Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site pbear.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!cca!pbear!peterb From: peterb@pbear.UUCP Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Starfighter yarn Message-ID: <800010@pbear.UUCP> Date: Sun, 21-Jul-85 17:55:00 EDT Article-I.D.: pbear.800010 Posted: Sun Jul 21 17:55:00 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 00:26:03 EDT References: <3003@nsc.UUCP> Lines: 28 Nf-ID: #R:nsc:-300300:pbear:800010:000:1482 Nf-From: pbear!peterb Jul 21 17:55:00 1985 I remember reading about the "Red Baron" who built his starfighter from trashed remains loast in training missions. It is probably the same person you mentioned. He combed the earth for part and pieces of 104's and after he got all the pieces needed, he built it and got it flying. Then he put in the hanger for a long stay while every single surface rivet(which were oval heads) and replaced every single one (over 25000) with flat headed rivets. This required the drilling out of the previous rivet and replaceing it with the flush head type, and then burnishing the surface so paint would adhear properly. When finished, it was estimated to add over 100mph to the top speed just from this. He was going at the sea level jet speed record, and had to do numerous passes over consecutive days in order to stock up enough proof for the record books and to get better as the weather got colder. It was on one of these days when the landing gear did not lock. After futile attempts at forcing the gear to lock, he trusted his rebuilt-by-hand ejection seat and pulled it. He had set the autopilot to put the plane into a 3 degree descent and hold the airspeed to about 140mph in hopes that it would pancake in and not suffer massive damage. Unfortunately the jet came in and pancaked as planned, but on the first skip rolled over and landed on its back causing it to cartwheel. Needless to say the airframe was totalled. Peter Barada {ihnp4!inmet|{harvard|cca}!ima}!pbear!peterb