The Galloping Ghost (aircraft)
Encyclopedia
The Galloping Ghost was a P-51D Mustang air racer flown by Jimmy Leeward
. It was a highly modified former military plane that had undergone major modifications, including shortening of the wings and horizontal tail in addition to other modifications to reduce the aircraft's drag. S/n 44-15651 was manufactured in 1944, and had been owned by Aero Trans Corp. DBA in Ocala, Florida
. It was destroyed On September 16, 2011, when it crashed into spectators at the Reno Air Races
, at the Reno Stead Airport
north of Reno, Nevada
.
as a P-51D-15-NA, Army Air Force serial number 44-15651, at the NAA's Inglewood, California
, plant for military use during World War II
. Once the aircraft was delivered, it was transferred to the then-Walnut Ridge Army Air Field
in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
, and would become surplus stock. Due to being classified as surplus, it was then offered to the public for sale at a price tag of around $3,500. Around that time, Steve Beville and Bruce Raymond were looking to compete in the National Air Races
in Cleveland, Ohio
, that were to be held in September. Beville was able to secure the aircraft from the WAA
despite a deadline that had already passed that ended the sales of the P-51 at the Walnut Ridge Army Air Field. Thus, the aircraft was the last to be sold to the public.
After Beville and Raymon bought the aircraft on July 22, 1946, it was given the registry of NX79111 and the name The Galloping Ghost, after the nickname of football star Red Grange
. Raymon piloted the aircraft in its first race, the 1946 Thompson Trophy
, the first since 1939 due to the start of World War II
at the time. Raymon took fourth place on the closed-course track, winning $3,000. The following year, Beville piloted the aircraft in the Kendall Trophy race. He broke the record for fastest closed-course speed August 31, 1947, with 384.6 miles per hour, over the previous record of 601.7km/h (373.9 mph) set by Alvin "Tex" Johnson in the Thompson Trophy race the previous year, winning $2,500. Beville also raced for the 1947 Thompson Trophy, taking fourth. For 1948, Raymon raced in the Sohio (taking fourth), Thompson (second) and Tinnerman (first) Trophies. He won the Tinnerman by less than a second, taking $3,150 and earning a total of $11,850 for all three races. Beville also raced in the Sohio and Thompson Trophies, taking fourth for both and earning a total of $3,700.
In 1963 the aircraft was purchased by Dr. Cliff Cummins as a stripped hulk. He restored the aircraft and had it modified for racing, included the addition of a lower-profile canopy and reducing the wing span four feet. He first raced it at the Reno Air Races in 1969 as Miss Candace (named after his daughter) race number 69. Unfortunately, at the 1970 races, he suffered an engine failure and landed short of the runway, damaging the aircraft.
The aircraft was rebuilt again, this time with a very small canopy taken from a Formula One air racer and a smaller belly cooling scoop. In this configuration, Dr. Cummins first raced the aircraft in 1972. In 1973 he qualified the airplane in the third position for the Unlimited Class Gold Race and he took second place behind Lyle Shelton
’s winning Bearcat. He did win the 1976 National Air Races at Mojave, California
, with a winning speed of 422 miles per hour. After racing the aircraft for several years with limited success, he sold the aircraft in 1979 to Wiley Sanders of Sanders Truck Lines.
Sanders renamed the aircraft Jeannie, after his wife. The aircraft was rebuilt with an eye to weight reduction. In the end, 600 lbs of was removed from the airframe. Roy “Mac” McLain flew the aircraft in 1979 at the Reno Air Races. Shortly before the 1980 air races, the aircraft was damaged in a crash at the Van Nuys Airport
. In a frantic effort, the aircraft was rebuilt and again flown by McLain, won the Gold Race at Reno just days later. At the 1981 Reno Air Races, Skip Holm piloted the aircraft to victory in the Unlimited Class Gold Race. The following year, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and did not participate in the Gold Race.
The aircraft was sold to Jimmy Leeward
in 1983 shortly after the aircraft's wing span had been reduced another six feet. He initially raced the aircraft as Specter, race number X. He later raced the aircraft at Reno as race number 9 and later race number 44 "The Leeward Air Ranch Special". After an engine failure at the 1989 Reno Air Races forced Leeward to land the airplane on a dirt road, the aircraft did not appear at the races between 1990 and 2009. The Galloping Ghost did race again in Reno in 2010.
, at the Reno Stead Airport
north of Reno, Nevada
. The aircraft had just rounded the last pylon when it pitched upward and then went inverted. While inverted the plane rocked its wings and suddenly pitched downward towards the ground and grandstands, crashing into the box seating area in front of the grandstands.
On September 17, 2011, it was reported that the National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) was examining whether the loss of a component of the tail played a role in the crash of The Galloping Ghost. News reports included a photograph taken right before the crash while the airplane was inverted show a missing left elevator trim tab. In 1998, the left trim tab was lost during the Reno Air Races by a modified P-51 Mustang named Voodoo Chile. The 1998 incident did not lead to a crash but pilot "Hurricane" Bob Hannah reported that when the elevator trim tab came off during the race, the airplane pitched up and subjected him to over 10 G
s and a loss of consciousness. When the pilot regained consciousness, the plane had climbed to over 9,000 feet of altitude. In the 1998 incident, the pilot was able to bring the damaged plane in for a safe landing.
In a YouTube
video, and further detailed in an aviation publication, the plane is described by Leeward as highly modified, using a Formula One
air racer canopy, in addition to a number of modifications designed to improve aerodynamics and increase the plane's top speed. These modifications included removing the water and oil radiators from the belly and replacing them with a boil-off cooling system. The wing span had been reduced another six feet by the previous owner (for a total of 10 feet of reduction) and the horizontal tail was also reduced in span. The objective was to create a plane that obtained greater speed under available power as the result of the modifications. He describes the modifications of the plane as "radical", describing the boil-off cooling system as similar to the cooling system in the Space Shuttle
.
Jimmy Leeward
James Kent "Jimmy" Leeward was an American air racer, owner of the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, Florida, and the pilot of the heavily modified North American P-51 Mustang racing aircraft, The Galloping Ghost.-Career:...
. It was a highly modified former military plane that had undergone major modifications, including shortening of the wings and horizontal tail in addition to other modifications to reduce the aircraft's drag. S/n 44-15651 was manufactured in 1944, and had been owned by Aero Trans Corp. DBA in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. It was destroyed On September 16, 2011, when it crashed into spectators at the Reno Air Races
Reno Air Races
The Reno Air Races, also known as the National Championship Air Races, take place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA...
, at the Reno Stead Airport
Reno Stead Airport
Reno/Stead Airport is a large general aviation airport located in the North Valleys area, northwest of the central business district of Reno, a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States...
north of Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
.
History
The Galloping Ghost was built by North American AviationNorth American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
as a P-51D-15-NA, Army Air Force serial number 44-15651, at the NAA's Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
, plant for military use during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Once the aircraft was delivered, it was transferred to the then-Walnut Ridge Army Air Field
Marine Corps Air Facility Walnut Ridge
Marine Corps Air Facility Walnut Ridge is a former United States Army and United States Marine Corps airfield located in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. After it was closed, it was redeveloped into Walnut Ridge Regional Airport.-Army Airfield:...
in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
Walnut Ridge is a city in Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,925 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lawrence County. Walnut Ridge lies immediately north of Hoxie, Arkansas. The two towns form a contiguous urban area with approximately 8,000 residents...
, and would become surplus stock. Due to being classified as surplus, it was then offered to the public for sale at a price tag of around $3,500. Around that time, Steve Beville and Bruce Raymond were looking to compete in the National Air Races
National Air Races
The National Air Races were a series of pylon and cross-country races that took place in the United States from 1920 to 1949. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, that were to be held in September. Beville was able to secure the aircraft from the WAA
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...
despite a deadline that had already passed that ended the sales of the P-51 at the Walnut Ridge Army Air Field. Thus, the aircraft was the last to be sold to the public.
After Beville and Raymon bought the aircraft on July 22, 1946, it was given the registry of NX79111 and the name The Galloping Ghost, after the nickname of football star Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
. Raymon piloted the aircraft in its first race, the 1946 Thompson Trophy
Thompson trophy
The Thompson Trophy race was one of the National Air Races of the heyday of early airplane racing in the 1930s. Established in 1929, the last race was held in 1961. The race was long with pylons marking the turns, and emphasized low altitude flying and maneuverability at high speeds...
, the first since 1939 due to the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at the time. Raymon took fourth place on the closed-course track, winning $3,000. The following year, Beville piloted the aircraft in the Kendall Trophy race. He broke the record for fastest closed-course speed August 31, 1947, with 384.6 miles per hour, over the previous record of 601.7km/h (373.9 mph) set by Alvin "Tex" Johnson in the Thompson Trophy race the previous year, winning $2,500. Beville also raced for the 1947 Thompson Trophy, taking fourth. For 1948, Raymon raced in the Sohio (taking fourth), Thompson (second) and Tinnerman (first) Trophies. He won the Tinnerman by less than a second, taking $3,150 and earning a total of $11,850 for all three races. Beville also raced in the Sohio and Thompson Trophies, taking fourth for both and earning a total of $3,700.
In 1963 the aircraft was purchased by Dr. Cliff Cummins as a stripped hulk. He restored the aircraft and had it modified for racing, included the addition of a lower-profile canopy and reducing the wing span four feet. He first raced it at the Reno Air Races in 1969 as Miss Candace (named after his daughter) race number 69. Unfortunately, at the 1970 races, he suffered an engine failure and landed short of the runway, damaging the aircraft.
The aircraft was rebuilt again, this time with a very small canopy taken from a Formula One air racer and a smaller belly cooling scoop. In this configuration, Dr. Cummins first raced the aircraft in 1972. In 1973 he qualified the airplane in the third position for the Unlimited Class Gold Race and he took second place behind Lyle Shelton
Lyle Shelton
Lyle Shelton was an American aviator who set the world's absolute propeller-driven 3-kilometer speed record of 528.329 mph. He won ten Unlimited air races, the most of any pilot, and six national championships, second only to Darryl Greenamyer...
’s winning Bearcat. He did win the 1976 National Air Races at Mojave, California
Mojave, California
Mojave is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2762 feet...
, with a winning speed of 422 miles per hour. After racing the aircraft for several years with limited success, he sold the aircraft in 1979 to Wiley Sanders of Sanders Truck Lines.
Sanders renamed the aircraft Jeannie, after his wife. The aircraft was rebuilt with an eye to weight reduction. In the end, 600 lbs of was removed from the airframe. Roy “Mac” McLain flew the aircraft in 1979 at the Reno Air Races. Shortly before the 1980 air races, the aircraft was damaged in a crash at the Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley section of the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States. No major commercial airlines fly into this airport; it is used by private, chartered, and small commercial aircraft...
. In a frantic effort, the aircraft was rebuilt and again flown by McLain, won the Gold Race at Reno just days later. At the 1981 Reno Air Races, Skip Holm piloted the aircraft to victory in the Unlimited Class Gold Race. The following year, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and did not participate in the Gold Race.
The aircraft was sold to Jimmy Leeward
Jimmy Leeward
James Kent "Jimmy" Leeward was an American air racer, owner of the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, Florida, and the pilot of the heavily modified North American P-51 Mustang racing aircraft, The Galloping Ghost.-Career:...
in 1983 shortly after the aircraft's wing span had been reduced another six feet. He initially raced the aircraft as Specter, race number X. He later raced the aircraft at Reno as race number 9 and later race number 44 "The Leeward Air Ranch Special". After an engine failure at the 1989 Reno Air Races forced Leeward to land the airplane on a dirt road, the aircraft did not appear at the races between 1990 and 2009. The Galloping Ghost did race again in Reno in 2010.
2011 Reno Air Races crash
On September 16, 2011, The Galloping Ghost aircraft crashed into spectators at the Reno Air RacesReno Air Races
The Reno Air Races, also known as the National Championship Air Races, take place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA...
, at the Reno Stead Airport
Reno Stead Airport
Reno/Stead Airport is a large general aviation airport located in the North Valleys area, northwest of the central business district of Reno, a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States...
north of Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. The aircraft had just rounded the last pylon when it pitched upward and then went inverted. While inverted the plane rocked its wings and suddenly pitched downward towards the ground and grandstands, crashing into the box seating area in front of the grandstands.
On September 17, 2011, it was reported that the National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) was examining whether the loss of a component of the tail played a role in the crash of The Galloping Ghost. News reports included a photograph taken right before the crash while the airplane was inverted show a missing left elevator trim tab. In 1998, the left trim tab was lost during the Reno Air Races by a modified P-51 Mustang named Voodoo Chile. The 1998 incident did not lead to a crash but pilot "Hurricane" Bob Hannah reported that when the elevator trim tab came off during the race, the airplane pitched up and subjected him to over 10 G
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
s and a loss of consciousness. When the pilot regained consciousness, the plane had climbed to over 9,000 feet of altitude. In the 1998 incident, the pilot was able to bring the damaged plane in for a safe landing.
In a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video, and further detailed in an aviation publication, the plane is described by Leeward as highly modified, using a Formula One
Formula One Air Racing
Formula One Air Racing is an American motorsport that involves small aircraft using engines up to 200 cubic inches in displacement. Racers can reach speeds over 200 mph.- History :...
air racer canopy, in addition to a number of modifications designed to improve aerodynamics and increase the plane's top speed. These modifications included removing the water and oil radiators from the belly and replacing them with a boil-off cooling system. The wing span had been reduced another six feet by the previous owner (for a total of 10 feet of reduction) and the horizontal tail was also reduced in span. The objective was to create a plane that obtained greater speed under available power as the result of the modifications. He describes the modifications of the plane as "radical", describing the boil-off cooling system as similar to the cooling system in the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
.