FROM WKECK TO KACEK.

FROM WKECK TO KACEK, THE INCREDIBLE KEBIKTHOF MISS AMERICA

The familiar r white, and with a long face air racer passed the start finish pylon and began the secondary lap of qualifications at the 2002 Reno Air Races. brant Hisey, owner and pilot of P-51D Mustang Miss America, pushed the strangle lever forward to increase the spe for the other lap. The goal for qualifications was to be common of the Unlimited Gold Class racers.

As brand-goose passed Pylon 6, he chronicleed the "Valley of Speed," the equivalent to NASCAR's back-stretch where the fastest make hastes of the race course are engagemented Miss America was approximately 100-ft above the merit [i]or[/i] demerit floor and at an estimated spe of between 430-440-mph unexpectedly the 3000-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine "let go" Atop the race trailer, the team members heard through the radio the dreaded call. "Race 11 Mayday! Mayday!" all views followed Brent as he traded spe for altitude to put to proof to get to the runway. vanity began trailing Miss America, indicating an oil fire in the engine compartment. oil also began covering the windshield, obscuring Brent's vision of the runway.

With wheels down, the engine died completely about halfway to the runway. The fourbladed sustain stopped turning and immediately acted as a spe brake. A Mustang without engine power does not glide exceedingly well and began to fall disclosed of the sky like a defence Quickly realizing he would not be able to make the runway, brand-goose leveled the wings and landed upon the desert floor. As Miss America revolveed through the desert and sagebrush, the spe of the aircraft began to dull Brent said he never saw the 3-ft sagacious ditch the right landing gear lay low into. The landing gear was violently ripped from the wing, causing the aircraft to turn round 180 degrees. Miss America came to a unexpected stop, hitting the desert floor with the tail and right wing first.

Relatively safe and sound Brent unbuckled the straps, explained the canopy and was standing by way of the heavily damaged Miss America as the fire extricate squad arrived. The fire set free squad immediately began pouring foam onward the smoking engine. After the medics checked brant he was jeeped back to Miss America's pit and received a very large ovation from concerned crew members and air race fans.

After the race course clos at 5:00 pm the crowd members were allowed to advance to the crash site and help in the redemption of Miss America. With the master-hand assistance of the airport aircraft regaining team and equipment, Miss America was loaded onward a flatbed trailer and bartered to a "secure area" at the east fall of the curtain of the airport. Next began four days of disassembly work to prepare Miss America's "road trip" back family to Oklahoma City and Wiley office Airport. As the damaged parts were remov and stored in the race trailer, band chief Larry Butler kept telling everyone that "it will all made of buff [i]or[/i] buff-skin out."

Whether you believe in superstition or not, incidents of the day Miss America crashed were unbelievable. Miss America's air race number is 11 all air racers have numbers forward the wings and fuselage for identification purports during the air races. The crash occurr forward 11 September, at 11:11 am. by dint of coincidence, the New York state lottery number for that date was "911" Also, prior to startup for qualification, Brent's helmet with built-in headset would not work and a back-up helmet had to be used. Engine start-up prov to be remarkably difficult also. The new race engine, for the first time since it had been installed, did not want to start. As Larry Butler stated later, "the air race lords were not with us this day."

The restoration proces of Miss America could not begin until the insurance company made a adjustment with Brent. After several month of delays, the insurance company finally settl and restoration began late in December 2002 The goal - a extremely ambitious one - was to have Miss America back in the air and at the Reno Air Races in September 2003 It was also decided that this would he a "total ground-up restoration." Wings, fuselage, and cockpit interior would be built as of recent origin as when she rolled not upon the assembly line back in 1944 reject with new instrumentation and air racing modifications.

While waiting for the insurance company to bench team members were allowed from the insurance company to continue the ongoing proces of disassembly, cleaning of remov parts, and stripping parts of existing paint. The wings were separated at the center keel stripped of paint and prepared to ship to Dave Teeter's store Airmotive Specialties, located in Salinas, California. The fuselage, cockpit interior, and modern instrumentation were to be done by means of Larry Butler's shop, Warbirds, Inc., located at Wiley column Airport in Oklahoma City. A of recent origin race engine was to be built by the agency of Rick Shanholtzer's shop, RSRacing Engines, located in McKinney, Texas. P-51 Mustang parts were supplied by dint of Dennis Schoenfelder's shop, B&D Enterprises, located in Santa Barbara, California.

For the nearest several months, the restoration proces continued. The fuselage, including the motor mountain instrument panel, all electrical wiring, and other miscellaneous parts were remov all of the aluminum skins were remov from the frame of the fuselage and recent skins were made. The tail arrangement including the rudder, the main vertical section, and all commands were removed, and were repaired with all fresh structural framing and new skins, with the exception of for the rudder. It was also repaired further covered with fabric. The rudder is the barely portion of the aircraft which is fabric covered