Rare Bear update

Air Classics, Sep 2001

All Unlimited air racing fans are looking forward to the return of Lyle Shelton's F8F-2 Rare Bear. Lyle recently informed us, "The airframe is still at Reno Stead Airport and the R-3350 engine is at Van Nuys in a thousand pieces. Effort at pulling together enough good parts for a ferry engine are being worked out. We thought we had a very good opportunity of getting the plane ready for Reno 2001. Since Reno 2000, we had been negotia,ting possible spansorhip with our old friend Jack DeBoer of Candlewood Suites and two of his partners. Things were looking promising and we thought we might be able to prepare and operate competitively as a result.

Details were in the process of being worked Out when one of the key sponsorship partners was killed in the crash of an L-39. This, of course, reduced the partnership budget and knocked us out of the proposed dual sponsorship with the Strega team. Strega was able to make an agreement with lack.

"We then considered running this year with a stock ex-military R-3350 engine and to compete at lower than our winning power and speeds, just to run all systems and keep the team coordinated as a working unit. However, after initially looking at the military surplus engine cost, conditions, availability, and reliability situations, we decided to cancel for this year. Surplus military R-3350-- 26W engines froin Skyraiders are costing $25,000 to $50,000 now (not overhauled). A few years ago, they were costing about $5000. Many Sea Furys have been converted to R-33 50 power and this has really driven the price up.

"We have nrc proven to be the world's fastest propeller-driven racing aircraft with the potential to go faster. So, it is probably better to delay for another year and have more time to get the help and do the work necessary to start winning again. Our objective is to get a good racing engine with a spare, do 15-- 20 mph of drag reduction mods on the airframe and run into the indefinite future as the world's fastest winring race plane!"