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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>
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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