The Zenith Aircraft factory will be open from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm for self-guided factory tours, demonstrations, and more. There will be coffee in the morning and a local food truck will be offering a delicious lunch.

In contrast to the annual Zenith HOMECOMING event in September (with scheduled workshops and forums), the June event is an informal morning fly-in, with no specific scheduled activities. Zenith will be holding one of its popular hands-on kit building workshops immediately prior to the event.

For more information: https://conta.cc/3OZpFZV
Facebook page and photos from past years.

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On the test bed NX Cub, the company uses a dozen small electric ducted fans to blow air across the top of the wing. The faster air over the top surface increases lift by a factor of 1.5 to 4, depending on the flight profile. The patented technology can be added to existing airframes or incorporated at the factory. “As our research and development continues, ELAS may prove to have the ability to dramatically enhance the short field performance capabilities of fixed-wing aircraft in general aviation as well as commercial aviation,” Horgan said.

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As air racers collectively search for new venues in a post-Reno world, the Sport Class continues to lead. Step one is achieving FAA accreditation for their aircraft and racing program, where the big hurdle is holding one successful demonstration race.

To reach that goal the Sport Air Racing Council—the organization the Sport Class has formed to negotiate such events—has three demonstration races planned in the near future. In fact, all three races are planned before the big finale at Reno this coming September.

Two of these events are in western Canada: The Red Deer Regional Air Show, Spring Book, Alberta on July 29-30 and the Alberta International Air Show in Villeneuve Airport, Edmonton, Alberta August 5-6. The U.S. event is The Airshow of the Cascades Festival in Madras, Oregon August 24-26. All three are air shows where the Sport Class would run its single-class race (no F1’s, Biplanes, Unlimiteds, etc.).

Bill Beaton, SARC’s point man for future racing, stressed that contracts had not been signed with any of the three air shows, but he expected all to finalize shortly.

As these are SARC’s first-ever races outside of Reno and are intended as demonstrations to the FAA of SARC’s ability to run a single-class contest, entries are limited to seven race planes running 240 mph or slower, plus one pace plane. Once accreditation is gained more and faster planes will be allowed in future events.

As expected, the only real weather front in all this is insurance. A web of three levels of insurance among the event promoter, SARC and the individual pilots is required and apparently there are only two underwriters in the world who will even contemplate such policies. It appears that if insurance can be written the planned races will takes place.

Past the three 2023 demonstration races, Beaton says SARC has significant opportunities lining up in 2024 but says it is too early to discuss details regarding them.

More anecdotally, we asked the race pilots in the fast, expensive Sport Gold division if they were ready for support running more than one event per year, as has been the norm with just Reno on the schedule. All said yes, explaining they’d need to dial the power down to about the 350 mph level to get engine reliability into the three-race neighborhood, but were excited about such a series. They’re hoping to eventually arrive at several races around the country with one final race annually for the championship as this would help them secure sponsorship and bring new fans to the sport. They predicted all bets on manifold pressure would be off at the year-ending championship race and it would take 400 mph to win the Gold as is currently the case at Reno.

There’s certainly strong interest in Sport Class racing. No fewer than 13 rookies are attending Pylon Racing Seminar this week in Reno, and the ramp is covered with 42 Sport Class aircraft at PRS. That’s more than all other racing classes combined. Furthermore, our wanderings in the pits at PRS this week have uncovered high interest in Formula 1 as well, with more than one story of dormant race planes being dusted off for pylon duty. Certainly there are plenty of F1 racers in the backs of hangars across the U.S., along with many eligible Biplanes. Rumors of F1 races being planned outside of Reno are also in the wind. Given their smaller, internationally defined and recognized 3 km course often fitting inside the runway confines of larger airports F1/Biplane racing seems assured in 2024 and beyond.

These may be interesting times, but they are not without hope by any means for air racing fans.

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Matt reports the Formula 1 class already has 26 entries for the September races and only 24 available slots. It’s just another data point saying the last Reno races are going to be well subscribed as everyone tries to get one last shot at air racing’s now ancestral home.

Matt, who’s from Reid Hill airport in San Jose, California, is running race #1, the now ACME Special ll seen in the foreground. It’s a bit scruffy at the moment with its vinyl wrap tattered in spots and wearing a wooden prop and low-po daily driver motor. Not to worry as Matt will race prep his new-to-him plane for September with a race engine, composite prop and new graphics.

The ACME Special ll was previously Zipper and won the F1 Gold in 2009 with Thom Richards on the stick.

Race 31 in the background is the also very fast, multi-Gold winning Fraed Naught, now owned by Josh Taylor. He’s planning on getting used to his new mount at PRS, saving any modifications for next year. So far Josh finds Fraed Naught attention getting at lower speeds with little aileron feel and touchy elevators, but coming dead stable once over 200 mph. Sounds like a race plane!

The slab wing Cassutt with the green leading edges and 3-blade toothpick prop is Josh’s earlier racer, which will be run by his wife Jen this September.

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Tom’s racer is jammed full of custom work we’re photographing for Kitplanes, and in the meantime he took us along during an outstanding if tiring formation clinic flight. Those guys get close to each other!

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Pilots interested in polishing pylons at the National Championship Air Races learn their trade at the Pylon Racing Seminar, or PRS as all the cool kids say.

The official PRS school begins Monday and runs all next week, but many racers are already here at Reno-Stead where a formation clinic is in full swing. As the Sport class sees formation flying as the underlaying fundamental of pylon racing, gaining a formation clinic stamp of approval is a requisite for PRS entry in the Sport class. It’s also fun, with many racers saying they enjoy the clinic and PRS more than the races because there isn’t the competitive and time pressures of the big air racing weekend.

For us it’s a low-key opportunity to catch-up with the racers and ferret out their latest speed secrets, not to mention their attitude towards Reno-Stead going away after next September’s races. In short, their collective attitude towards a post-Reno future is somewhat apprehensive to upbeat. Count us in the upbeat camp as there is simply too much interest and passion for pylon racing for it to disappear. Certainly there are plenty of racers here at PRS. We haven’t counted spinners here today, but there are enough for at least four flights of Sport racers, along with several Jet flights. The F1, T-6 and Unlimited classes are scheduled for later in the week, so they’re not expected here yet.

We’ve only been at Stead for a few hours, but so far the formation clinic is going well. A few cowlings have come off for light-duty tweaks or look-sees, but mechanical mayhem has been thankfully nil and the flying routine. Well, as routine as winging around with your race buddies gets.

The big sour note is the Biplane class is not here for PRS, foretelling a complete shut-out of the Biplane class in September. The problem is an intramural lawsuit inside the Biplane class and their subsequent resignation from Reno participation. We had been hoping a positive resolution would appear, but it hasn’t yet.

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“We are incredibly excited to look at this next evolution of the National Championship Air Races and the ways in which we can further grow the event for current and future generations of air race fans,” said Fred Telling, chairman and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association. “This year’s event will be a celebration of our legacy and allow us to springboard forward as we search for a new home for the event. We’re thankful for all of the interest we’ve already received from prospective sites and look forward to an exciting RFP process.”

The National Championship Air Races is the only event of its kind in the world and is a vibrant part of aviation’s culture and history. The event annually brings tens of thousands of patrons from all over the world and has generated an economic impact of over $100 million for the region. Potential partners may be able to host the current seven race classes at one location or hosts may be part of a larger, multi-city series of race events. Other attractions, such as various military displays and demonstrations, will continue to be a part of future events.

“Our RFP selection committee is excited to get to work on this project and to see the possibilities for the event’s next home,” said Terry Matter, vice board chairman for the Reno Air Racing Association and RFP committee lead. “We have a talented group of 12 members made up of other RARA board members, race pilots, engineers, and consultants who have been chosen for their combined knowledge and familiarity with the detail and scope of what it takes to produce, manage, and market the National Championship Air Races. With their expertise, we feel confident we will select the best location for the event’s continued success.”

To learn more about the event’s final year, stay up-to-date on event news or purchase tickets, visit airrace.org.

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While the company is flying an example now in a Cirrus SR20, none have been delivered into the Experimental market. The company says it was waiting for FAA certification. Work is in progress on both “generic” engine mount solutions for tractor and pusher aircraft but there’s interest in more detailed propulsion kits for RVs and Velocity aircraft, according to the company. When last discussed, the target price was just under $90,000, but the current target for the engine alone is $60,000, which gets it much closer to the Jet A-burning competition from Continental.

The company says the DHK180 has “40% fewer moving parts than other engines in its category” and is “highly responsive and produces more usable torque than traditional aircraft engines in its class, all while burning significantly less fuel and with a resulting lower net carbon footprint. Its performance characteristics are extremely well-suited to a wide variety of conventional aircraft, as well as those powered by hybrid propulsion systems.”

DeltaHawk says production will begin in 2024 and it would seem likely that if it has an OEM partner—such as a Cessna or Cirrus—we’ll hear more about it at AirVenture this year.

While Jet A engines have failed to take hold in the U.S. except in certain training situations, it’s a different situation around the world, where avgas is much less common than here. In addition, aero diesels have suffered from lower specific output, greater weight and higher cost over conventional gas-burning aircraft engines.

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First, the Verner we saw delivered to a local builder hammering out a Fokker Dr.1 triplane came with a 12 oz can of fine Czech pilsner beer and a mug to put it in. The suds were packed right in with the engine.

If that doesn’t seal the deal, one of Verner’s North American dealers, Brahn Sport Aviation, is offering a limited time $1,000 discount on the Verner 5S, 7U and 9S engines. Call it a spring sale says BSA main man Brett Hahn.

Terms of the sale include a 40 percent deposit up front followed by engine delivery in approximately four months. That’s approximately August if you place an order in early May. It’s also one of the fastest deliveries in aviation engines today and August is a great month for beer.

For more information see www.radialsrock.com or contact Brett directly at Brahn Sport Aircraft at brettvhahn@gmail.com or (575) 640-0312.

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Our RV-3 (Tsamsiyu) has been flying since day one with a Whirlwind 151 three-blade prop (the one with the yellow tips). Fabulous propeller—light weight, constant speed, great aerodynamics—that gave us tremendous performance, both in cruise and climb. The airplane will climb 3000 fpm at sea level or run down the ocean beach flat out faster than the airframe was designed to go (if you let it). But nothing lasts forever.

The 151 was one of Jim Rust’s early designs and he has learned a lot in more than a decade, refining both aerodynamics and mechanics to the point where the 151 has been discontinued in favor of the newer 300 series (the one with the white tips). And since the 151 was discontinued, he doesn’t have any parts for routine servicing or overhaul. So it was only matter of time before it became an expensive paperweight. And since I’ve been very happy with the 300 on our RV-8 for a year, Jim made us a good deal on a new prop for the RV-3.

The swap was simple—we didn’t even need to take the spinners off! The old prop (with the yellow tips) was added to Jim’s collection, while the new prop (white tips and beautiful carbon fiber-weave blade faces) was carefully balanced and proved to be smooth as silk. Since the performance is more or less comparable and we were swapping constant speed for constant speed, we simply did a new weight & balance calculation and made a logbook entry—it’s not a significant enough change to warrant a new Phase I.

I flew the airplane (from our home base near Reno) down to El Cajon (just east of San Diego) one day last week in cold temperatures (and great tailwinds), arriving about 10:30 a.m. By 12:30, the airplane was ready to fly with the new nose! Kudos to Jim and his team, as well as to painter/artist extraordinaire John Stahr, who pre-painted the spinner to match the rest of the airplane before the prop was ready. I flew the airplane back to Big Bear Lake for the night and headed home the next morning getting some qualitative performance data—it felt faster and climbed better! The winter air in the lee of the Sierra was too rough to get good quantitative data but I took it up the next day and saw a speed increase of about 3-4 knots flat out and probably a 10% increase in climb. Given that the airplane’s redline is 183 KTAS, I guess that getting 181 (WOT, full RPM, leaned for best power) is probably good enough when it comes to speed.

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