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| Home :: Aircraft Status |
OCTOBER 2007 NEWSLETTER Aircraft Status Problem with carburetor running too rich has been solved. Turns out A young engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works is working on a design for MAY 2007 NEWSLETTER Crew Status We are pleased to announce that the wife of a crew member who was hospitalized last month with two separate life threatening conditions is now home and on her way to complete recovery. Also, we are extremely relieved that crew member Greg Austin, who was fighting the big battle with cancer has become a "survivor". His absence was definitely felt by the entire team. We are eagerly looking forward to his return and his invaluable contributions to the Wildfire project. We thank you all who kept Greg in your prayers. We are also proud to announce that we have three new crew members on the Wildfire team: Shawn Teare, a design engineer for the Lockheed Skunk Works in Palmdale; Martin King, the manager of Vintage Carburetors, Inc; and Tyler Crispin, Senior Communications Controller for Indyne, Inc. at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Shawn's design capabilities, Martin's knowledge of engine carburetors and fuel systems, and Tyler's web site maintenance will be invaluable to the team. See (Wildfire Team) for more information on all of the new members. Aircraft Status Three weeks ago we conducted our taxi tests with Dave at the controls and all went well. So well in fact, Dave was ready to get right into the flight test program. Dave took the airplane all the way down to the east end of the runway and was ready to takeoff when two things happened. (1) A lot of gray smoke came out of the exhaust stacks on the right hand side of the engine and (2) the mixture control was refusing to cooperate. End of the flight test program for the day. Also during the debrief, Dave mentioned that the brakes were a little mushy. During the ensuing two weeks of work, we made some revealing discoveries. The gray smoke was a result of a large amount of oil collecting in the lower cylinders when the engine was static and then being pushed out of the hot exhaust stacks when power was applied to the engine. Our engine mechanic Tom Johnson and Electrical/Electronics engineer Paul Novacek are working together on the fix. Also, due to the large amount of oil in the cylinders, all spark plugs had to be pulled and cleaned which has been completed. The second issue, the fuel mixture, was a result of FOD getting under the fuel control valve seat in the carburetor. Martin came down to Mojave and helped us solve the fuel mixture problem and then took the carburetor to his shop for a flow check. The mushy brakes were corrected by bleeding the system again. The Saber Liner brakes we're using are really difficult to bleed completely but we managed to get this done also. We continue putting 110% into getting the racer ready for Reno. The only major hurdle we have left is the construction of the landing gear doors. We are searching for someone to help us with these and all ideas and leads are welcome.
AUGUST 2006 NEWSLETTER Wildfire Team Announcement The Wildfire crew has put forth a monumental effort over the past several months to have Wildfire ready for Reno. During this time we have accomplished a tremendous amount of work, - too much to list here - and in fact we have made great progress towards completing all required tasks. Unfortunately there is only so much that can be done in the short time we have left before the races and we simply can not get everything done in time without jeopardizing quality and safety. Therefore, it is with a great deal of disappointment that we announces to our sponsors and fans that Wildfire will not be racing at Reno in 2006. Again, we have accomplished a great deal of work on the airplane, but with only five weeks to go before Reno we have yet to complete the Flight Test program and the landing gear doors. Additionally, we discovered only last week that one of the new oil coolers recently installed has developed a leaky oil pressure control valve. This requires a complete removal of the oil cooler system and related components in order to replace the valve. Needless to say this is not a quick and simple procedure. More importantly it pushes the flight test program back several weeks, which does not leave us enough time to safely test the airplane. The designer of Wildfire, the late Bill Statler Sr., always stressed the importance of a well-planned and executed Flight Test program. “You design your flight test program so that it covers everything you need to check and test in the proper order, you take it one step at a time, you analyze each step completed, if you’re happy with the results you move on to the next step in the program. Cutting corners or rushing a flight test program could have tragic consequences”. Bill Sr. was one of the best aircraft designers in the business and he received many awards for his work. He knew what he was talking about and we agree with his philosophy. Hence, we will not do it any other way than the right way. Although we are understandably disappointed, our spirits remain high and the crew is anxious to get the airplane back in the air. The good news is that we now have the time to really perfect the already awesome performance of Wildfire.
SEPTEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER This past Spring, we lost one of our key crew members and beloved mentors, Bill Statler Sr. He was the initial founder of the team and lead engineer. Bill was an inspiration to us all and dedicated most of his life to air racing. He was highly respected as the Director of Science and Engineering at Lockheed and known throughout the aviation industry, but we always called him “Senior.” He was an inspiration to us all we will miss him dearly. Working for Lockheed since the early forties, Bill had plenty of stories to tell around the hangar. Here's one of his favorites.
The remainder of the team has dedicated the legacy of the Wildfire to Bill Sr. and we'll tip our glasses to him in honor of his dedication and warmth he's given us all. In addition to Bill's passing, our efforts are also strained because we've been unsuccessful in gaining a team sponsor. As everybody knows, the sport of air racing is very expensive and a struggle for teams on a limited budget. Many sponsors have stepped up to the plate and donated services or goods, to whom we are eternally grateful, but all our efforts to acquire a major sponsor have failed to materialize. Therefore, without a major sponsor, our ability to complete a flight test program and cover team expenses for racing are severely limited. We're still progressing with system testing and completing flight test profiles, but as you all know, a major sponsor is key to a successful racing season. If any Wildfire fans out there have ideas or sponsorship contacts, please let us know. We appreciate your continued support and kind words. ~ The Wildfire Team JANUARY 2005 NEWSLETTER The Wildfire Unlimited Air Racing Team wishes everyone a happy, healthy
and prosperous 2005. We were saddened to have to say 'good-bye' to too many friends in 2004, among them John Herlihy, Rocky Stewart, Willis Hawkins and Gordon Cooper. All will be missed by everyone who were privileged to know them. 2004 was the year we had the great honor of adding Dave Morss and his lovely wife Karen to the Wildfire Unlimited Air Racing Team. Dave, a highly qualified all around pilot, will be doing the flight testing and racing for the team. Dave has been officially recognized as the pilot who has flown the most laps around the Reno courses having competed for several years in the Unlimited, Jet and Sports Classes. Congratulations Dave. Karen, with her marketing talents, will be trying to raise funds for the Wildfire project as well as trying to obtain a sponsor for the team. We want to thank all of you who have joined the Wildfire Air Racing Teams' Benefactors Club and who have purchased merchandise through our website. Every penny received by the team through these means is greatly appreciated, badly needed and put directly into the project. Although the lack of funding has slowed the project down, it has by no means stopped it. Our goal is still to make Reno in 2005. We have a lot of companies to thank who have helped us throughout the past year; HRD Aero Systems - Fire bottles and oxygen equipment. Without companies like these coming forward to help the competitors in all racing classes, a lot of the competitors we watch race each year would not be able to compete at Reno. We were thrilled to be contacted, through our website, by Larry Cansler. Larry is the composer of the hit song "WILDFIRE." Larry, an admitted "airshow junkie," wished us luck on our project and when we asked if we could use his song Wildfire as our theme song, was quick to give his blessing. As for the current status of the project, we have finished the installation
of all systems and have completed the checkout of all the electrical installations.
All safety systems have been installed to assure our pilots safety. Within
the next week or so, we will conduct a full operational test of the fuel
system. All of the fuselage skins will also be reinstalled. CREWMAN OF THE MONTH: When we started the Wildfire project up again after a twenty-year hiatus, we were extremely fortunate in getting back the majority of the crew that originally worked on the project. Among them was our electrical/avionics/cockpit/human factors engineer Paul Novacek (see WILDFIRE TEAM). Paul has spent long days and nights on his own in Mojave, above and beyond the normal crew work days, to insure that every system was operating perfectly and that every possible safety feature was installed to insure the pilot's safety. Paul also found the time to obtain the majority of the sponsors listed above as well as the personnel needed to maintain our website. TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE MONTH: What small item did Howard Hughes and his mechanic, Glenn Odekirk, invent for the Howard Hughes H-1 Racer that would revolutionize the aircraft industry? More to follow……. |
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