961. And I was there. At that time Supertest had a Rolls Royce Griffon engine, with about twice the displacement of the Merlin.
A little Harmsworth Trophy history. The trophy went to the internal combustion engine powered boat that won two of three races of 45 miles length. When Canada and Britain dominated they raced Rolls Griffon Engines. Due to their smaller Allison engines, the U.S. had to run lighter boats and didn't have the power to pull it off. The U.S. found a loophole because portions of the Rolls engines were designed in the U.S. They won the court battle and built Miss U.S. To continue to compete after their win, they changed the course from three 5 mile laps to five 3 mile laps and tighter turns and put all the other U.S. Boats back into the race. Supertest II was built to better compete on the shorter courses. When Supertest won and brought the trophy back to Canada and as champions, they changed back to the three 5 mile lap format. Canada continued to dominate the Harmsworth races with the new Supertest III. The dawn of the turbine engines spelled the end of internal reciprocating engines and the roar of the huge airplane engines. It just ain't the same now.
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Francis, the latest incarnation of the Unlimited Hydro powered by the Turbines might not have that deep growl of the piston engine boats, but they sure are FAST.!!!

I test drove a 7 liter Division 1 hydro back in my last year of racing, (1979). A Doctor in Houston had it, and was looking for a driver. He knew I was walking away from the SS, SK, and K-Boat scene, and wanted to see if I was interested. After that test drive, (it hit about 150 on the straight aways), I said no. I could see my self dying in that thing.
 
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My bucket list wound be to take the Southeast Region back to the range availability of 1995. We have lost over 10 ranges since then.


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JerrySharrett said:
My bucket list wound be to take the Southeast Region back to the range availability of 1995. We have lost over 10 ranges since then.
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Jerry, some questions, and I assume you're referring to ranges that no longer have registered matches:

1. Which ones have been "lost"? (I guess you'd include B'ham, Manatee, and Rachel's Glen.)
2. Other than Rachel's Glen, why do you think those ranges have quit having shoots and why do you think other ranges haven't filled the void?
3. Which ranges have been added since 1995? (Would Dublin be one? Would Eastanolle be one?)
4. Why do you think "club" matches are not as well attended as "registered" matches?

My thoughts on # 4 -- Maybe it's like why UT attracts 100K+ fans and UTC only attracts a small fraction of that. I guess most folks don't want to drive a long way just to beat folks like me; I guess they want to anticipate shooting against some of the best.
 
How many people attend those club matches? People look at the schedules for registered matches, plan their season, then budget for it these days. If its registered and you have facilities for campers they will come. Gotta be a 2 day 2 gun or 4 gun to justify a trip too.
 
People plan their shooting season well in advance. They mostly look in the precision rifleman mag to see where they can make it to and budget accordingly.
 
We generally have as many shooters, if not more, at Club Matches and one day VFS Matches than we do Registered Group Matches.

Most Club Matches are Score. That way you don't have to have moving backers, which is a major reason many ranges won't even consider a Group Match. They also have relaxed equipment rules to appeal to a larger group of shooters.
For instace, at our club Matches at Tomball, our top class is just called "Benchrest Class". The rules......"any legal Firearm". It is usually won by somebody shooting a 30 cal NBRSA VFS Rifle.

We also have a Two Day Registered NBRSA Group Match, and a Two Day Registered VFS Match, which is really two complete separate Matches.

I have been shooting Benchrest for 20+ years, and I now seem enjoy the one day matches more than the two day, mainly because it is so difficult to leave work for the travel time and the two days of shooting. It was easier when I was younger.
 
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Wilbur said:
Why would you attend a club match if there were registered matches available?
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For me at this moment in time it is a simple fact of work. Saturday is just another work day.

But I attended a one day Registered VFS match last week end, and will be going to Denton for a Registered VFS match this Sunday. Denton is a 5 hour drive. I can leave after work tomorrow, arrive in time to get s good nights sleep, shoot Sunday, and be back in Houston by 9 that night. Back to work Monday.

Since I have enough 30BR cases to shoot a Grand Agg, I can even pre-load during the week while watching TV.

I know Group Shooting is built around the 2-Gun Format, but that means two days. I used to make 8 to 10 Registered a Group Matches a year. With the way our business has evolved, that just isn't possible at this time.
 
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Thinking on what Jackie said, have we gotten to complicated, too time demanding and too expensive on the registered side of the house?

What are we trying to accomplish? The stated goals of the IBS and NBRSA is "to improve rifle accuracy". And over the years we have done that The recent Nationals on both groups mid-teen aggs may only get you 5th place.

These club matches are more family friendly for younger shooters trying to raise a family and, I think, provide an input feed to the registered shoot crowd. So IMO it is good we have both. A bigger problem with registered group shooting is the moving backer demand. It takes a lot of effort to build, install and maintain this complicated system.

Jackie, preloading while watching TV? Watching what is on TV today is why I shoot, to get another way to entertain myself since I can't really see well enough anymore to read books I used to like Jack Higgins, Robert Ludlum and those guys. I got a new Jack Higgins book for my birthday and cab only stay focused on the lines for 2-3 pages at a time.


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jackie schmidt said:
We generally have as many shooters, if not more, at Club Matches and one day VFS Matches than we do Registered Group Matches.

Most Club Matches are Score....It is usually won by somebody shooting a 30 cal NBRSA VFS Rifle.

...

I now seem enjoy the one day matches more than the two day, mainly because it is so difficult to leave work for the travel time and the two days of shooting. It was easier when I was younger.
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I'm impressed with the turn-out y'all have for those group matches.

Recently, we've been shooting the UBR targets at the score matches at River Bend; eliminates the 30 cal advantage.

I enjoy the one day local matches also; two days of shooting plus travel is a bit much to do very often.


Wilbur said:
Why would you attend a club match if there were registered matches available?
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Time, money, hassle. But, if I were a "top gun," the desire to shoot against other such shooters might trump the time, money, hassle factor.
 
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These are at the Warhawk Museum, at the Nampa airport! You can get a ride in 2 seaters and the bombers. Always a big fly in Labor Day weekend! Downwind leg is right over my house, never get any work done when these aircraft are airborne! The sounds of the engines are like music to my ears!
 

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