|
Schiffer Publishing |
|
Mustang - The Racing Thoroughbred by Dustin Carter and Birch Matthews |
|
Reviewed By Ed Kinney, #2989 |
|
|
|
MSRP: $39.95 USD 208 pages hard cover This offering from Schiffer is, if you are either a Mustang or Air Race fan, a true “must have”. It covers the inception of the design in 1940 for the British Purchasing Commission, and takes you step by step through its paces as a war horse, serving in Both WWII and Korea, to its present day status as pure racing thoroughbred. Since its first entry into the Arena in the 1946 Cleveland National Air Races, the Mustang has been the most numerous of all Air Racers and it still holds true to this day. The book contains numerous photos of the “Stang” in hundreds of different liveries, including one of the most eye catching, albeit gaudy, ever seen, both black and white and full color. Birch Matthews is no stranger to Air Racing, having authored “Wet Wings and Drop Tanks”, another excellent publication for the racing buff, as well as other articles for A.H.S. and racing publications to numerous to mention. The Book offers excellent coverage of the inception of “Big Bore” Air Racing in 1946, and as a youth, I had the opportunity to be there and see it all first hand. It was a great and glorious time to be alive. There is truly no sound as beautiful to me as a supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin engine screaming down the straight away! Sadly, “Big Bore” pylon racing ended in 1949 for 15 years as a result of the crash of Bill Odom in the absolutely beautiful “Beguine”, of which I am sorry to say I was an eyewitness. Beguine was at that time, the most modified P-51 in existence and was originally designed and built to make an assault on the worlds piston engine speed record, which it never had the opportunity to do. An entire chapter in this book is dedicated to “Beguine” and culminates with the suspected cause of the crash. Sadly, it took not only Odom’s life, but the lives of a mother and her young child on the ground. I can remember at the time, the outcry against Air Racing was horrendous. As they say “time heals all wounds” and 15 years later, the Mustang found itself back in the racing business. This book covers all Mustang Racers including those most highly modified. Clipped wingtips, radiator scoops removed, canopies cut down, counter-rotating propellers, horsepower increases that border the unbelievable, ad infinitum…. It’s all in here, and as I said, for the racing fan, it’s a must. Priced at $ 39.95 from Schiffer Books, www.schifferbooks.com. |
|
Information, images, and all
other items placed electronically on this site |
