After years of success with Jeannnie, the racing team operated by the Wiley Sanders Truck Lines, Inc. of Troy, Alabama, souped-up another derivative of the P-51 Mustang. Formerly the late Jack Sliker’s Escape 1, the Georgia Mae carries the same racing number (69) and mirror-bright polished natural metal finish.

In external features no.69 is a stock Mustang, but its Merlin engine has received the full treatment of Zeuschel Racing Engines for radically improved power at low level.

The Georgia Mae revealed a high turn of speed in the 1985 National Air Races, but was badly damaged in a ground-looping accident, as John Putnam was landing after a heat and was hit by a crosswind. The aeroplane was rebuilt, and in 1988 was placed fourth in the Gold final.

Georgia May
Span: 11.89 m (37 ft 0.25 in)
Length: 9.85 m 32 ft 3.25 in)
Powerplant: 1 X Packard V-1 650, about 1715 kW (2,300 hp)
Max TO weight: about 3311 kg (7,300 lb)
Max speed: about 400 mph at low altitude

In 2010 Jimmy Leeward returned Jeannie to Reno with the original 1940s name – ‘The Galloping Ghost”.

California-based Lloyd Hamilton has long been associated both with the sport of air racing and with the Hawker Sea Fury. Furias was built up from the components of a number of Sea Fury airframes and a 2833-kW (3,800-hp) R-4360 radial and the propeller of a Douglas A-1 Skyraider installed in place of the stock Centaurus engine and propeller. Qualifying at over 400 mph at Reno in 1985, over the years various modifications have been incorporated, including a turtledeck, but victory continues to elude this unique razor-back Fury. Furias is flown in a colour scheme of red with the upper fuselage and the rear portions of the inner flying surfaces in gold.

Furias
Span: slightly less than 11.7 m (38 ft 4.75 in)
Length: about 10.57 m (34 ft 8 in)
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, 2833 kW (3,800 hp)
Max TO weight: about 4536 kg (10,000 lb)
Max speed: about 470 mph at low altitude

Frank Sanders Racing is responsible for this former Royal Navy Sea Fury T.Mk 20 racer. Dreadnought was prepared at Chino by Frank and his sons Dennis and Brian in 1982/3, and the two-seat aeroplane sported several modifications, the most obvious was the replacement of the original 1849-kW (2,480-hp) Bristol Centaurus with a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial. A four-blade propeller was fitted in place of the Sea Fury’s characteristic five-blade unit.

The pilot for the first outing was Neil Anderson. Neil completed the Reno course in Dreadnought at 446.39 mph, breaking the qualifying record and eventually taking first place in the Gold Championship to make this another first-time-out winner in 1983.

Dreadnought
Span: 11.7 m (38 ft 4.75 in)
Length: increased from 10.54 m (34 ft 7 in)
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360-63A Wasp Major, 2833 kW (3,800 hp)
Max TO weight: about 3946 kg (8,700 lb)
Max speed: about 480 mph at low altitude

Mike Brown won the Unlimited Gold Race at Reno on September 17, 2006, at a speed of 453.61 mph in Hawker Sea Fury September Fury. Second was Matt Jackson in Sea Fury Dreadnought.

Gallery

Based on a North American P-51D-30 Mustang airframe, Dago Red was built up by Bill ‘Tiger’ Destefani and Mike Nixon of Vintage V-12s in 1981. On its very first outing at Reno in 1982 the aeroplane took the Unlimited Gold Championship title. Dago Red has a built-up turtlecleck, extensively clipped and faired-in wings and a specially tuned Merlin engine built by Mike Nixon. This runs on 140-octane fuel injected with liquid manganese, with an alcohol/water mix and nitrous oxide introduced further down the induction system.

Dago Red has seen many owners, including Bill Destefani, Alan Preston and David Price. The aeroplane held the world straight-line speed record for piston-engined aircraft at 517.06 mph.

Dago Red
Span: clipped considerably from 11.89 m (37 ft 0.25 in)
Length: 9.83 m (32 ft 3 in)
Powerplant: 1 x Packard VA 650-9 Merlin, about 2610 kW (3,500 hp)
Max TO weight: about 3402 kg (7,500 lb)
Max speed: 517.06 mph at low altitude

Mike Brown won the Unlimited Gold Race at Reno on September 17 2006 at a speed of 453.61 m.p.h. in Hawker Sea Fury September Fury. Second was Matt Jackson in Sea Fury Dreadnought, with Sherman Smoot third in Yak-11 Czech Mate. The other three finishers were all Sea Furies, the only two North American P-51 Ds in the race having retired.

After five days of qualifying, heats, and semi-finals, the 2013 Reno Air Races came to a finish on Sunday with Steve Hinton, Jr., flying the modified P-51 Mustang known as “Voodoo,” winning the Unlimited Class Breitling Gold Race, with a time of 7:59.313 and an average speed of 482.074 MPH.

Hinton beat the second place finisher, Matt Jackson flying “Strega,” by more than seven seconds. Sherman Smoot, flying the Yak 11 “Czech Mate,” finished third.

Hawker Sea Fury N42SF s/n 37721

In 1993 the airframe was rebuilt by Pacific Fighters.
The Curtiss Wright 3350-26 WD engine was overhauled by Precision Air.
Propeller: Hamilton Standard 24E60-305