Hughes Racer Replica Lost

It would appear that the wonderful Hughes Racer Replica has been lost
in a crash in Yellowstone Park.

My prayers go out to everyone involved with this project. Jim Wright
was one of the nicest people I've ever met.

Wayne Sagar
All Aviation FlightLine OnLine
http://www.aafo.com/

It would appear that the wonderful Hughes Racer Replica has been lost
in a crash in Yellowstone Park.

My prayers go out to everyone involved with this project. Jim Wright
was one of the nicest people I've ever met.

And my prayers as well. Any site with information?

John Dupre'

damn.

http://www.trib.com/AP/wire_detail.php?wire_num=113724

"James Wright, 53, of Cottage Grove, Ore., died when the plane, a
replica of the Hughes H-1, crashed about 6:30 p.m. Monday in Midway
Geyser Basin about five miles north of Old Faithful, park officials
said.
....
The plane approached from the west about treetop level just south of
the basin parking area, officials said. It apparently struck on the
west side of the Firehole River and came to rest on the east near the
main park road, which was closed for about five hours after the crash.

The airplane burst into flame upon impact, but the fire was quickly
extinguished by park staff."


Sounds like an attemped forced landing on the riverbank? Anyone
familiar with the area? The reporter clearly has no clue about
controllable-pitch props:


"Wright, who had been flying planes for 30 years, stopped in Gillette
to refuel about 90 minutes before the crash.

''The air's thin enough here that the propeller gets stuck in low
gear,'' he told The Gillette News-Record. ''I'm just trying to get
home.''

Wright had been having problems switching gears as he flew over
northeastern Wyoming but had planned to stop in Gillette to refuel
anyway, the newspaper reported.

Shortly before flying out of Gillette-Campbell County Airport, he said
he was going to attempt to take off in second gear. Whether gear
problems were responsible for the crash is unclear. The FAA said the
cause is not known."

"Corrie" wrote in message
om...
damn.

http://www.trib.com/AP/wire_detail.php?wire_num=113724

"James Wright, 53, of Cottage Grove, Ore., died when the plane, a
replica of the Hughes H-1, crashed about 6:30 p.m. Monday in Midway
Geyser Basin about five miles north of Old Faithful, park officials
said.
...
The plane approached from the west about treetop level just south of
the basin parking area, officials said. It apparently struck on the
west side of the Firehole River and came to rest on the east near the
main park road, which was closed for about five hours after the crash.

The airplane burst into flame upon impact, but the fire was quickly
extinguished by park staff."


Sounds like an attemped forced landing on the riverbank? Anyone
familiar with the area? The reporter clearly has no clue about
controllable-pitch props:


Per the article in Air & Space, that airplane had a counterweighted prop
that cycled automatically between high and low pitch. They had trouble with
the pitch change mechanism during early flights, but made modifications that
supposedly corrected the problem. The first gear/second gear analogy
isn't exactly right, but isn't that far off the mark...

KB

Per the article in Air & Space, that airplane had a counterweighted prop
that cycled automatically between high and low pitch. They had trouble with
the pitch change mechanism during early flights, but made modifications that
supposedly corrected the problem. The first gear/second gear analogy
isn't exactly right, but isn't that far off the mark...


Supposedly Jim Wright himself made the comments about the "gears" so as
to convey the sense of the thing to the general public...

Sure was a stunning, stunning machine. Wish I'd taken the time to
realllly look at it...

Ed Wischmeyer

Ed Wischmeyer wrote in message ...

Sure was a stunning, stunning machine. Wish I'd taken the time to
realllly look at it...

Ed Wischmeyer

I sincerely hope that this does not come off as a "self serving"
response to this message. Jim Wright gave one struggling free-lance
photographer the break of a lifetime when he pulled the hinge pin from
his own Bonanza so that we could remove the left rear window and get a
clear (nothing but air between us) air to air session of him in the
airplane last year. It was the first "commercial grade" air to air
that had been shot of the airplane and because of it, I moved several
"grades" up the ladder of those of us who try our asses off to "shoot
airplanes for a living"... I was published in several national "ink
and paper" glossies and a couple of "tabloid" publications for the
first time..

This was a WONDERFUL man Jim Wright, he had a dream, the resources to
achieve that dream and he DID IT!

But it didn't go to his head!

I want EVERYONE to see his dream as many times as they can, as often
as they can!

http://www.aafo.com/racing/history/h...s_air_show.htm

A rather longish web address, but it's to the beginning of a "photo
essay" of the airplane that I took last year down in Cottage Grove.

There are more images, including desktop wallpaper images available at
http://www.aafo.com/gallery/08-07-03.html and
http://www.aafo.com/gallery/12-09-02.htm

Feel free to download them and do whatever you will with them... just
REMEMBER Jim Wright and the WONDERFUL airplane that he and his friends
and associates brought to life for us!

I'm toasting a bottle of fine wine to my lost friend this evening, so
if this is a bit "mushy" so be it...

This was a wonderful human being who had this dream, shared it with
his friends and with whom, brought it to reality... through them we
saw and heard history fly again!

I simply can't belive he's gone and with him, his dream...

He will live on, forever, for sure, much will be written about the
airplane and the man, we'll always have the images.. but nothing will
replace the smile of this person.. The soft gentle mannerisim of this
man..

DAMN!

I sell prints of this airplane to suppliment my retirement income but
if anyone wants one and can not afford my prices, which I've tried to
set as reasonable as possible.. email me, my address is all over the
site in the links... I want this man and his airplane to be on as many
walls and computers as can be possible.. we'll work something out if
you want a print and can't afford it!

Jim Wright was just one of the most special people I've ever known, he
created a dream, he brought Howard Hughes and his first airplane back
to life for a brief moment in time.

Now they can both talk about it, and someday, we can all talk about it
with them..

Light a candle... don't forget this man and his flying dream that
became a reality!

Blue Skies Forever Jim Wright!

Wayne Sagar
All Aviation FlightLine OnLine
http://www.aafo.com/