Uh Oh... Texas Police Are After Red Bull Air Racer Kirby Chambliss (Video)

 Texas native Kirby Chambliss gets some promotional love from the Texas Police as they help us all remember that the Red Bull Air Race will be at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on September 6-7, 2014.

Kirby Chambliss flying under a Texas highway overpass!
 

 Three of the eight 2014 races are now done after last weekend's event in Malaysia which saw UK pilot Nigel Lamb come out on top, Hannes Arch from Austria took second and Australia's Matt Hall came in third. This leaves Hannes Arch at the top of the list in the overall rankings so far this season. Watch the video below for a great recap of the Malaysia event.

 There's a break in the action now until July 26-27 when the racing picks up again in Poland. Two races will take place in the USA, the Fort Worth event on September 6-7 and then in Las Vegas on October 11-12. Get the full schedule and loads more info at RedBullAirRace.com.

 
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Video: 20 Foot Span RC B-25 With 2 Moki 400's! (First Flight)

 Really big RC models are intriguing because they can look so real in their getting-close-to-life-size dimensions. You also know that they have taken an enormous amount of work and dedication to reach completion. But for me, the biggest payoff comes with how real they look in the air. Small models are just too twitchy to look real.

 This 20 foot wingspan B-25, built in Germany over 5-1/2 years and powered by two Moki 400 5-cylinder radials looks incredibly real in the air. And while the Moki engines don't convince you that they're Wright R-2600's, they have unique radial sound all their own that is truly awesome. The music that two of them make, well, it's just perfect.

 Congratulations to the team in Germany on their amazing piece of work!

Video screenshot of this amazing 30% scale B-25 RC model

Check out the build page for the B-25 build team:
www.legendaryfighters.de/B_25/b25.htm

 
 Engine run of the real Apache Princess from Kermit Weeks' collection of flying aircraft. Check out the Fantasy of Flight page with info on this B-25.

Hat tip to my friend Christian for the link on the B-25 model.

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Video: Sean Tucker And The Extreme Machine!

 I listened to Sean Tucker talk at an event in the Theater in the Woods at Oshkosh last year and I went from being a guy impressed with Sean's flying to being a guy impressed with Sean as a person.

 This short but extremely well done video on vimeo shows why you should be impressed with his flying... and if you haven't already, hopefully you'll get to hear him talk or even have a chat with him yourself someday to see what an interesting man he really is.

 And he gets extra points from me since his extreme machine has two wings. Enjoy!

Sean Tucker pushing it hard and lovin' every minute of it

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Part 3: Blue Angels Mega Post (Video+CoolPix+Desktop)

(click pic for hi-res)  Pensacola Beach airshow pic from 2012 #awesome

 The Blue Angels mega-post comes to an end today, but I hope it has served to drive you to their airshow schedule to see when and where you can experience them live and in person. I see several dates that will potentially work for me this summer and look forward to it!

 You might remember that when the Navy released the image above from the 2012 Pensacola Beach airshow, it was flipped over with the world upside-down, which is the way it was captured... and while that was very impressive to view, I had a feeling that it might be more powerful when flipped over with the world right-side-up. So I flipped it over in photoshop and it came alive for me. Then I decided to see if I was just a weirdo or if more of you agreed with me. The poll I put up showed over 70% agreed that it was a more powerful image when flipped over as seen above, so that's how I made it available as a desktop pic. Here it is again in four popular desktop sizes in case you didn't snag it before:

Pensacola Beach 2012 Blue Angels inverted pass:

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 Here's a very nice compilation video from a few years back that shows the Blue Angels in some truly beautiful views. It can be watched in HD and it has a non-offensive soundtrack... go full screen and enjoy!

 This excellent video from the KPIX (San Francisco) Evening Magazine is from back in 1985 and gives some background into the Blue Angels A4 Skyhawk training camp. It's fascinating to hear Blue Angels pilot Mike Gershon say that after his year with the team as narrator he assumed he understood the level of effort required to be one of the guys inside the cockpit... yet he realized when he made that transition to the cockpit that he had no idea of the physical and mental effort required to put a show on. Imagine how unaware you and I are.

 It's important to note that shortly after this program was recorded, Mike Gershon was killed when he and the other solo A4 flown by Andy Caputi collided at the crossover on the top of a loop. Andy Caputi ejected safely but Mike lost his life in the accident. You can learn more in a very respectful follow up video here.

 The risks are real for the Blue Angels, but then life is full of risk at every turn for each and every one of us. The challenge for us all is to seek wisdom and knowledge, making the best decisions we can in every situation. The Blue Angels serve as one of the greatest examples of this way of life.

 If you think about it, the extreme skill displayed by the Blue Angels is meant to represent a willingness and capability in defending the United States of America... and ultimately, the USA is only defended when men and women join the military (any branch) and prepare to fight if needed. So when you see the Blue Angels (or the USAF Thunderbirds) please remember that Americans (you and me) owe a lot to all the people willing to fight for this nation.

 This last video is from the Blue Angels era before the A4 Skyhawk. It's an old Super 8mm film shot in 1970 of the Blues in F-4 Phantom's at Suffolk County AFB in Long Island New York. There's an honest nostalgia in it that makes a guy like me, who lived as a kid thru that time frame, ache with a desire for the good ole days. But even if you weren't alive back then, I'm guessing you'll have no trouble agreeing with me that the F-4's look fantastic in that great paint.

 An alternate way to experience the video above is to first mute the audio (simply click the speaker icon next to the start button)... then click this link which will open a new tab and start an audio-only video... then come back to this tab and hit the play button as soon as you can. It's a beautiful experience.

Thank you Blue Angels... past, present, and future.

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Part 2: Blue Angels Mega Post (Video+CoolPix+Desktop)

 Here's more fabulous Blue Angels content to help you and me both feel a little more like we're at Vero Beach Florida today and tomorrow enjoying a performance from the world's greatest aerobatic team. You're seeing Baltimore back in 2012 behind the blue and gold here in the CoolPix above... the Navy does a great job of making awesome images like this available, but if you don't know where to look it's easy to miss out. I take it all a little farther down the road then too by sizing up some desktop images for you and passing them around for free.

Blue Angels over Baltimore on 6-15-12:

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 This short video gives you a great view of the Blues in a tight diamond formation as they slide in right behind Sean Tucker in his Oracle Challenger over Seattle back in 2010. What a sight to see these very different aircraft looking quite comfortable in formation... too bad there wasn't a GoPro on the tailwheel of the Challenger, that would have made for such a wonderful view of the Blues.

 This 33 minute video will make you feel like you're right there enjoying a full Blue Angels performance, which is exactly what it is. It's a broadcast-quality recording of the 2012 Miramar Air Show... from taxi-out thru til taxi-in, with the full show in between. It's also viewable in 1080p HD, which means this would be a great video to stream into a big flat TV, or at least full screen on your computer. There's no music, no talking, just pure Blue Angels all in high quality!

(click pic for hi-res)  Up close in formation showing how close they are!

 The CoolPix above is from 2011 over Pensacola Florida... imagine yourself inside about 30,000 pounds of jet going 300mph THIS close to another pretty blue 30,000 pound hunk of metal! And then imagine that the tolerance for how far you can be from the exact correct position is about 18 inches... and hold that tolerance for much of a 30 minute performance. The observe-decide-act frequency going on in their heads must be staggering. It's. Just. Awesome.

 Here's hoping you have a very Blue weekend! Watch for part 3 tomorrow.

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Blue Angels 3-Part Mega Post! Fri-Sat-Sun (Video+CoolPix+Desktop) Part 1

(click pic for hi-res) Awesome Blue Angels pic from 2010 (Navy photo by Ron Trevino)

 The AWESOME Blue Angels are in Vero Beach Florida this weekend to wow airshow fans with what hard work, discipline, and pure dedication can produce... the world's greatest aerobatic team! But if you're like me, it doesn't look like Vero Beach out your window. So, I thought I'd do what I can to bring the Blue Angels experience to you in a 3-part Fri-Sat-Sun mega post. The pic above is a CoolPix so you can open it up big, or you can download one of the free desktop sizes I put together for you below.

Blue Angels Jax show 2010:

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 This first video is a short one uploaded to youtube just a few weeks ago and shows a backseat view during a Blue Angels practice. It's simply unimaginable that these guys can fly this close together, at these speeds, AND doing maneuvers! The Navy consistently finds (and trains) these super humans capable of doing what honestly seems impossible. It would be one thing to be able to perform at this level for a few minutes, but to put on a full show week after week requires a focus and disciple that boggles the mind. Bravo Blues!

 The second video is an older one that runs almost 10 minutes and is full of incredible backseat views of the team performing. Even if you see it before it's ALWAYS worth seeing again.

(click pic for hi-res)  The Blue Angels diamond formation at Reno back in 2009

 The CoolPix above is one that I captured at Reno back in 2009. It's another graphic example of just how close together these F/A-18's fly during a Blue's performance. Even better, they flew several days in a row that year... I never ever get tired of seeing and hearing the Blue Angels own the sky!

 This last video for the Blue Angels mega-post part 1 is one of the most impressive Blue Angels videos I've ever seen, and it doesn't even have a single F/A-18 in it. It's all about Fat Albert with a cockpit view of a 2009 performance of the C-130 at an airshow at Barksdale AFB. The cockpit crew communication and cooperation is outstanding! It's a great way to see the kind of discipline that makes the entire Blue Angels experience the best in the world.

 Enjoy, my avgeek friends, and watch for part 2 coming tomorrow!

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Video: Seriously Awesome RC XC-142 VTOL (Must See!)

 If you're short on time and just need an under-a-minute avgeek experience, you'll wanna go here instead of watching the video above... but if you like awesome, cool, and truly amazing examples of modern tech being used to make extremely difficult aircraft designs fly great in model form, then please take 15 minutes to watch this.

 The real XC-142 was a remarkably successful VTOL design from the early 1960's. However, even tho it proved capable of vertical takeoffs and landings along with over 400mph maximum speed, mechanical complexities and aerodynamic problems in certain phases of flight prevented it from moving beyond the prototype stage. Five XC-142's were built, and the only remaining example is the one turned over to NASA in 1966. It's on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and I have spend quite a lot of time looking this unique aircraft over on each trip I've made to Dayton.

 The December 2013 video above of the all-electric RC model XC-142 begins with northern California builder and pilot Ran D. St. Clair explaining a little about the design, then sharing some details on the open-source OpenAero2 flight controller software, and then showing the wing pivot process and interconnect with the horizontal tail. The first of the flying begins at the 3:10 mark. The flying footage is very impressive.
 

 As the inflight pic above shows, this model is extremely well built, but the really impressive work is how well the programming has been done to create a very controlled VTOL flying machine. Transitions from vertical to slow-forward-flight and then full-forward-flight and then back to vertical for landing are done with relative ease. The video is also very well done which gives you a really great opportunity to see this remarkable little model at its best.

 And in case you think that little vertical prop in the rear is a nod to the pitch-control tail rotor found on modern electric toy helicopters, think again... the real XC-142 has one there too for pitch control when in vertical mode.

 Bravo Ran D. St. Clair for some very impressive work! 

 
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AirPigz, Clipped Wing Cubs, And A Phoenix Rising

 After an extended break from daily posting, there's a good chance that I'll be back at it on some sort of regular schedule soon. It's interesting that while in hibernation an opportunity has come along that might be the catalyst for AirPigz to rise up like a Phoenix. So if you've been a fan of AirPigz in the past, keep your fingers crossed that the pieces fit and regularly scheduled avgeekery can begin once again.

 To celebrate I figured it would be appropriate to share this video I found the other day of the exact Clipped Wing Cub that I used to fly when I was a teen. It's the same airplane in the pic I posted when I announced the AirPigz Fequency Change. The short and random video is from a couple years ago, and shows the airplane looking far better than it did when I was flying it back in the early 80's.

 There aren't many flying machines cuter than a Cub with wings that look no longer than the airplane is long (tho they are really still 6 feet longer than the length)

 If things continue to improve in my financial world, there's gonna be an authentic CWC or a homebuilt version with my name on it either this year or next. Money talks... and in my world, money likes to talk about Clipped Wings Cubs!

Video: Paine Field 787 Landings... Lots of Them!

 I've been a big fan of the Boeing 787 since the early days of the 7E7, and while the bug-flushing from the program has been very public and teeming with haters, the fact remains that the 787 is a remarkable success already. With 1,031 orders on the books, 121 Dreamliners delivered, and with the production rate up to 10 aircraft each month now, the 787 is pointed squarely at reducing the cost of production and headed toward the break even point.

 The video above is a nice collection of new 787's in various liveries as they operate out of Paine Field during flight tests. In addition to seeing lots of paint schemes, the video is also interesting in that it captures many landings that include having the RAT (Ram Air Turbine) deployed, which can heard sounding like a turboprop airplane is passing by with the 787. The RAT is designed to deploy if power is lost on both engines and it will supply emergency electrical power. It's routine for the system to be tested/deployed during initial flight testing.

 The video can be watched in 1080p HD, and of course it's a lot more enjoyable fullscreen. Enjoy!

Video screenshot: 787 flight testing, including the deployed Ram Air Turbine

Video: Inside Lycoming's Thunderbolt Engines For The 2014 Red Bull Air Races

 I really like the new format in the re-start of the Red Bull Air Races where each race aircraft has an engine and propeller that has been tuned to produce the same performance. For this kind of racing I think putting the emphasis on the pilot's skill is the most interesting way to go. And those standardized powerplants are the incredible American designed and built Thunderbolt customized engines by Lycoming.

 Lycoming has been in the same location since they began building horizontally opposed aircraft engines back in 1929... and hopefully they'll stay right where they are if they remain strong and keep building great engines. It's a really nice American success story.

Screenshot: Red Bull Air Racer and a very hardworking Lycoming Thunderbolt engine 

 The first of the reborn Red Bull Air Races will take place in Abu Dhabi February 28 - March 1 (2014) and from what I can see it will be available to watch on some form of Fox Sports. If I can figure out exactly where it'll be airing I'll post that in a week or so. 

redbullairrace.com

Screenshot: Lycoming Thunderbolt engine production in Williamsport, Pennsylvania