Formula Vee Racing

rframe

rframe

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As I posted in the Flying History thread, I had an almost completed Sonerai when I was younger. Every time I look at the pictures I think about how much fun it'd be to have one now and I often think I might build one some day. If you're not familiar with Formula Vee air racing, it had about a 20 year run and was the creation of the famous Steve Wittman. The idea was for low cost race planes that the average Joe could build from plans.

You can still build a Sonerai for about $5000 in tubing, fabric, sheet aluminum, and another $4000 or so for a brand new VW four stroke. One of the few airplanes one can realistically build for under $10,000 and it can handle +/- 6 G's with the "S" wing and will do 170 mph flat out with a Great Plains 2180cc engine.

I dont understand why good honest fun like this ever died off. Now I guess it's more fun for people to sit on their couch and watch rich guys play at Red Bull Air Races on TV.

1:30 for one of the benefits of low inertia!


 
I've always loved Sonerais, and there is a little corner reserved my dream hangar for one.

 
I saw Formula Vee racing and then didn't see what I expected. Figured I'd see the Formula Vee car racing. It's too bad that there aren't any of these races left. I wonder if they would consider running them at Reno if enough people showed up?
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
I saw Formula Vee racing and then didn't see what I expected. Figured I'd see the Formula Vee car racing. It's too bad that there aren't any of these races left. I wonder if they would consider running them at Reno if enough people showed up?
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Meh, it's kind of like scooter's. They're way fun to ride, until you're friends see you on one. With the excitement of the Unlimited and the SuperSports, I just don't think this would have a decent following today. And the insurance costs to run an event have probably taken the low cost aspect out of it. Nuthin's cheap anymore.
 
mshunter is probably right... everything has to be "big" now and be blown way out of proportion with media hoopla in order to attract enough sponsors to pay the insurance people because we've all become so obsessed with this fear of litigation now days.... it's sad. Until people start to say "heck with it...I'm going to have fun again", stuff like this wont come back.
 
rframe said:
As I posted in the Flying History thread, I had an almost completed Sonerai when I was younger. Every time I look at the pictures I think about how much fun it'd be to have one now and I often think I might build one some day. If you're not familiar with Formula Vee air racing, it had about a 20 year run and was the creation of the famous Steve Wittman. The idea was for low cost race planes that the average Joe could build from plans.

You can still build a Sonerai for about $5000 in tubing, fabric, sheet aluminum, and another $4000 or so for a brand new VW four stroke. One of the few airplanes one can realistically build for under $10,000 and it can handle +/- 6 G's with the "S" wing and will do 170 mph flat out with a Great Plains 2180cc engine.

I dont understand why good honest fun like this ever died off. Now I guess it's more fun for people to sit on their couch and watch rich guys play at Red Bull Air Races on TV.

1:30 for one of the benefits of low inertia!


Click to expand...


Darn you! You've just given me something else to dream about. I need more money / time!:(:biggrin:
 
There's fun to watch & fun to do... Honestly out of all the aerobatic contests I've been too, WATCHING the Sportsman catagory is almost as exciting as watching paint dry. In reality, it's the most difficult & competitive category to fly and do well in. To me that makes it fun. And what really make it cool is that once in a while some one enters in something other than a Pitts, Extra, Eagle or Super Decathlon... I once saw someone fly a F33C Bonanza... THAT was cool.


I'm just gonna start my own air race, who's with me? I know a place far away from any FSDO. What they don't know wont hurt them....
 
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