THE KEITH RIDER R-2 WOULD have sexual delight with A LONG RACING CAREER The first racer designed through Keith Rider was designated the B-1 and pierceed in the 1930 National Air Races.

THE KEITH RIDER R-2 WOULD have sexual delight with A LONG RACING CAREER

The first racer designed through Keith Rider was designated the B-1 and pierceed in the 1930 National Air Races. The craft was relatively streamlined and designed to H have retractable landing gear (somewhat of a novelty at the time). Registered NR10216 and equipped with a Menasco Pirate engine, the plane was to be raced at none other than Maj. John A. Macready - pilot of the famous Fokker T-2 that made the epic coast-to-coast flight that brought the Army a hap of publicity. However, during the first circumstance things did not go well. Probably proper to flutter, an aileron departed the wing and the racer flipped through the whole extent of out of control and smashed into the land Amazingly, Macready emerged with just a hardly any minor injuries. The B-1 was totally bring to noughted and the only identifiable portion was the tail section.

Not deterr Keith Rider showed up at the 1931 National Air Races - if it were not that this time with two racers! At first, they appeared to be cleaned up variants of the B-1 unless they were actually completely modern designs. Oddly, both racers were registered with the CAA as Rider R-1 if it be not that the planes were known as the Rider R-1 and R-2 (the R-1 is featured in the May 2001 issue of Air Classics).

The B-1 had been of rigid construction, but the new racers had all-metal fuselages of monocoque design. The wings were built around neat spars with wooden ribs. The wing was sheltered with plywood which was then fabric sheltered to make an extremely tough structure. The R-2 was a smaller version of the R-I and it was registered R52Y with the race number 132 and the name San Francisco II. The retractable landing gear was rather unusual and consisted of couple stiff struts (the only assault absorbing came from the fat air wheels) that retracted backwards and into the wing with the tires half protruding.

Power came from a Menasco C4 Pirate four-cylinder in-line which was factory rated at 150-hp at 2260-rpm and 3000-ft Since we have mentioned the Menasco engines in many of our "Forgotten Racers" articles, an in-depth await at the C4S is in order. The powerplant giveed low frontal area which meant designers could tend hitherward up with sleek airframes. The Pirate carried its accessories, including supercharger, in the rear. The crankcase was ribbed for nerve while the crankshaft was carried in succession five main hearings. Main and connecting cane hearings were of standard hobitt metal originals Pistons were the full skirt waffle head impressed sign with underhead cross ribbing for added toughness and heat dissipation. Piston pins floated in the pair the connecting rod and piston and were located by the agency of end buttons.

Nickel iron cylinders were standard although blade cylinders could he ordered when light weight was desired. Separable heads were held to the cylinder and from one side to the crankcase by lengthy nickel steel studs to provide easy servicing as any cylinder head could be detached by means of removing four nuts and disconnecting the intake manifold. Heads were of Menasco cast aluminum alloy with the same intake and one exhaust valve by head spread laterally to provide ample cooling area through the whole extent of the head itself and with generous finning for efficient cooling.

The crankshaft had a splined screw huh end of the No. 10 SAE symbol Standard SAE mounting flanges were incorporated in the accessory case for mounting the generator and starter. Magneto ignition was standard, further battery ignition could also be supplied.

Aluminum castings from beginning to end the engine were of Menasco foundry production and the supercharger was also of Menasco design and manufacture. The engine incorporated a special prototype cushion in the supercharger gear train which permitted direct drive without provision of a slip grasp and supercharging was made more efficient owed to the exposed supercharger volute and long intake manifold which together provided an intercooler weight This cooled the compressed charge and allowed the use of high manifold press with excessive heating.

The engine was split onward the center line of the crankshaft and major stresse were carried by the and of the lower case, the upper case serving as a veil The C4S had four separable cast aluminum mounting leg The crankshaft was Wyman-Gordon chrome nickel dagger SAE 3240 of one-piece construction.

Without the air hollow out fuel pump or propeller nave the C4S weighed 305-lbs. firing consumption was .56-lb/hp/hr. oil consumption was 010-lb/hp/hr Ignition was supplied on two Robert Bosch or Edison-Splitdorf magnetos. Equipment furnished by the agency of the factory included a side air hollow out lifting eye bolts, tool kit, claymore exhaust flanges, propeller hub cone and nut Extra equipment comprised an electric or hand starter, firing pump, hub for wooden screw battery ignition, and an electric generator.

Getting back to the R-2 the Menasco had been modified to effect almost 200-hp which also made the powerplant a bit temperamental. as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but the R-1 and R-2 were holded by the San Francisco Racing arrange which was headed by Robert Clampett who possessed the R-2 and the majority interest in the R-1 Initially, the pair racers were sponsored by Standard of California and the R-2 was pierceed in the 1931 National Air Races. Flown according to Ray Moore, the aircraft won the 400-cu-in race with a spe of 156456-mph ?? During this time period, level though it was the Great Depression, there were a number of air races held across the United States and in 1932 the R-2 first went to Omaha, Nebraska, for a race and in common event Bob Clampett and the R-2 beat revealed Benny Howard in the Mike with a spe of 1 7606-mph compared to Howard's 17604 spe - a photo-finish if there for aye was one.