Prepare for Records to Fall at Reno Air Races

September 17, 2010 — If you feel the need for speed, then you should be in Reno for the 47th annual National Championship Air Races. The theme for 2010 is "The Next Generation," celebrating the rise of new competitors, new aircraft, and new speed records. The competition began on Wednesday, and continues throughout the weekend, with visitors experiencing five days of air racing by six classes of aircraft: The Biplane Class is represented by small, aerobatic aircraft like the Pitts Special, the Mong, and the Smith Miniplane, giving pilots a chance to apply their skills to racing on a 3.18-mile course at speeds exceeding 200 mph. Formula One aircraft are all powered by a Continental O-200 engine, the same 100 hp engine used in a Cessna 150. Race aircraft must have 66 square feet of wing area, weigh at least 500 pounds empty, and have a fixed landing gear and fixed pitch propeller. The fastest Formula One aircraft reach almost 250 mph on the 3.12-mile course. The Sport Class includes production model kit-built aircraft, powered by a reciprocating engine of 650 cubic inches or less. Sport Class aircraft race on a 6.37-mile course at speeds reaching nearly 350 mph. The T-6 Class features match racing between stock aircraft, including the original T-6 "Texan", the Canadian-built "Harvard", and the US Navy "SNJ" version aircraft. The fastest T-6 aircraft generally post race speeds into the 220-230 mph range on the 5.06-mile course. The Jet Class was inaugurated in 2002 as an invitation-only class, featuring match racing with Czech-built Aerovodochody L-39 "Albatros" jets, racing at speeds in the 400+ mph range. The class currently is open to any non-afterburning aircraft with less than 15 degrees of wing sweep. The Unlimited Class is open to any piston-driven aircraft with an empty weight greater than 4,500 pounds. Aside from a very few "scratch-built" aircraft, the Unlimited Class has generally been populated by stock or modified WWII fighters. Aircraft speeds in the Unlimited Class reach 500 mph. Click here for the race schedule. The National Championship Air Races and Air Show has been held just outside Reno, Nevada, every year since 1964. The Reno Air Racing Association, which organizes the event, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of authentic air racing.

National Championship Air Races Photo of the Day. Mechanics work on the engine of Jimmy Leeward’s P-51 Mustang, Galloping Ghost. Photos by Robert Fisher

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